Feb 13-Feb19

Monday: It's Monday, wahh...and it's back to the grind. Surprisingly, working at AECOM has been pretty fun, the days go by pretty fast, I think it's because they keep me busy with things to do most of the day. We work until a moderate time and then drop off some stuff at Grandma Sugai's house, we were going to stay there for the night. We then meet up with Jimmy/Haylin and them because they were having dinner in Pearl Ridge area. The really funny thing is that one of Jimmy and Haylins really good family friends (their Uncle and Aunt from Sacramento) were eating with them too. Being that they were from Sacramento and are Japanese, I asked them if they knew my family, the UDAs. And to my surprise, they did, they were actually really good friends with one of my uncles. They were like, "I didn't know you were related to the Udas!" It's amazing how small of a world we live on. :) I told them to say "Hi to my family" but also told them I don't think they know I have a boyfriend...haha. I guess my family in Sac will know now! After dinner we go over to Marci, Kristi and Neil's place because their dog just passed away. We brought them flowers and got to play with Brooke. Haylin, Brandon, Dev and I all went over there, it was fun but I was getting tired. The weekend was definitely catching up to me, so we stayed until about 11 then headed back to Kaimuki area.

Tuesday: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! It's valentine's day, so before we leave Grandma's house, we leave a flower for her to wish her a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope that she likes it. :) Later, it's back to work, I bring in cookies and a tray of candy for the office. The day goes by pretty fast, I think I was kind of excited to just go out to dinner. We were going to go to Wolfgangs Steakhouse in Waikiki. I was excited to eat some MEAT! When we first got there, I was handed a teddy bear, it was cute, I guess everyone got one that day. We order the "Valentine's Day" special, which included a caesar or mixed salad, porterhouse steak (I think that was the cut) with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The dinner ended with a chocolate souffle. Overall, the food was good, but I think we would of rather gone to Yakiniku Hiroshi's for some meat instead. I did enjoy the crispiness of the steak though, it had a nice crust on the outside. After dinner, since it was still pretty early, we go back to the house and then get ready to go to a movie. We were going to see the most romantic movie out there... "Safe House" with Denzel Washington. HAha. That was good, I'm definitely not your typical girl that wants to see "The Vow," so, the action/suspense was a nice one. It was a nice V-day and I was ready for bed.

Wednesday: Today, wasn't so bad for work, the only thing was that we were preparing for a workshop that was happening next week. So, I had to help with some presentations AND we also had training for a new type of interface we are using for one of our clients. The training was going to be located in another office and it lasted for about 3+ hours. That was a sort of rough to get through, because it was long, and pretty boring. Not only that I was pretty tired from the weekend and just having some late nights during the week. The cool part of everything was that my family was able to get their "Edible Arrangement" that I sent to them for Valentines day...AND I was able to get my Vday present from Devin. He got me a walking golf cart (since I don't have one). It was pretty nice and I was excited to try it out. :)

Thursday: I wake up tired yet again, it's one of those days where I'm ready to go home, but have to work semi late because we are preparing for the workshop that is happening next week. I feel kind of bad though, because Devin's friend Kristina was going to come over for dinner and bringing her husband and baby Micah. Kristina lives in So-Cal, so they hardly come out here. I wanted to help Dev's mom out with the dinner, but was pretty busy at work, that we had to stay late. When we got home, I was able to help her set the table though and we had a nice dinner. Neil, Kristy, Marci, Kristina, Curtis and Baby Micah and Brooke were all there. It was actually a pretty relaxing night, we were able to eat, chill and talk about one thing or another. Plus, Kristina's little boy is really cute, it's funny to see the difference between a "boy" and a "girl." One is constantly moving and the other just sits there quietly...haha you guess which one is which. Luckily, the night isn't too crazy, I go to sleep early because we have work tomorrow.

Friday: TGIF! WOo, it's Friday, so I'm happy about that. Plus, ti's a paying friday... WOO! The day doesn't go by fast enough, I can't for the weekend, where we have really no plans to do anythign! :) Tonight, I want to just chill/cruise and that's exactly what we do. Everyone comes to Dev's house and we do the usual...it was a long night though, but at least I get to sleep in tomorrow!

Saturday: It's saturday and it's something that I've been missing for such a LONG time...sleeping in! And that is exactly what I did. :) haha. We sleep in pretty late, around 12, until it's time to get ready for some golf. We play at Fort Shafter with Lorin and Mike. It was pretty fun, except I wasn't feeling so hot and it was semi-raining. But it was fun to be outside and in fresh air. Devin, actually played pretty good, I let him win, so that he could boost his confidence a bit. :D Haha. After golf, we were pretty tired (we walked 18holes) so I take a nap for a hour or two. :) I love lazy weekends. Later that night we meet up with the rest of the guys and go to Dash and then Zippys for a late night snack. Just your typical Saturday night.

Sunday: It's Sunday, wahh, we wake up and then relax until we have to take Cierra and Hunter out to the Honolulu Zoo. We pick them up around 1pm and then venture to Waikiki. I haven't been to the zoo in a really long time, I think the last time had to be a couple of years. Parking was pretty bad, but we finally got one and then we got to walk around. It wasn't bad, it wasn't too hot and it looks like it was newly renovated. I think the kids had fun, but the number one thing they wanted was Dip 'n Dots. We finally got them their ice-cream and they were happy. It was a nice day, but seemed like a lot of walking, our feet were sore by the end of it. We then take them home and head to Uncle Lans house for dinner, it was Kimos (Devin's cousin) last Sunday dinner before he moves to Texas. :( Of course, the food was good and we were able to watch the new episode of "The Walking Dead". Later that night we go back to the house and call it an early night...we have work tomorrow... Waahh.

Feb 6-Feb 12

Going to try something new, going to start doing a weekly blog...sorry, I've been slacking...

Monday: WAHH it's Monday, but wasn't too bad waking up. The work day wasn't too bad except near the end of the day, where I had to finish a report, just that my computer was really slow and there were a lot of small changes. Doesn't help when you have to change things about 10 min before you're supposed to leave. O.o Which was kind of annoying, but it's okay got to get the report done! We finally got home and had dinner, I was pretty tired from the day. Dev went to the driving range and I stayed home and watched the Voice. Haha I love that show. Got to take it easy, it's a work night. :)

Tuesday: I stayed at Grandma Sugai's house, this week was goign to be busy because our friends Jimmy and Haylin were going to get married over the weekend, and Devin was in the wedding. So, we have to help them out a lot this week.

Wednesday: I drive into work today, it wasn't too bad but took me around 30min from Grandma's house. Work, was of course work, but always seems to go by pretty fast because I am always pretty busy. That night I had to go back and help Auntie Jojo because all of the bridesmaids were coming over to make cake pops for the wedding and practice their dance for the wedding. It was a fun "girls night" there ended up being around 15 people coming over that night; Haylin, Marci, Tiara, Kristina, Brandon, Neil, Kristi, Brooke, Brian, Geoff, Dev T and Kam...it seemed like a long night. Haha. But it was fun watching the girls practice their dance and eating all the good food that Auntie made. I think this week is going to be a long one!

Thursday: Work again, and I was tired...but I got through it because I knew it was going to be another semi-long night. After work, we go back to the house and wait for Wendi, we were going to Haylin's mom's house for dinner. It was a pre-wedding dinner with a lot of her family and friends. Her mom lives in Ewa beach side, so that is considered far away. I was totally tired so I fell asleep in the car. haha. We pick up some poke from Tamuras, and then get to the house. It was an extravagant dinner, Haylin's mom set up the house really nice. Let's just say, I think the wedding is going to be "Blinging." The food was really good and of course everyone was really nice. A lot of Jimmy and Haylin's friends/family came from Sacramento for the week, so they were all really excited. We stayed until about 10pm and then I drove Wendi and Devin home, gotta get our beauty sleep. :)

Friday: TGIF!! WOOO, it's time for to get through this workday and then off to Waikiki, because Devin has rehearsals. BUT before that, I was going to pick up my CAR!! I was going to get a car to drive around Hawaii...one of our friends parents owns a used car lot, so he got me a really good deal. I was really excited, let's go 96' Maxima! haha. Uncle David picked me up and then we drove the car back to the house before we go to Waikiki for the rehearsal. My insurance wasn't kicked in until tomorrow, so I couldn't be driving around. :)

Haylin and Jimmy were going to get married at the Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki. It's really pretty and the chapel is really elegant. It's all white with marble white floors. For rehearsal, Jimmy was working, so I was asked to stand in for him. Haha. It was kind of funny because I'm about 3 times shorter then him, but I was happy to help out. After rehearsal, the boys had to go towards Kahala to practice their dance. They were going to perform at the reception (it was a thank you dance for Haylin's grandma). While they were there, I went to Kahala mall to pick up some jewelry to wear for Saturday. Claires here I come! :) After the mall, I head to the guys rehearsal to pick Dev up and sneak a peak at the guys rehearsal...haha. They were going to dance to the Cupid Shuffle. After their rehearsal, I was really hungry, so we picked up something from Zippys and headed back towards Salt Lake area. It was going to be a chill "cruising" night at Takuma's house, needed to rest before Saturday.

Saturday: We woke up around 9:30, we had to be at the hotel by 11am to 1. Get Dev ready and 2. drop off the cake pops for their Candy buffet. When we get to the hotel, we can't check in yet, so we go to the boys' room. I am so glad that we went home the night before, because apparently the boys stayed out really late and I know Devin would've been hurting today. Haha. The boys looked tired, but I think they had fun. We hang out in the room for awhile, Dev had to get ready with the boys, so I go see what Neil and Kristi were doing. I guess they just got back from the pool with Brooke, so they were getting ready. I had to pick up some pupus from the Cheesecake Factory for the wedding party (while they were taking pictures) so, I had Neil and Kristi come with me. We picked up the food around 1, but before that we went to go get Shave Ice from Ailana's. Sadly, Aaron wasn't there, I guess he was out getting coconut milk, so his nephew was there instead. After, Kristi goes shopping for a bit and then Neil and I go pick up the food. Good thing he came with me, because there were about 4 large bags of food. Our room was finally ready for check in around 2:45, (the ceremony started at 3:30) so, I had to quickly get ready. Neil and Kristi hung out in our room until the ceremony as well. Devin's family came a little early too, and they ended up hanging out in the room while we waited for the ceremony to start.

Everyone looked really pretty/handsome. The girls were in pink and the boys in their tuxedos, with pink/red ties/vests. Everyone was really happy and Haylin was gorgeous...she looked like a model. The ceremony was pretty short, which was nice because it was pretty warm in there. The wedding party stood by clear gas windows that looked out in the ocean, it was really pretty. After the ceremony, we all went outside to blow bubbles on the Bride and Groom. (Haylin and Jimmy got married about 5 years ago, but they never had a big celebration, so this was their time to celebrate with their family/friends in Hawaii). The wedding party then went to go take pictures and I went to the cocktail hour on the Lanai. The reception was a lot of fun, I was on the table with all of Dev's friends; Dev T. Lorin, Wendy, Mike, Kam, Paul & John. The table next to us, was where Neil, Brett, Kristi, Kelly and them were. There was dancing, a video(which was really good, it was like a documentary) and of course the rehearsed dances. Haha. I want to put up a video, but we'll have to see if I could censor parts of it..Lol. By the end of the night everyone was having a blast, they even did a "trash the dress" scene, but it ended up being the entire wedding party in the ocean. Yes, even the guys in their rented tuxedos, you can guess which two people's tuxedos were so ruined, that they had to pay for them in full....Overall, it was an amazing night, a lot of fun with good memories!

Sunday: It was semi-recovery day, we had to check out by 12, so we were able to help clean out the bridal rooms and bring things down to the cars. They were returning the tuxedos back to ala moana mall, so we all decide to eat at Shirokiya, since it would be easy to all grab whatever we wanted and there would be plenty of seats. Dev and I were so hungry, I think we got something from every station...it was like a buffet for the 2 of us. :) We then walked around the mall for a little bit, because we had to pick up a present for Devin's cousin Ayden, it was his 8th birthday. We got him some nice tops from Macy's and then headed to his uncles house for dinner. We head to Devin's Uncle Lans house, have dinner and then after go back to the house. It's Californication and the Walking Dead night!!

Feb 5, 2012

It's Super Bowl Sunday and someone is hangin...haha. The boys had a good time last night, I'm pretty sure. haha. We didn't get out of the house until about game time before we head out to Bo's house. It's pretty funny because Bo's in Vegas but he still had people over for the big game. There were a lot of people there too and of course a lot of food. Dev was pretty hungover so he took a nap most of the time. haha. Lauren came by as well, it was basically a good time with good people, with lots of food and drinks. I wasn't too interested in the game, especially since the 49ers weren't in it, I just didn't really want the Patriots to win, but overall didn't really care.

After the game we go to Grandma's house and I get my mail...WOO, got my pay check. :) I was really tired, so I passed out really early. But it felt pretty nice, especially since we have work tomorrow.

Feb 4, 2012

It's Saturday and I'm meeting up with Lauren to go to Yoga. The class starts at 9:30, so I meet up with Lauren at 9, we park in the Ala Moana mall and then walk over to class. I haven't done yoga in a really long time or any other physical activity. The class was good, but LONG. I think half way through I felt like I was going to faint, I definitely saw stars at one point, so fetal position was what I had to do! haha. The class was supposed to last until 11, but Dorian (the teacher) said one more pose at 11, which ended up being 5 more poses and 30 min later. HAha. I was ready to to end at 11am and I wanted to leave at that time. Haha. After yoga, we went to Foodland to get some fruit and water. I needed to hydrate myself after a work out like that.

I then drive back to the house and shower, we were going to go to the Punahou Carnival for lunch. I meet up with Dev and we get ready to leave around 1:15. We park at Dev's grandparents house and then walk down to the school. The walk down wasn't so bad and when we get to the carnival it is Hot and pretty crowded. The lines were pretty long for the food and there were a on of kids. I guess we went at the wrong time, haha. Lauren meets us there too and we walk around for a bit, Dev wasn't really into it though because it was pretty hot and he was getting prepared for Jimmy's bachelor party (I think he was excited, it was like planning his own). haha.

We leave the carnival around 3 and then head back to the house. I'm pretty tired especially after yoga in the AM so I take a nap until we have to go to a BBQ at 6:30. Jimmy comes over around 5 and then the boys get ready to head out, we have a BBQ at Kam's house then the boys have Jimmy's bachelor party. I help Wendy with a lot of cooking and chill there, I get to drop Kam off at the women's club and then head back to the bbq. I stay til about 11pm and then goto sleep early...or until the boys come home and wake me up. Haha. I think they had a good time.

Feb 3, 2012

TGIF!!

Yay, it's friday and payday...woo! That's the thing that I'm most excited for and ready to for the weekend. The day goes by relevantly fast, luckily on Fridays I get to leave early.

Tonight I want to take it easy, so we basically call it a movie night. We watch the movie 50/50 and Abduction. 50/50 is with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the character's gets cancer and has a 50/50 chance of surviving. It was pretty funny and sad at the same time. Abduction is the movie with Taylor Laugtner, which was okay just kind of cheesy, probably because Taylor was the main character. haha

Dev went to cruise at Dev's house, he had to plan Jimmy's bachelor party that was happening tomorrow. Yah to a chill night and sleeping early. :)

Feb 2, 2012

It's thursday and another day of working. I know that most of my blogs are pretty boring now, it's wake up, and go to work. Haha. And that was basically how today went, wake up and went to work. Luckily, I have been keeping busy, they give me one task or another. I was just excited because I was going to get my first paycheck this week. :)

After work we are going to a Corporate Happy Hour, I guess they have these like once a month where everyone in the industry go to network. It was one of Devin's friends going away parties, so we were actually going to that. It was at Standard a club in restaurant row. We get there around 6:30, and by the time we get into the restaurant it is crowded. Apparently, we were supposed to get a table for the going away party, but it was so crowded that we got a small table in the corner. It was kind of weird to have a going away party when there was an event there. We stayed for a really long time, but Devin was having fun. He had fun catching up with all of his old classmates and so much fun that he wanted them to all get pho after.

Paul is such a nice guy that we end going to his restaurant, it seemed like a late night. I was ready to go to sleep, luckily tomorrow is Friday!

Feb. 1, 2012

It's hump day and we wake up bright and early because we have to take the bus to work. We get bus passes, so I wanted to use it. The bus ride wasn't bad, it got crowded as we got closer to downtown, luckily we were far enough in the bus route that we got a seat. The ride took about 30-40 min, it was kind of crowded. We get to work around 7:50, so I think I can take the bus again. The work day was as usual, getting reports done, making pdfs and trying to organize the office.

We take the bus back to Grandma's house and it was shorter on the way home then to work. Taking the bus was kind of fun, I think I'll be able to get used to it. The only thing is that there are some weird people that take the bus, but I mean it's public transportation, so what can you expect. We get back to Grandma's house and she's getting ready to go out to dinner.

We decide to get ready for dinner as well, we wanted to go to Ichiriki but it was so crowded that we go to Hot Pot Heaven, which is a nabe restaurant. Paul meets us there and we get seated pretty quickly, I guess Paul went to church with the owner. It was really good, I think it helps that we were really hungry too. The nabe place was a little different because it was like buffet style, but you pay by the plate. All I know is that by the end, I was full, but not stuffed and really satisfied. After dinner we go to Snow Factory, it's like a shave ice shop, but not really. Instead of shaving ice, they shave flavored ice the texture that comes out is like cotton candy. So, I would say it's like a cold cotton candy it's heavier then shave ice, but lighter then ice-cream. It was good, but I don't think I could eat it all the time.

After dinner and shave ice it was time to go home and rest. It's a work night, haha so gotta take it easy. :)

Jan. 31, 2012

It's a workday again, so it's back to the grind. Its pretty much the same ol' work day, working on the report and doing admin things. After work we eat real quick and then head over to grandma's house. We have to keep grandma company, she was watching her Korean Dramas as always. We hang out for awhile and then head to the driving range, I guess it's the busiest golf course on the island and yes, it was a very busy driving range. I felt like it was a korean drama, because there were a lot of koreans at the range. We had to wait for a stall before we could hit too, it was also pretty funny because all the girls that were there were in their "Tuesday" best. I felt a little out of place in my sweatpants. haha.

I guess you can say I don't plan on going to that course for awhile, especially if it's that busy. When we get back to the house we just hang out until we call it a night, we have to wake up early because we are going to take the bus to work tomorrow. Haha. Let's see how that goes.

Jan 30, 2012

It's Monday...wahh...haha. The start of a another work week. It's like the usual day at work, organizing, checking up on our coffee, water, and starting to put the Workshop Report together. They want me to start a template for all reports, so all we'll have to do is just add new copy and what not. Another exciting thing that happened in the office was that we got a Keurig! That way everyone can choose which type of coffee they would like (some people can be very particular about their coffee). We got 7 different types, so hopefully everyone will be happy in the office. :)

I worked on the report most of the day in Microsoft word. I'm still waiting on my adobe programs to be installed on my computer. I can't wait until then, then I'll start creating the reports in InDesign. The only difference b/w that is that I'll have to get used to using a PC vs. Mac.

After work I go home and pick up softball stuff for Devin, he has a game at 8:30. So, I was going to be a good gf and bring him his gear. His game was interesting, they didn't do so hot but it was fun to watch, hopefully next week they will do better. haha. Kenji and Kevin are also on their team, so at least I wasn't sitting on the side-line by myself. Next week, let's go for a win!

Jan 29, 2012

It's Sunday, wah, means the weekend is almost over. We wake up pretty late, last night seemed like a long night. I just chill until about 3pm when Dev, Mike and I go golfing at Fort Shafter. The goal was just to beat Devin...and SUCCESS! hehe. It's been pretty fun getting back into golf, we've been able to go almost every weekend. I would say that I'm doing better then what I was doing in High School, just got to work on my short game. After playing 9 holes we head to Uncle Lans' house for Sunday dinner. As usual, it was really good food. It was seemed quieter then usual, all the little kids weren't there, it was only Ayden. He's so funny, he prepared a speech for everyone, it was about a sunken ship, I guess he has a fascination with the Titanic. His speech was good, I think he's going to be a reporter when he gets older. It's also always really nice to see everyone and just talk about random things. Two of Devin's cousin's work downtown, close to where we work, so I told them we should all go to lunch one day. We'll see if that happens. Later that night we just go back home and chill/watch tv. Can't be "cruising" on a work night.

Sorry, this post is really short, just trying to catch up on all of them. :)

Jan 28, 2012

Today, I woke up feeling refreshed because we didn't do too much last night. It's nice to have nights of just chillling. We were are Grandma's house, so she was already up when we got up. We decided to finish watching Moneyball (I fell asleep while watching the night before) and then we get ready for the day. I have to go to Kailua to drop off theHibachi key and pick up some money. Now that I'm working at AECOM I no longer have to work at theHibachi or really Ailana's. I havne't been to Kailua in what seems like ages, but we got to pick up poke from the store. Their poke is always so good.

After, we head back into town to get ready for a BBQ at Dev's house. It's his friend Haylin and Jimmy's birthday, so he was having people over. I decided to make my Mom's famous ribs for the bbq. I haven't made them before (without my Mom's supervision) so, I was a bit nervous. :) I pre-boiled the ribs in a pressure cooker, maybe a bit too long because they ended up falling off the bone when I was done. After you hard boil the ribs you're supposed to baste the sauce on top in the oven. They ended up turning out pretty freaking good, I was proud of myself. Haha. I think Mom and my grandma would be happy too. Everyone came by around 7 and we had a FEAST. There were ribs, salads, steak, shrimp, mochi rice, oysters and more, plus a lot of desserts. All I know is that I was stuffed by the end of the night and I think everyone else was as well. Yeah, to another good night with friends.

Jan 27, 2012

TGIF!! Yay, it's Friday! I get up refreshed and ready to work, even though its a friday. Today is a lot chiller then the previous week, it gave me time to really learn some of the AECOM standards, plus understand the project at hand. Both our clients and AECOM use different interfaces to exchange documents, so I had to learn both. I'm in the process of understanding how to navigate through each interface plus learn all the symbols and acronyms that engineers use. It's like a whole new language that I have to learn and I'm pretty excited about it. Weird I know, but at least that means I'll be enjoying what I'm doing! It also helps that the people that I'm working with are nice so far, I guess I haven't screwed up yet! hehe. Since today was such a "learning" day everyone left pretty early, I got to leave around 4:15 but had to wait to get picked up around 5:15. Auntie Jojo picked me up because Devin was sick at home.

When we got back to the house I passed out for about 30 min... man I feel so old. I go to work and am so tired when I get home. O.o haha. By the time I wake up, around 7 Dev and I grab food from Soons and then head into town. We are meeting up with Sonjha, Cindy and John for some Shave Ice. I wanted them to try Ailana's and meet Aaron. I think John was a little sad that I had a "real" job or else I would've been able to hang out with them, eat shave ice and some poke! haha :) It was nice to hang out at Ailanas, I haven't seen Aaron since I started working and we got to catch up with the Beams. Sonjha was saying she was going to try to "trick" Davone to come out and get shave ice, so hopefully she could. Haha.

After some good shave ice surprisingly, I kind of missed it, guess when I can't eat it everyday you do. :) haha. We then head to Grandma's house, watch Moneyball and call it a night. Yeah to having a chill night in.

Jan 26, 2012

Uggh...yup, today was rough to get up. I guess I can't cruise during the work week. :) Yea, today was pretty hard to get up and work seemed to be pretty long. Luckily, I didn't have to much to do, I went through a lot of training videos, ordered a bunch of supplies and help set up lunch (all the leftovers from the workshop). I tell Devin and Shaun to come over for lunch, feed them soup, salad and sandwiches, plus they got to meet some of the engineers on my side. It was a pretty chill day, at the end of the day I had to go through more training on a new document interface. It was pretty hard to stay up because of the late night the night before.

So, when I got home, I was going to go to yoga, but then decided maybe the driving range and run at home. When Dev and I were going to go to the driving range it was pouring outside. So, it ended up being a lazy night of cleaning up and sleeping early. I totally needed it after the night before. Man, guess that means I'm getting old. :)

Jan 25, 2012

Today is the 2nd day of our two-day workshop. This time we don't have to wake up as early as yesterday but get in at the normal time. When I get into the office I basically head straight to the workshop. I am the "front desk" person and check everyone in. Today's workshop seems to be a lot less people then yesterdays, in fact it's about half as many people. We also end a lot earlier then expected so I have the caterer bring out our lunch about an hour early. We probably could've mentioned to the people that came yesterday that the food today would be better, because then our crowd might have been bigger. Haha. We had green salad, pasta salad, clam chowder, chicken gumbo and build your own sandwiches. It was A LOT better then the day before, which were chicken lettuce wraps. haha. Since there were about 40 people (and we were expecting 80) we had a ton of leftover food so we brought it back to the office. We had enough food to feed us for the rest of the week, which was nice to know so we didn't have to buy lunch! :) For the rest of the day I basically watch a lot of training videos (since I never really got training my first week of working.)

Dev and I leave around 5pm because today is "The Bess Route Fundraiser" @ Tiki Bar and Grill in Waikiki.

Another great thing about tonight is that the Beams are in town, Sonjha runs Davone Bess foundation so I told her that me and some of my co-workers would volunteer. It was good fun, we got to eat some good food, there was a raffle and I got to meet some NFL players. I really didn't know exactly who they were, LOL, but I wanted to meet Davone just because I know Sonjha works with him. It was REALLY nice seeing the John and Cindy though (nice to see faces from home) :) I was really proud of Sonjha though, the turn out was GREAT! I would say over 100 people came out, even random foreigners came in because they saw a lot of people inside. It was kind of funny because it was basically over (no more silent auction, food was getting taken away) and Shauns girlfriend convoked two foreigners to come in and donate to the cause. hehe. It's for the kids!

Davone and Me (felt kind of like a groupie, making him sign t-shirts =/)

The Volunteers (we switched significant others!) LOL

We basically stay until around 9ish, then drop Sonjha off at her hotel and then head to Dev's to cruise. I haven't done that since I started working, so it's going to be a test to see if I could do that during the work week. ahha. It was however good to see the boys and Wendy, feel like I haven't seen them in awhile, but let's see how tomorrow goes! haha

Jan 24, 2012

Today is workshop day and we have to be at work by 7am. We are on the road before the sun goes up and head into work. O.o That's basically how I feel, I catch a ride with Barry, one of the engineers and go to the Blasidell where our workshop is held.

I set up the sign in table and basically am out there for most of the day. I think overall the workshop went well and smoothly. We actually ended a bit early and supposedly tomorrow's workshop may be even shorter. I guess that is good because then everyone else can go back and do other work. I think that will be good so then I can train in being part of AECOM and learn the actually standards of the company. By the time we get back to the office, it's about 4:30, so I don't spend too much time in the office before running some errands to prepare for tomorrow.

Devin has to stay a bit late so we get home around 6. It's a lazy night tonight because we woke up so early, so I eat dinner and then catch up on my blog. Haha. I better call it a early night tonight as well, it's HUMP day tomorrow...woo. haha

Jan 23, 2012

It's monday and it's back to the grind. Again we are preparing pretty hard for the workshop that is tomorrow and wednesday. SO, I'm really busy most of the day, I could only take about a 20min lunch break and end up staying until about 7pm. The nice thing was that Devin also had to work late and he even picked me up sushi for dinner. :D What a nice guy he is. haha

Unfortunately, I think my blog posts are going to be pretty lame during the work week, especially since I have to get used to the working hours and there is a confidentiality on the project I'm working on. Let's just say the day went by somewhat fast, even though I stayed late. I got to get everything ready for the workshop tomorrow, we are meeting at 7am tomorrow. Good thing I have Dev to drive me.

That night we don't do anything except watch "The Walking Dead." We want to finish the season before the new season starts in February, good thing the seasons are short. We got to call it a early night, got to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Jan 22, 2012

Today is Sunday, funday or more like Sunday football! And the 49ers are playing, if they win they are going to the Super Bowl. We pick Sonjha up first and then head over to Bo's house to watch the games. Bo and his family are BIG 49er fans, they went to the game the previous week and had a blast. Apparently so much fun, that some forgot who actually won the game. haha. Today's game was a little different though, it was kind of depressing. We end up losing in OT by a field goal. WAHH...it was pretty sad. We couldn't stay very long after the game because I had a dinner with the Tangs and my Popo's sisters for chinese new years.

I was pretty tired when dinner came around because we were outside most of the day watching the football games. We go to New Empress Restaurant in Chinatown. Before we go to the restaurant though we have to pick up my car from Devin's house and return it back to my dad's cousin. Which means, I"m going to have to find a new car! Dinner was good, it was nice to see everyone, the only bad part was that the dinner took a really long time. Each dish took about 10-15 min to come out and we were just twiddling our fingers in between.

Parrot fish...never seen one of these before

"brain" broccoli, just thought it looked kind of funny. haha

Tuxedo dipped chocolate

When dinner was over, we head back to the house and pass out, the work week starts tomorrow. O.o

Jan 21, 2012

\Saturday, woo and we are playing golf today in Ewa. The tee time is at 11am, so we head out around 9 to meet up with Mike and drive to the course. We go to this golf course because Devin wanted me to take a golf picture, so I could get local discounts on some golf courses. We walk the whole course, yes WALK. haha. I haven't done that since high school, and that was only 9 holes. It was actually pretty fun playing, I was hitting the ball pretty well, the only down side was that I totally got burnt! I guess I got to get my base layer going, especially since I'll be inside most of the day because I'm working now. The day was fun, in fact so fun that I beat Devin! Woo hoo. haha. Lorin and Mike beat both Dev and I, but it's okay at least I beat someone. :)

After burning my skin and playing golf, Dev, Mike and I go to Kuru Kuru sushi because we were starving. THere was no snack bar at this golf course, so we basically skipped lunch. When we got to kuru kuru we didn't talk to each other, we just ate. haha. After a long day in the sun, we go home and take a nap until we have dinner for Bo and Trish's bday dinner at Le Bistro. We kind of sleep in and end up a little late to dinner, but it was fine because everyone just got seated. There was about 20 people there. The food was great and the company was even better. I got sea bass, Devin got the Beef Quarte' which is a sample of 4 of their beef dishes.

Beef Quarte'

Seabass

Sorry the pictures aren't very good, it doesn't do justice to how they tasted. We stayed at the restaurant til' 11 and instead of just going home to chill, we go out to Tsunamis' because one of Dev's friends little brother just turned 21. Sonjha was also in town so, we pick her up to hang out! haha. It was fun, I showed her a little bit of what I've been doing out here...playing darts and going to bars. haha. I think she had fun and it was also nice to see the guys. I haven't really seen or hung out with them since I've been back. The first thing Lorin does is slap my legs, he knew they got sunburned! All I have to say is that it HURT! haha. The night was fun, I got to see Sonjha and had fun times with friends. Tomorrow is the 49er game, lets' hope they do good!

Jan 20, 2012

TGIF! Yup, now I can say that because I am a "working" woman now. haha. This week went by relevantly fast as we were preparing for our workshop next week. So most of the day I was working on the presentations and an even better treat was that I got my work badge! It's like official :)

It's official!

After work we go to grandma's house, we are going to stay there this weekend. It's Bo's birthday, so tonight we are going to The Willows because Kevin, Bo's cousin is playing there. I haven't seen a lot of the people that were there in a really long time, basically since I went home for the holidays. Even Kent came out tonight, I haven't seen him since Christmas! The willows was fun and after we go to Dash, which is a new bar. We chill there for awhile and then call it a night, golf tomorrow!

Komas, Bo and Dev....kind of dark I know..

Jan 19, 2012

I wake up and it's Thursday, onto another day of work. We have to get our presentations together for the workshop next week, so that's what I'm doing most of the day. Both Dev and I have to work late, so we stay until about 6:30 and then head out to Gomaichi for some ramen.

MMMmm...Gomaichi. :) Marci meets us there for dinner too before Marci, Haylin, Dev and I go to the movies to watch Contraband. It was a good movie about smuggling...haha. I was pretty tired after that, I still have to get used to waking up early and working all day! O.o haha. Man...sorry that my posts are getting lame as well. Hopefully there will be more exciting days to come!

Jan 18, 2012

Today, I have an early meeting around 9am for a follow up of our meeting on Monday. We are getting ready for a 2-day seminar next week PLUS, we are having the office blessing, so the day was semi-short. I had to help with the ppt and also prepare for the blessing, we were going to have pupus.

Most of the morning I was preparing for the blessing plus I had to pick up lei's in chinatown. At lunch I picked up some soup from downstairs and then met up with Devin for a short break. I couldn't stay too long because of the blessing at 3:30. Jan-Marie (one of the exec assistance) came over around 2:45 to help set up for the blessing. We had finger food sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, turkey wraps and chips & salsa. The priest came around 3:20 and he did his little ceremony. He blessed the office so we could work in peace and sometimes harmony. :)

My Desk

The AECOM lay-out

We were able to clean up on time and I got to leave on time as well. After we got home, made some beef & tofu and then I went to meet up with Lauren for some Power Yoga. I bought a month pass, so I have to go at least 5 times this month! It always feels good to sweat that much and after I was exhausted. I don't know if it's from working or yoga, but I am tired. Night everyone.

Jan 17, 2012

Day 2 of work! And man, I'm either excited or something, because I actually get up early! We head into town and it's back to work. We get in around 8am and yup, it's time back to the grind. I feel like this is going to be a fast pace type of job and they just threw me in the fire. :) I have to get used to the computer system, engineering lingo, some programs and overall pace of how the company works. It's kind of crazy, but the good thing is that time goes by fast when you have a lot of work to do! :)

I had to do some powerpoint organizing, turn in some paper work and get ready because tomorrow we are having a "Office Blessing." I guess they have a hawaiian priest come in to 'bless' the office so that we will be able to do productive/good work. For lunch, Dev buys us some food and we eat in their break room. As of right now, their break room is a lot bigger and actually has a tv in it. Hhaa...soo I'm guessing I'm going to be eating in there most of the time. :)

We stay a little late and then head back home. We catch a ride with Neil and Kristy, and then go back home. Today, I'm pretty exhausted so I really didn't want to do anything. Haha. Instead we made Okonomiyaki for dinner and watched an episode of the Walking Dead. I gotta get used to waking up early!

Jan 16, 2012

Today was my FIRST day of work at AECOM! Woo, it's like the first day of class and I was nervous/excited. It was the first time that I woke up early...like at 6:45am to get ready for my "real" job! Dev and I carpool and we get to work around 7:30, there was hardly any traffic because today is MLK, I guess we don't get this holiday off. =/ I walk up to the same place that Dev works, but then get re-routed to the other building to meet my team leader, Brian. Dev walks me over and then the day begins!

It's just like the first day of class, I meet some of my co-workers in the office, there are about 7 people, all are engineers. My desk is the first desk in the office, basically where you would see a secretary. When I get in Jim is setting up my computer and Brian takes me around the office and introduces me to everyone. They are all really nice and most are from the mainland, so I guess they put all the mainlanders in one office on the "other side." haha. Pretty much right away they give me small tasks to do, like make a invitation for a "office blessing" that we are having on Wednesday. I even jump right into a meeting, they are having a 2-day event next week, so they have a lot of work to do before then. I guess they really need me then! I think it's going to be a challenging job, but i'm ready to finally feel like I'm using my brain. hehe.

Lunchtime roles around and Devin meets me downstairs :) We get to eat lunch together now! We grab some korean food and then head up to his break room, because ours is really small and there's room for about 2 people in there. haha. I meet a bunch of his co-workers...and I guess mine too. It's probably going to take me awhile to figure out everyones name and face, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it.

I then head over to the "other side" and help with a ppt presentation they are putting together. I guess they wanted some help making it look "nicer" then what they were used it. We'll see if they like what I come with. It takes sometime to get used to going back to a PC, I've been used to using a MAC for the past couple years! Most of the engineers are in meetings for the rest of the day and I finish up the ppt until the end of the day. I print out where I get and then head downstairs and finish my first day of work! It seems to go by pretty quick considering I was doing work most of the day. And then I head downstairs to go home!

Dev's family is taking me out to dinner tonight because I finished my first day of work. :) I was excited, but also made me a little sad because it made me miss my family back at home. :( We go back to the house real quick to change and then head out to CPK. The wait was REALLY long, we had to wait about an 1.25hr so Dev and I go to Ross! haha. We finally get seated, it's Grandma K, Bryce, Uncle David, Auntie Jojo, Dev and I and dinner wasn't too bad. Well, we were starving by the time we got to eat, but I was happy after; happy and tired.

We then came back home and went to the driving range, I guess we wanted to be exhausted by the time we went to bed and I was. Haha. It's time to get BACK to the grind~!

Jan 15, 2011

Today, we woke up, it's the last day before I start WORKING! Kind of "wahh" and kind of excited. So, I decide to be active and go hiking with Lauren. We go to Kuli'ou'ou Ridge in Hawaii Kai. Lauren said that when she went with Glen, it took them 4 hours, so I was preparing myself for a long, strenuous hike. And yup, it was pretty hard, but we were able to hike up and down in about 2.5 hours. The last leg of the hike were these stairs and OMG, I had to stop like every 40 steps especially going through the beginning part of the trail. Luckily it wasn't raining today, so the trail wasn't muddy, the only sad part was that it was really cloudy when we got to the top, it was almost like fog so we didn't really see a good view.

On the way down...it was clearer.

At the top! As you can see, it's just fog :(

Half-way up

After the hike, Lauren and I grabbed something to eat and then went back to their apartment. I rested there for a bit, we watched an episode of glee and then I headed back to Dev's house to shower up. I wanted to rest, but didn't have enough time because we had dinner at Uncle Lances house at 6. Auntie Jojo and I go to the house and Dev meets us there. The food is always delicious and the kids are always fun to be with. We had to leave a little early though because I had to drop off some clothes off at Grandma's house. We see her for a bit, I put some of my clothes away and then we head back to Devs. I don't get my bus pass until later this week, so until then, we are going to carpool with his mom. I have to get a good night of rest, first day of work tomorrow!!

Jan 14, 2012

Today, we woke up and got ready because it was the 49er football game at 11:30! We watch the game at home because I have work at 3pm at Ailana's. It's my last day of working there, so I told Aaron that I would help him out tonight. I was a little mad because I had to leave during the 4th quarter, and that was the BEST part of the game! As I was driving I was listening to the fact that NO was up at 1:37 and then I went into the parking garage and lost reception so I wasn't able to hear the rest of the game. Once I found parking I quickly looked on my iPhone and then saw that we were UP! I had to go the "play" option to see the play by play, to see that Davis made the winning touchdown. MAN how I wish I got to see it, I'm sure it was EPIC being at the game.

I then get to work around 3:15 and overall, the day was slow, Lauren even came in and hung out with me for awhile to keep me company. She got to learn how to shave some ice, but it was nice because we got to catch up. I was there until closing, so I was there until around 9:30pm. I then go to Neil and Kristi's place because Dev, Brett, Jimmy and Paul were there bbqin until after the game. I hung out with the girls, which included Kristi, Brooke, Haylin and Mady. It was a nice and relaxing night, we called it a night after midnight. :)

Jan 13, 2011

Today, I woke up and started to clean up the room a bit, I wanted to make sure that I had some things packed up before I move into Grandma's house. I also wanted to see the tv show "The Walking Dead," so, I watched basically the first season while I was doing paper work for my NEW job starting Monday! :) I'm pretty excited/nervous for the whole thing, but ready to get back to the grind.

We were going to have dinner tonight with Yoomee and Greg, so after Dev got home from work, he rested and then we headed to pick them up from their hotel. Tonight we were going to try Sushi Sasabune, I have heard it's one of the best places to get sushi on the island. If you sit at the sushi bar you don't order anything, the sushi chefs basically serve you whatever is their specialties. They had a sign over the sushi bar that said, "Today's Special, Trust Me!" I would have to say that I did trust the chefs, because it was ALL really good. they will keep giving you food too until you tell them that you are full. Yoomee and I had to tap out early, but the boys went for 2 more dishes. And after that meal, I was STUFFED, I could not eat anymore.

Albacore and Toro

Crab stuffed squid

Toro and Toro

As you can see, there was a lot of food and everything was DELICIOUS! I forgot to take the last 3 dishes, I think it was because I had food coma. The good thing about eating sushi though, is that although we were full, we didn't feel grossly full. After dinner we decide to go to a bar called Dash, to meet up with Paul and play some darts. I think everyone had fun, it wasn't too crazy and just a good time with good people!

Jan 12, 2011

Today, I wake up and head into town, I have work at Ailana's today. We are catering a LeSportsac meeting, so Aaron wanted me to help him with that. I guess his nephew has been helping him so he was running the shop and Aaron and I went to work the meetings. The meetings were pretty easy, it was his first time doing a catering job, so it was a good experience. It was also nice because the meeting wasn't too large so it gave us practice to bigger things later. There were 2 meetings, I had to run the 2nd meeting by myself, but it wasn't bad at all. I stayed until about 5:15 and then went to pick Dev up from work.

We then went back home, ate some curry and headed back to costco before i had a yoga class. We were at costco for awhile, but we got a lot of stuff. Dev ends up buying a new bed and a bunch of other things as well. We spend a good amount of time there until we get back and I have to run out to yoga class. I was meeting up with Lauren at Power Yoga. The class was really nice, there was only 3 of us, so it was like a private session. It did however show me that I am REALLY out of shape. I need to go more often, so that I'm not so stiff! Overall it was a really good workout, I felt really refreshed after, I should sign up for a monthly pass after this.

Jan 11, 2011

I wake up around 8:30 because I am going hiking with Chris at Mariner's Ridge. It's back to some hiking before I have to work everyday! And man... I am OUT OF SHAPE! Chris' other friend Val came with us and he seems like a super hiker. I guess when they did Koko head, he walked up in 15 min. O.o That's insane, it usually takes me about 30min. haha. It was nice to get moving again and not feel like such a lazy butt. :) We finally made it up the mountain in about 30 minutes and the view is worth it.

The view

After the hike, we are hungry so we go to Ono Seafood for some poke bowls! I tell Dev T to come and meet us because he doesn't have work today. Poke is so good after working out, it's not too heavy. I was then ready to take a nap after my hike and eating, so I go back to the house, shower and then nap. It feels so nice to lie down! I basically nap until we have dinner, we are meeting up with Auntie Sandie, Uncle Larry and Grandma to pick up the keys and go over somethings before I move in. I pick up some Soon's, pick up Dev and then head over. They are always so nice to get together with, I think when I move in, it will be a nice living situation. We couldn't stay too long though, we were going to Costco to look at a bed, but I end up forgetting the coupon and it was getting late, so instead we rent a movie from red box and call it a early night.

Jan 10, 2011

I wake up around 7:30 because I have an interview downtown at 9am. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. The position that I'm going for is an admin assistant job for AECOM. It's where Dev works, but we will be in different buildings and working on different projects. haha. Which is good, because it'll give us some space! haha. :)

I meet with Barry and Bryan, they will be my bosses if I get the job. The interview was pretty informal and it went really well. They asked me about some of my background, where I was from and what I used to do. They even asked me why I was in Hawaii. Haha. When they found out I was from Oakland, they joked about how "scary" Oakland can be. A lot of people in Hawaii think Oakland is really "hard" so they are usually shocked when I tell them I'm from there. :) After the interview, that went exceptionally well in my head, I get a tea downstairs with Dev and then head back to the house.

On the way back to the house Dev texts me and says to call Barry, (one of the guys that interviewed me) when I got home. I asked if it's good or bad...haha he said "good". :) I call my family to tell them how the interview went and then go back to the house and call Barry. The call basically went like this:

Barry: "Hi Michelle, well the interview went really well and we'd like to go with you."

Me: "Oh well great!" (I'm smiling to myself and have a huge smile)

Barry: "We'd like you start right away, will Monday work?

Also, you might have to do some paper work before then, so I'll send you that info. I am also writing your Job Offer letter, so you should receive that later this week."

Me: "Sure, I can start Monday, and yes, I'll be happy to finish any paperwork. Just let me know the details and what not. Thank you again for meeting with me today and looking forward to working with you." :D

Barry: "Great, well then I'll talk to you soon and looking forward to it as well. THANKS!"

That basically was how the conversation went, not verbatim but pretty close. I was really happy after that. I called my family, I was going to have a REAL job, with a salary and benefits! WOO! :D It was a great feeling, but I was also kind of nervous too. I was also thinking, what am I going to wear for work? I haven't got "work clothes" out here....guess I'll have to go shopping. hehe.

I meet Devin up for lunch, we go to Hoa Long Pho (Paul's restaurant) to talk about my new employment. hehe. It was like a celebration, sort of, I still have to get the final letter. Thanks to Devin I was able to get the interview in the first place, so I am really grateful to him. I guess after my first paycheck I have to take him to dinner! :) I then drop Devin off back at work and head to Ala Moana Mall to get some work clothes. I think I went a little to shopping happy, because I got a bunch of things. I also had to get some gifts, but it was mostly work clothes. haha. I spent about 3-4 hours though, haha it was crazy.

Traffic from the mall was horrible, it took me about an hour to get back to the house. :( And that's about 9 miles. O.o When I finally got home, dinner was ready. We had steak and shrimp and it was delicious. It was pretty awesome, the Kitashiro family were really excited for me as well. I guess I might be carpooling with them in the morning...hehe. After dinner we clean up the room a bit and then head out to the driving range with Neil, Lorin and Mike. It started to rain, but it was fun to hit some balls. I was just happy to be employed! :)

After the range we go to Dev's house to cruise, but it was just 2 Devs and me..haha. Good times. :)

Jan 9, 2011

Today is Monday and I have to go back to work. It's SHAVE ICE time again! :) Hhaha.. I actually kind of missed working there and seeing Aaron! I guess while I was gone, the shop was doing really, really well. Aaron said that after Christmas they were busy, he was ecstatic about it, but I guess it's been slowing down since after the new year. I think it was probably because of the holiday season, people were probably vacationing during that time.

The day wasn't too bad, but seemed a little slow. But it was nice to see Melissa (the Sandwich Lady) and catch up with Aaron about home and his holiday. We decide to get Marukame Udon for lunch, man how I just love UDON. It was delicious, udon and tempura; Aaron loved it, I guess he's never been there before but would probably go back. I stayed until about 4:30, went to VS for a quick second and then go to Hooters at aloha towers to meet up with Devin and some of his co-workers. They were watching the BCS Championship, Dev had money on Alabama so it was fun to actually root for a team. haha. We stayed at Hooters until a little before the game ended and then went back to the house. We eat a little bit of tofu salad and then go to the movies to watch Sherlock Holmes 2. It was pretty crowded with a bunch of couples, but the movie was pretty good. We then head back to the house, I pick out and outfit for the next day, because I have an interview in the AM at AECOM. I'm pretty nervous, but also excited. :)

Jan 8, 2012

Today we relax most of the day at the house. Dev was recovering and I was trying to organize my clothes/junk. Around mid-day I go with Uncle David to Sam's club to pick up some groceries and he has to get some things as well. Later that night, Dev and I were going to Grandma Tsugai's house to have dinner with Auntie Sandie and Uncle Larry. So, I wanted to get groceries to make tofu salad and sticky lap chung rice. I actually never been in a Sam's club before, so it was a new experience for me. It's basically like Costco, but they have a few different things.

After spending about an hour + there we head back to the house and I start cooking. The sticky rice takes over an hour because you have to soak the mochi rice for an hour before you cook it. It was nice to start cooking again and having Auntie Jojo help me.

Dinner was at 6:30, so after showering, we pack up the car and head over to grandma's house. I'll soon be moving in there, so Auntie Sandie wanted to have dinner and chat before I move in. Auntie Sandie, Uncle Larry, Auntie Caroyln, Grandma, Bo, their niece Tricia and her bf were all there. There was a ton of food...sadly I forgot to take a picture! :( It was a nice night of eating, talking and being surrounded by good people. Yay to another good night in Hawaii.

Auntie Carolyn, Dev, Me and Grandma.

Jan 7, 2012

Today, we woke up and ate a little bit before heading out to Hawaii Kai area for some golf. We had to pick up Bo first and then met up with Neil and Brett. The course was nice, but they were behind because of a Junior golf tournament and there was a lot of people. We decide to play skins, so we play $1 for each hole. It was a fun but also very long day of golf. I didn't play that well, but was able to win 2 holes. Brett won about 3-4 holes and Neil won the rest, so it was kind of a rough day for everyone else. haha.

After the long day of golfing, Brett, Bo, Dev and I go to Genki Sushi. I'm pretty sure our eyes were bigger then our stomachs, because we ordered a bunch of things. We even had to put some dishes back...haha shhh. :) Having stuffed our faces and a entire day of golfing, we were exhausted. I drop Bo off at his house and then Dev and I go back home to take a nap. I end up taking a nap until the next day. Haha. Dev went out around 11pm, but I was too tired to want to go out again so I stayed home. It was probably the best decision I made the whole day. hehe.

The boy shot gun!

Jan 6, 2011

Today I woke up around 10am, I guess I'm used to the time change already....or I never mentally left it. haha. It was actually sort of cold last night, I had to use 2 sheets! haha. I haven't seen Mark since I got here, so I invited him to lunch to catch up on life back at home. I was craving some udon, so it was Jimbo time!

I go and pick Mark up around 12pm and we head out to Jimbo Restaurant. I totally forgot his present though, O.o, oops, guess I'm going to have to see him again! Jimbo's was relevantly not that crowded, we got to sit down right away. It was nice to catch up with Mark, I got to tell him about being back at home and how the holidays went. He told me about the life in Hawaii while I was gone as well. I got udon/musubi/agedashi tofu combo, Mark got curry udon/rice combo. I must've been really hungry because I ended up eating a lot of Mark's leftovers...haha. I guess I just missed some good food! lol.

I then dropped Mark off at work and then headed to Kailua to pick up a lot of my things at the townhouse. I wanted to start moving somethings closer into town because I was planning to move soon. I actually didn't have that much stuff at the apartment, I was able to pack up everything and put it in the Honda accord! I stay in Kailua for awhile, clean up and nap. :) I then head back into town to meet up with Dev and his family. We eat dinner and then go to the driving range because we are planning to golf tomorrow afternoon in Hawaii Kai. The range was fun and I was ready to kick Dev's butt tomorrow. :) After the range we go on a walk, because Dev wasn't ready to go for a run quite yet. haha.

That night we then cruise in the garage. It was just a small group, Dev, Kam, Lorin and later Colin comes over. It's like I never left! haha

Jan 5, 2012

Todays the day of heading back to Hawaii, so Mom, Tyler and I wake up really early. My flights at 9:40 in San Jose, so we go to fourth street bowl for breakfast to meet up with Courtney. The last meal before the trip back.

After breakfast, Mom and Tyler drop me off at the airport and we say our good-byes. :( This time around I'm a bit more sad, I think it's because I had such a great time back at home. But, I am also very excited to go back too, to see the folks back in HI. :)

The plane ride wasn't too bad, I was in the seats with extra leg room and I sat next to two older people that were really friendly. We got breakfast burritos, that weren't that great but edible. The movie that they played was "Dolphin Tale." I wasn't too excited to watch it, but it wasn't too bad. It had a good story line and not going to lie, made me tear up a bit. HAha.

I finally landed in Honolulu around 2pm, the flight got delayed because there was a lot of luggage that had to be checked in after everyone was on the plane. =/ So, poor Dev had to wait for me at the airport for about 20 min. It's okay, he was excited to see me! Muahah. We finally get my luggage and then head to Soon's for some meat jun. We bring it back to the house, eat and rest. We also watch the wedding video because Devin's never seen it. haha. Brought back memories for him that he forgot. haha. It was a very chill first night, I was happy to see the Kitashiro family and got to exchange some Christmas gifts. It felt nice to be back in Hawaii but also sad because I missed my family. It's okay, good thing there are telephones and Skype!! :D

Jan 4, 2012

Today, is my last full day in Cali (wahh) and we wake up early to head to San Francisco. Mom, Tyler and I were going to look at one of the Erin and Uncle Ron's houses that they were preparing to rent out. A elderly woman recently passed away, so after the family went through her things Erin asked if we wanted to look through the house as well.

Mom, Tyler and I get there early, Erin, Uncle Ron and Auntie Mimi were still at the another house, so we decided to look for somewhere to eat. By the time the Kagehiro's meet us, it was time to eat. We find a Vietnamese place and order family style. It was pretty good and good fuel before we go through a house full of stuff. There was A LOT of stuff (some junk, some nice stuff) there, the woman was really organized and had a lot of fabric. I think she was a seamstress, it was also kind of nice because she had a lot of Japanese dishes. I felt like I was on "Storage Wars," but times a house. I wanted to find treasures or a jackpot. I was looking behind picture frames, underneath boxes, looking for secret compartments and more. I wanted to find a wad of cash or something, but wasn't successful. haha. The only cool thing that I probably did find was 4 cases of bullets, but no gun. I also did find a pretty unique momento, it was a Topaz yearbook. Topaz was one of many internment camps that Japanese Americans were held at during WW11. Auntie Mimi knew a couple of people in the book, it was from High School to Junior High, so the people in the book are all a lot older today.

After a long day of going through the house, we head to Japan Town to drop off the Kagehiro woman, but first a snack in the plaza! Erin, Tyler and I get some bread and soup from Anderson's Bakery before dropping off Erin and Auntie Mimi at their office. It felt a really long day, we were in the city from 10am to around 4pm, but before we went home we went to Trader Joe's so I could grab some things to take back to Hawaii.

We finally get back to the house and I watch Glee and nap before we have dinner at 7:30 with the Fujikawa's, my family minus Court and Darren, and Erin and Uncle Ron. My last dinner in Cali and I wanted Great China.

Double Skin

Fried Oysters

We get the the essentials, westlake beef soup, fried oysters, fried calamari, double skin, gua toa tofu, peking duck, crab, and lemon chicken. Everything was BOMB. It was a great "last meal" before the journey back to Hawaii. I'm going to miss my family a lot, but it's time to go back.

Jan 3, 2012

Today, I wake up and start finishing up putting the holiday decorations away....WAHH. I don't like doing that. Mom and Tyler started most of the cleaning last night, so I just had to finish packing some of the ornaments and I really needed to update my blog. So, I was able to pump out a bunch of posts before I had dinner with Remi, Yuji and Darryl.

I drive out to rem's house first before we all drive to Pasta Bene in Berkeley. I wanted to have pasta because there's not too many good pasta places in Hawaii. We were all supposed to go to Mangia Mangia but they were closed until Wednesday because of the holidays. Remi and I shared a pasta and pizza and the boys got pasta. It was really nice hanging out with them and chit-chatting. It was pretty funny because we talked about the old days of Sangha and BMU to our "future" of who we think is going to get married. Haha. It was fun and a good time. After dinner we all go back to Remi and Darryl's and watch some tv. The "New Girl" which we think is perfect because it relates to our lives and we were watching part of "Glee." I've turned into a "Gleek" this past break, so it was kind of fun telling Remi about it. I think I turned her into one too, there's good music and the Asian guy that could dance really well. :)

After, I head back home and organize some things that I'm taking back to Hawaii and finish some paintings that I started. It was a good night to spend with friends, the countdown begins!