Author: anele25

Searching…

Posted on by anele25
Image result for searching
Searching and how it’s filmed

A few days I had the opportunity to go and view the film Searching starring John Cho and Debra Messing. I saw the trailer a few months back and as soon as I saw it I felt that the film would be an instant classic. I’ve seen films that hook you and this one got me from the beginning. I am not going to do a scene by scene analysis but rather what some of the implications of the film could be. The basic story of the film is that the main character, David Kim, played by John Cho goes on a search for his missing daughter. He starts putting together the pieces of the puzzle together by looking at where she was, who were friends were, and how she spent the majority of her time. The character of Margot, played Michelle La, we see has more behind her than just a computer screen. I want to start with what was an important part of the story and that was the death of Margot’s mother, Pam. She ended up dying of Lymphoma and the process thereafter of her death had a strong impact of the story. For one, we start to see the unraveling of Margot’s character as she starts to exude strange behavior such as not attending her piano lessons and rather chatting with a boy that needs money on a vlog that she has. We also start to see where Margot would go which is actually a lake that is nearby here named Barbosa Lake. One last point that is not emphasized enough is how she starts to lie to her dad about where she is at night time which is another part of the film. This part where she lies becomes an important part of the story just because from there is where everything unravels. We find out that Margot was originally going to a study group but that it would go till late. It turns out that she was covering for the boy that she was talking to through the video chat. She wanted to give him money so that he could treat his mother who was going through cancer. I found this whole story fascinating because it just shows how much our social media can be hiding some facts that may not be known. The film also shows how much we can rely on total strangers that we are communicating with through an internet portal can have our total trust. I myself went social media less for a few years before turning to Instagram. I like Instagram because it’s a photo with a quick description and you can follow as many people as you’d like in that whole process. A tiny detail that is seen in the film is when many of Margot’s friends say that they never really saw her interact with anyone.

 

Her classmates classify her as a loner that never socially interacted with many students. However, we get to a point in the film where one of the classmates (who earlier had said they weren’t really friends), starts to say that they wish they would just find her already. This scene made me realize how much true friends come out and stick out with you till the end and not just when it is convenient for them. As soon as she launches this heart felt crying, I felt the response felt forced and there were almost a million likes for the response itself. There are two instances in the film where we start to see more suspects that point to more and more that they may be the suspects themselves. We see most of the film through a computer screen and we see how David starts the search for his daughter and any help that he can get is much appreciated. But, we also see the backlash from some of the folks that are following the story because we see his support as sort of indicative of how he may be guilty as well. David’s brother, Peter, is also implied as a suspect with Peter providing weed to Margot to get through some of the stress with her mother dying and what not.   Anyway, it turns out that one of the twists of the film is that the detective that is assigned to the case, played by Debra Messing, Rosemary Vick was the one whose son was talking to Margot the whole time. You see how she manipulates the crimes and you can tell somewhat from the beginning that something is up with her because when David starts to get somewhere she is standing in his way. There were two instances where this happened. The first one was when they discover Margot’s car was discovered by Barbosa Lake and they say she has been declared missing. We also see this in another instance when Vick manipulates a murder confession by a man who has just gotten out of prison.

At the end of the film, it is revealed that Vick was responsible for what was responsible throughout most of the film. There is a little hint dropped towards the beginning of the film where her son was mischievous and was a troublemaker but I dismissed it immediately. The twist goes to further reveal that her son Robert, was feeling guilty of the money he had been given and he shoved Margot into the lake that was mentioned earlier. Overall, we start to see to the little intricacies of what the impact of technology is these days. We can go through death and we may not know the impact it has on our children even though it may seem as if they are okay. There is an instance in the film when Margot goes to show the boy in the film pictures of her mom and you start to see that maybe she hasn’t gotten over her death. I also liked the film because you see the characters grow from being central plot points to the story itself rather than the story dictating how the characters motives are seen in the film. John Cho and Debra do an excellent job in having us believe as an audience how real the movie felt. For anyone looking for a movie, to watch definitely a good recommendation.

Adventures and the company of two great friends:

Posted on by anele25

The day is short and the months fly by fast. The thrill of adventure along with some great friends is something that comes once in a lifetime. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do some adventure seeking out to Monterey bay with two of my friends Isela and Iveth. They started out as co-workers but they are two people whom I consider to be friends now. We started the day by myself driving to Isela’s apartment and we grabbed some blankets just in case it got cold near Monterey. As we packed everything away, we drove to go pick up Iveth who does not live too far away. We rode off into the sunset where we first got into a discussion about the famous show Game of Thrones. Myself and Iveth rambled on for a few minutes about the implications of the show as well as some of the intricacies of the show that can go on debate for years. I had a few theories about the show as did she and in all honesty, there are some things about GOT that frankly I can live knowing that may or may not be true (this will be discussed perhaps in a future blog). As we started getting closer, we talked about what we were going to eat and I have a thing where as I get closer I have a game where we look for a place to eat instead of having to be obliged to Yelp or not. We ended up settling on a Crepe place which actually was not half bad. We talked about life and a little bit of everything in between. At this point, we headed over to the paddleboats where we stuck around for an hour where we played some music and also had some other funny discussions about the direction where we were going in life. Isela, I would describe as someone who is sarcastic and witty and for that she makes me realize how lightly some things should be in life rather than all serious all the time and she know how to have a good life. Iveth, is a care free person who just wants to have fun and enjoys a good laugh.

I realized as we were paddling that another opportunity had arose in my life recently about a job and I saw how many great friends I had made and how much I would still like to see them to talk. The time passed and before I knew it we were back on land just off the boat and after it stumbled a bit but we were able to land safely as we got off. We originally said we were going to get on the wharf but then we saw how packed the parking was. Next we decided to head off to Lover’s Point which is famous for having places where you can take pictures for any special occasion that includes a wedding or a sweet sixteen. We did some walking on some rocks which by and large look intimidating at first but once you get passed the initial ones you get this beautiful view of everything that is front of you. We stayed there for a few minutes just enjoying the view and marveling at this sea otter that was down there. After, we decided instead to settle on driving to 17 mile but that also ended up being a bit more full due to it being the weekend. The 17 mile drive itself included a short pass by to Asiolmar beach where you could just see that beautiful trail that led to the end of the trail. As I passed by these locations, I thought how cool it would be to see some of these locations everyday and how peaceful it must be for people to live by the ocean. I also thought about living in the ocean and how you might be able to connect with the different aspects of nature. You have air, wind, fire, and water all practically in one. Air because as you sail away that is something that you breathe and then wind because a little wind can keep the current going. The fire is intriguing because you see a little bit of it around you as you sail away. The water is the ocean working its magic and taking you away.

Anyway, I suggested instead we go to Point Lobos which was not too far ahead. We parked a bit farther away and saw some of the insides of some of the animals where they would stay. Particularly, myself and Isela ended up exploring the beach a little more. I ended up seeing some crabs and also some small fishes. We walked a bit farther but we ended up seeing a beautiful view from the top and just took it all in at the end of the day. We walked back to the car and headed off to the next stop which was Carmel by the Sea which was an adventure unto itself as it had some pretty cool shops which included some body soap stores as well as some interesting watch shops which by and large were out of our price range. We walked for a bit before we reached our destination which was the beach itself. We dwelled a little deeper into each other lives as we heard a little more background information on what Isela’s living situation was like back in her time during college. I must say hearing her story made me see just how much living with someone can make a difference in how you perceive your current situation. The rest of the conversations that time of the beach felt relaxing just in general and I wondered about the times that were ahead for me and my friends. We headed off to the car and we had quite a climb back to the car and we got some good steps in at this location of Carmel by the sea as well as at Point lobos. Once we got in the car we headed back to the Wharf where we had a little easier time finding parking. We saw off to the side that there was a car auction that was going on. I started laughing a bit because of how fast the guy started talking and how fast these cars were driving. Once we got inside the wharf we saw how relatively small it was and there were some crab specialty restaurants that were giving out samples. We also got some coasters that serve as a little motivation to whoever buys them. I ended getting a dog one, a mountain one, and a campfire one. I think out of the ones I collected, I enjoy the campfire one the most because of the message it carries. If anyone is curious, I will post a picture of that coaster here as well as some other pictures.

We saw all the clam chowder that was being sold and we stopped at this little shop for some chowder. I ended up settling instead on some prawns and fries but funny enough the gentleman who served our food ended up bringing three chowders instead of two. He gave out the two that were for Isela and Iveth quickly and came back right away and asked me if I wanted the third so I said “sure why the hell not”. I had the quick reaction that it was some of the best food I had had in some time especially considering it was next to the ocean. Another delightful dinner as we walked along the wharf and saw everyone and the lights that were along the area. I left with the impression that this world is big and there are so many little treasures that are to be found inside it. I also saw just how cool and wonderful people can be when given the chance to go out and explore. Too many times we are concerned with the daily grind and leaving our houses on time that we forget how wonderful this world can be. We hopped in back into the car and had some fun times along the way as we sang our hearts out to some Los Tucanes de Tijuana as well as some other fun baile songs as well. Myself and Isela did a majority of the singing as we were having some good laughs along the way. After we got back to our destination, I went home thinking about all the special memories that had been made on 8/25/18. I also reflected back on the times that are ahead and special they are going to be as well. I may not be the richest person in the world but I have just enough to say that I can do anything in this world without too much hassle. I always say, if I can do something and I can find a way to do it, I will make it happen without too much complication. As promised, here are some pictures as well. Till next time adventures.

Writing prompts #14: Write about your first home: your childhood home or your first apartment or house of your own

Posted on by anele25

As far back as I can remember my family and I grew up in Sunnyvale, California. California in of itself is considered snobbish because of how high class it may be in a way but where we lived it was very diverse and full of life. I grew up in these apartments that were named “Palm Villa Apartments”, we lived in apartment number 29 and there are a few things I want to describe about the apartment. The door was blue and on the left-hand side there was a kitchen area with the oven on the left and the stove on the right and right in the middle was the refrigerator. I remember one of my fondest memories I have was having to grab sour cream from the refrigerator and putting it on some saltine crackers. I also remember my kitchen was white with these blue lines that were outlining the kitchen. The cupboards were filled with our plates, cups, and various other kitchen accessories. From the time I can remember, we have had this sharp kitchen knife that has a brown handle that has been around since that time. We have also always had these cooking sheets that we have used since we had that apartment. We also went through various phones as we had the rotary phone that you had to dial one by one in order to reach the person that you were trying to reach. We also had a hand-held phone that you would carry around everywhere you went. My mom told me a while back that she misses those days because she had various memories about that apartment because we would all eat like a family and now that everyone’s a little older its harder to sit down and eat like a family. In the living room, we had a tan carpet that was held together by this rug that was huge and from time to time we would spill some drinks on there. We also had a TV by the living room that was so tiny that it could be held together by this tiny display.

 

Outside, we had a balcony which featured this blue paint and a grey floor that for some reason had a brown piece of wood that was hanging by the edge. I realized just now that the brown piece of wood was probably there to hang laundry which was located just down a couple of minutes by our apartment. Then there was our shower which was relatively small compared to other bathrooms I have seen. The best part of the apartment to me was the rooms which were made up of these two rooms where my brother and I had our beds on the room to the right and then we had my parents’ room to the right. My parents room had this big closet that was facing towards the bed and then they had their mirror that was on the left which also served as a sort of dresser. Then we had some decorations that they have kept for some time. We had a radio that my dad still carries to this day and then we had this mirror that they had as part of their bed frame. The mirror that is a part of the bed frame is something I still use to this day. Looking back on some of those pictures that we still have, I start realizing how much I would fight with my friend and I would look out to the window and wonder why we were upset with each other. As time has gone on, I start to wonder about the room that my brother and I had as young teenagers. In our closet, we had my clothes to the right and we had my brothers’ clothes to the left. Inside, we had a closet that held everything together essentially. Once we got a TV inside of our room, we were off and running.

 

We would watch our anime and our wrestling inside that room and we also got a VCR in there which also helped manners as well. As the years went on and my brother started dating girls and I would remember those nights when he would talk to them and that is where I started seeing how to talk to girls. The best memories I have of that apartment are when I gather all of my friends together and we would start wrestling. We would gather inside of the living room and we would all perform our favorite wrestling moves. I would perform the sharpshooter usually and the rest of my friends would all perform their top rope moves. The coolest thing about having that apartment was that anytime someone came over I felt that they were a part of the family and not just any old person. As the years went on, the apartment suffered from wear and tear and started to lose some of the plumbing that had been installed of the bathroom. We ended up moving out in February of 2002 to another apartment in the same complex but after it did not feel the same. We would all leave for school or work and I started missing that old apartment that was a part of our childhood. I started also noticing that once we left the apartment something was missing because our group of friends had gotten smaller. No longer would we go next door and go visit each other like nobodies business. This was something that my friend Adrian had commented a while back. I also saw that this apartment was a bit more separated from everyone else. Eventually, we lived elsewhere around the area but nothing will ever be lost because of that apartment, I still carry around a stuffed animal from that time we lived there and I just wonder what it may look like today with all the raising rents that are going on in and around the bay area. I hope that one day I can go back there in that apartment and just see what else is left in there

Writing Prompts #13: Have you ever had something stolen from you?

Posted on by anele25

This is a weird subject for me because I have had something stolen from me and one of the times it did happen to me, I felt it unnecessary for it to happen in the first place from my end. I don’t blame myself for the incident happening but I felt I could have handled the situation a little better beforehand. A couple of months ago (January 31st to be exact), I had my credit cards stolen from me at the gym I frequently go to four or five times a week during the work week. I usually have my routine of waking up in the early morning (sometimes around five in the morning and sometimes around six in the morning). I got up and it was like any other morning where I ride down Central Expressway and hit the lights and eventually there I was turning onto California Street. I decided (unbeknownst to me at that time of when I was entering the gym), that I would take my wallet inside. I walked into the gym like any normal Wednesday morning and off I went to do my cardio and my weight training. First, I stopped off at the locker where I leave all my stuff and I left my keys in there as well. I found it odd that a gentleman asked me that morning if I had a charger for a phone which might have been an android style phone. I told him I didn’t have a charger and at that time I didn’t think anything of it. I grabbed my usual Bluetooth headphones and headed off to do my business. I worked through the usual morning workout and then I headed off to my locker. I found my locker cut and my glasses off to the side in a random locker.

Missing was my key fob (unlike a modern key you just carry this around with you and leave it in the car and it will start) and my credit cards. I still had my keys which was awesome and just in case I needed to head to work I would call an uber or what have you. I was first upset and then sad because the person who took my credit cards didn’t know who I was nor did he intend to know who I was .I was also concerned about my car because I had seen my car out there the last time Iooked outside but who knows what time this thief could have grabbed my stuff and he could have taken off already. I grabbed my clothes and changed really fast before heading out. I walked out and saw my car was still out there which was a relief and I headed back to the gym to see if anyone had my key fob. Before I even headed in, a nice gentleman working at the front desk pulled out the key fob and right there I said thank you over and over. I told him I had noticed someone asking for a phone charger and he had a feeling as to who it may have been. He said he had found it just dropped out on the floor and he said he picked it up because he felt that someone would need it eventually. The funny part about the before and after of the incident is that there are a few things that matched up and a few things which I considered a miracle. I will touch on that in a second. The first thing after getting in my car I did was report my credit cards stolen from my local banking service and went ahead and cancelled my other credit card I had for other occasions.

I got to the office still a bit sad about the situation because I didn’t have my major credit cards but I still had my debit card. I waited a few days to see if there were any activities on the card. Eventually there were two that popped up from one of the major credit cards but they were settled right away after I declared that those were not my charges. Anyway, a couple days later I read an article in the local paper that said how a man had been stealing car keys and credit cards from that gym on an on, off again basis and it turned out that the gentleman was in the area around the same time my incident had occurred. I connected the dots and saw something in the article which stated that there were other incidents around the area and I felt that there was more than one person possibly committing these crimes but I’ll never know. Another thing I found odd (in a good way) about this was when the gentleman who gave me the keys was almost like someone who appeared out of the sky. I have not seen him since nor do I think will I ever see him. I wonder sometimes if those incidents happen to teach you a lesson about keeping your items safe and secure. If it’s possible, that gentleman could have been there also to teach me that not everyone has a kind heart but for the majority of people I would say that they are good people. After this, I went ahead and started putting my key fob inside a fanny pack which I carry around with me almost every time I go now. One good thing that came out of this was my sister-in-law laughing at me as soon as she saw the fanny pack that I was wearing.  I also stopped bringing my wallet inside the gym and usually leave it hidden so no one can get to them. The gym I feel is one of the few places I can go to where I feel safe enough that I can leave my stuff in my locker without them being stolen. Now, I can go inside do my Monday-Friday of Treadmill, Stairmaster, Bike, Elliptical, and Potpourri of activities without having to worry about any of my stuff being stolen. I hope this person has learned some kind of lesson in the deed they did because I sure do know that I did. This life is full of surprises and those are thrown at you to give you some good lessons. If anyone is interested in reading the article about this person that may have committed these crimes or might have been connected in any way, I’ve attached a link in this entry.

https://www.mountainview.gov/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1257&TargetID=9

300 Writing Prompts #12: What is the best Compliment you have ever received?

Posted on by anele25

What is a compliment? I see a compliment as someone who comes up to you and tells you something courteous. I grew up and we would often tell each other thank you or we would Complement each other on our clothing. As I have grown older, I have started to hear them more. I never thought much of compliments until a few years ago when I started hearing them often and in around my college life. You hear the occasional compliment “good job”, “good choices”, and “you’re a great person”. However, there was a period of my life when I had a good friend of mine (I would even say best friend) was going through a recent break up and he was down on himself. We go out and we have our life talks every now and then but at this time we were having even more talks because he just needed someone to talk to. I remember one time in particular we were texting back and forth and there was one phrase in particular that still sticks with me “you’re the most legit human being ever”. I think what may have happened was that he was thinking at that time of moving out to Chicago because he was looking for a change of scenery. He gave himself enough time and he was able to see where home was and I for one would not be where I am had he stayed over in Chicago. At first, I thought nothing of the comment but as the years have gone on I can be honest in saying that comment meant a lot to me. Yes, people can say that it sounds cheesy and unnecessary but I have my personality quirks that probably drive people crazy but coming from that one friend meant a lot to me. For one, there are billions of people on this earth and from day one we had this connection which couldn’t be denied. As I have detailed before, it’s been about 8 years since I started this blog and he was the one who helped me start this blog.

 

The personal struggles we took to get where we were at that point definitely made it more special. I would ask myself sometimes, “am I ever going to get out of this funk I’m in”. He would help me get out of this funk “you’re going to be stuck at a certain place in your life forever”. At that point, I was one semester away from graduating from San Jose State University and I thought I probably would not be here if it was not for him. Yes, I accomplished those tasks on my own but I had his help along the way. He would encourage me, vouch for me at certain points, and he would give me pointers on how to better achieve success. The thing about compliments is that we as people can say them but for this one phrase to be said, it got me even more motivated to reach higher for the stars. The best compliment of “you’re the most legit human being ever” also meant a lot because I got the feeling that through our years of friendship we got to see the best and worst of each other. I remember we went a few months without talking to each other. This all spans back to when he made a comment about a financial situation of mine and I turned a cold shoulder towards him.

 

Little did I know, this was one those friends that would not give up on me. We saw each other not too long after that and it felt like old times. He even helped me on a few homework assignments during my time at Community College. The one class I struggled at was Statistics in the Fall of 2012 and we had an occasion where he helped me out with an assignment and that was another occasion where I was grateful for him. All those times where we were there for each other led to that moment when he gave me that compliment. One I hadn’t even thought about what was next but he gave me the motivation to keep on moving and to keep reaching even higher. Even it’s just small progress, it’s still progress no matter how far it goes. Humans have these qualities which can be grown and driven to be better and from that moment on, I have not taken much for granted. I can count compliments as some of the most wonderful things in the world.

 

To add onto this, I have always been told that I have a positive attitude even going back to my retail days at Target. One of my managers would occasionally tell me how much they appreciated the hustle and the effort and also the positive attitude. Even now at my current position, I get told that on a constant basis and it’s something else I don’t take for granted because of how much I do it from day to day. Another time I got one of the best compliments was when I was still working in retail and one of my managers had nominated me for one of her top performers and she made the comment that “thank you for giving your top effort and for putting one hundred percent”. The other managers had written something along the lines of “good job” “keep it going” but I felt that comment stood out from the rest. In a sense, these compliments made it possible for me to see that good people still exist in this world. I agree that not everybody may enjoy the spotlight but when you get those compliments it feels a helluva lot better than not getting them. I urge everyone that no matter how you may feel on a certain day giving a compliment can make someone’s day and you may not even know it. That is the one thing I enjoy about compliments is that yes they are just words but putting some meaning behind it is even better. You can just feel it when you say such words and having that other person hear them from you matter more. Compliments in general, are there to lift the human spirit.

Chicago and San Diego Trip…

Posted on by anele25

For the past week and a half, I have been out of work and the cities I ended up visiting were Chicago and San Diego. It was also my birthday month and I decided with two events coinciding with each other, I would take advantage of the time off. The two events were a Baseball game and a Wrestling event. It all started Wednesday night as me and my best friend Adrian left SFO on the way to Chicago. We landed Thursday morning and ended up taking public transit to our hotel. The first thing I noticed was how accessible everything in Chicago was. As we rode through the neighborhoods and through the suburbs, we started getting closer and closer to our destination. One thing that we did not account for however, was that we would get lost. We ended up on the wrong street and the bus driver was nice enough to redirect us. Adrian decided it would be best to take a Lyft to our hotel as we went to go drop off our luggage, we ended up leaving our luggage at the hotel and walked over to a breakfast spot that was pretty good for what it was. After this, we walked again to a bus stop and saw what was around town. For the better part of the afternoon, we ended up going to where Wrigley Field was and took a small tour of the ballpark itself. As I sat there, I was in awe of the different pieces of history that were in front of me from the Ivy and the bleachers that were there. Baseball, I love it because to the casual viewer it may be boring but to me I get so much more out of it because you’re thinking as the pitcher is up there, what kind of pitch is he going to throw, what is the hitter looking for, what defensive position are the infielders and outfielders playing, and most importantly what is the hitter going to do once the pitch is there.

 

The tour guide explained most of the history behind Wrigley field and how much meaning it really had. The players, the events, the people, and also the employees that would make Wrigley run smoothly. My favorite story was hearing how the fences near the bleachers got built because of the fans that would be going on top of them. Once the tour was over, I quickly realized how much I needed to visit other city’s ballparks to get a feel for the city and also for the team. I bought my Chicago Cubs shirt and off we were. Soon after, we took an Uber back to our hotel to check in and took a very long nap to reenergize for the night. We ended up taking an Uber to downtown to check out the Skydeck and what a sight it was. On the way there, I did get a bit of anxiety because of the elevator that started shaking a bit. If you haven’t been to the Skydeck, I would recommend it for the sheer beauty of what it is you’ll see up there. You can end up seeing 4 states (these four states being Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana) on a clear day but since there is something about the night sky that intrigues me, I enjoyed it. There were quite few tourists taking their pictures, and once you step onto the glass you get this thrill because you are 109 floors up and you can feel the whole city in front of you. I took some pictures with my friend Adrian and that first night was capped off by some bar hopping as I just rested there and enjoyed the company of my friend Adrian. The most fun we had at that moment was when we played some pool at this bar called the ‘Game Room’. At that moment, we had some real talk as we started talking about what it is we wanted out of life and what we would hope to get out of it. It was the first time in a long time that I realized that my friend also had this pent-up emotion that he wanted to let out about some issues he had gone through with his previous relationship and I won’t share them out of respect and love to him. All I could do for him was to be a supportive and caring friend. I couldn’t give advice because I myself have not gone through that nor do I wish to ever go through that.

 

As we rode home, I started getting the conversation and the itch to talk to some of these lyft and uber drivers who are probably just regular people like we are. Out of the ones we met on our trip (I’ll sum the majority of them here), I would say the one who I enjoyed talking to the most was this one who was a fan of wrestling and he had told us about some of his experiences as a wrestling fan. I can remember the first question he asked me which period of wrestling was the best and I straight up told him that the 80’s were my favorite period. We started getting into the promos, the matches, the angles, and the general booking of the territory. One thing we noted was that wrestling was seen as special because there were no superheroes or social media to hold some of these guys back from what they could be. Nowadays, it’s a little harder to stay in character and to know how to draw in an audience. Overall, each driver was pretty nice and had a unique background to them from schoolteachers, to retired city managers, students, regular everyday people, and there was even one who just gave us a city tour on how much each neighborhood is different. The next two days were filled with fun and excitement as we ended up splitting up that morning as we visited Millennium Park and split a bit after as we each did our own duties. I went to the zoo to get a fresh take on the wildlife that was near Chicago. I saw an assortment of animals that day from Zebras, Cows, Roosters, Gorillas, Birds, Bears, Rhinos, and other assortments of animals. I even saw a cool trick on some buckets where he started juggling some plungers and afterwards came down. The time at the zoo winded down and I headed over to downtown to catch some dinner with Adrian. We had some deep-dish pizza, which truth be told, was not as good as the one I had in Berkley a few weeks ago. Once we were done, we headed down on the subway to the Chicago White Sox game to catch another baseball game. I enjoyed the game for what it was but when the team is not as good as they were before, the game can be a bit tedious to follow but, in this case, you can find creative ways to engage yourself by talking to others and talking to friends as well. I ended up taking three or four walks around the stadium getting my steps in. I headed towards to the deck to check out the night sky. I ended up taking a picture by there and a Chicago sign to remind me of all the good times that were ahead. The game ended in a 4-3 victory for the rival Detroit Tigers and I continued my streak of ballparks on this trip. The drive home was pretty long and this time I saw how much traffic was really backing up in Chicago and talking to our driver I saw how much the weather there can impact the city they live in. Once we got home, we slept in and had a long day ahead of us the next day. The next day was some of the hottest I had felt in a long time as it was humid and it was muggy. We ended up taking each a solo split once again as I wanted to do my own activities and head to North Avenue Beach and do some sight-seeing on the beach. I rented a bike for 3 hours and just biked as I saw the majority of the beach and afterwards sat down in between to do some reading on a book called Flow which describes those experiences where you essentially focused and are fully immersed in what it is you are doing. The feelings of just being on the beach and having that time to just reflect on what is there in the present are some of the best feelings in the world. That is what I realized as I sat on the grass getting through a good chunk of the book.

 

I headed back and did some more biking around 1PM. We ended making a trek to the famous Pro Wrestling tees store where I ended up buying a Golden Elite shirt (Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Kota Ibushi shout out!). From there, we ate (again) and after we saw our first ever Takeover show by WWE NXT. This show was great as it consisted of five matches. Each of the matches from Undisputed Era vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch to Shayna Bazler vs Nikki Cross impressed me because the guys and gals all showed something different in the matches. Some were hard hitting and others felt like actual fights where each guy or gal wanted to outdo their competitor. The show itself was fun because I also got to experience getting the Chicago vibe of a wrestling town along the way. Afterwards, I got to check out one last show before I left Chicago as I went to see Bruce Prichard of Something to Wrestle with Fame. The jokes, the laughs, the stories, and the banter between Conrad Thompson and Bruce Prichard is something I get a joy out of personally every week. The show was definitely worth the price as each guy that was present in the show presented something different and unique to the fan that was there. For example, one of the guys that was there, Armando Alejandro Estrada gave a great recount of what it was like to work under the tutelage Once that was finished, I ended up going back home to get a few hours rest before our flight took off. I ended up getting just over three hours of sleep that morning and I got on my flight ready to head back to the bay area. Once I landed I just let everything sink in for a minute before I realized where I had gone and the people I had seen. That night I had a great time seeing some music drum and bass with a friend of mine and we headed home soon after that. The next day I prepared for my trip to San Diego which by and large felt like it went by really quick as me and brother had some bonding time ahead of us and we had driven there this time. The first stop was at an Oakland A’s (Let’s go Oakland) vs. San Diego Padres game which had some drama towards the end as one of my friends kept saying that it is difficult to go 0-5 and one of our hitters, Stephen Piscoitty, ended up hitting a homerun to tie it up in the 9th inning. Then in the 10th inning Jed Lowrie (thanks to an error ended up hitting a 2-run homer. Afterwards, we headed out to our friend’s house to talk some war stories and discuss other things that were going on in our lives currently at that time. I also talked to our friend about his living situation and how different everything was out there in San Diego as opposed to the Bay Area. Here it can be expensive and over there it seemed like everything was a bit cheaper. The next day we went through some interesting areas as we headed over to Camino de la Plaza to see the border from the other side and also saw the Border Field State Park. Before we went there though, we stopped by Sunset Cliffs to see some of the cliffs that I had seen on some videos through Youtube and some of the views were breathtaking. I got a few good pictures which hopefully down the line some of my friends can go and visit for themselves.

 

Walking through that muggy San Diego weather, I can see some of the struggles that the people of my background have gone through. Me and my brother ended up picking up some photos of a little girl. The girl, who we had no idea who she was, was probably someone’s relative and we put the photos up to represent some sort of hope that maybe someone will see them or that it won’t happen to someone else. The border itself by the Border Field State Park also gave me some interesting vibes because we were essentially walking through sand to get to see the other side of the border but once we got there we were told that we were to not get anywhere near the fence. We walked back to our car which seemed longer considering the distance we had traveled. Once we got back to our friend’s house, we had a last pow wow to close out the night where we talked about life, dreams, our times that we have had together, and just everything in between. I had an epiphany that life is meant to be full of memories, laughter, sadness, and great people. That night as we drove back, I stopped by Anza Borrego State Park and saw some stars that were marvelous in my opinion and I just stopped for a few minutes to gaze at everything that was in front of me. That to me was the best way to end my time in San Diego. There were some mannequins that I had seen on some YouTube channels but I did not get a chance to take a look at them. However, after that I said there will always be a next time. I walked away from the vacation reenergized and knowing that I fulfilled my need of getting out there to see what else the world has. I didn’t care if I got lost or if I knew where I was as long as I knew where I was heading to in the long run. To anyone and everyone who reads this, the best gift that life gives us is purpose and to each of us we have our own destiny’s crafted out. Yes, life may not be perfect and that’s okay. In this life, you have to want to get out to see just how wonderful and beautiful the world really is and this is just here domestically. I can’t wait to see what else is out there in the world because I have a little bit of everything right now and I couldn’t ask for anything more. (Author’s note: Here are some pictures representing the trip).

300 Writing Prompts #11: Complete this thought: “Today I hope…”

Posted on by anele25

Today I woke up from a dream that went for a while and for the life of me I can’t remember what I was dreaming about. Today I hope that dream happens again and again as I get set to go on an adventure. Today I hope for a fun and exciting time for anybody and everybody that goes on a journey for where they want to go. I hope that people can see the good in each other and give more than what they receive for that is what shows true character.

Today I hope I can laugh at silly memes, gifs, and just at people in general. Today I hope that my cousins, brother, aunts, uncles, mom and dad can have a healthy day as they come home from work or school. Today I hope that my friends, wherever they may be can breathe just a little to enjoy what is around them. I hope that my neighbors can put down what is bothering them and give the time that is needed to their loved ones. I hope that others will see that it is okay (along with this writer), that being perfect isn’t the best solution for everything and the imperfect individual is what is normal and extraordinary within each of us. Today I hope that life will bring what is positive in each of us as we embark on these new journeys, adventures, and see new sights. Today I hope that individuals will do good deeds without even realizing it. Today I hope that couples who fight still love each other even after the biggest fight. For this and several other things in this world, I am the biggest believer in hope because without it we would not be getting many places. The weather, the stars, the road, and the food that is be seen today are something that I am also hoping today I can see. Well, have a good day everyone!

300 Writing Prompts #10: Have you ever taken a huge risk? What was it, and was it worth it?

Posted on by anele25

Risks in my life have never been the way to go and nor have they ever been. I once did take a risk however and in the end it was worth it. I was thinking back to three years ago today and today is the anniversary of my graduation. There were events that led up to that that started with one risk that I felt was worth it at the end. I am pretty open about my past and one of the risks I took was transferring Target stores in 2014. At the beginning of the summer in 2014, I met with a friend of mine asking if I had ever thought of transferring stores. The store was closer to my house and it would save me more gas. I also thought about the long term ramifications as if I had left the store I would be not as sentimental about leaving. For example, if I had stayed my full seven years at the same Target store I would have felt the burden of leaving behind all my friends. I worked that summer with the thought in my head that it was time to transfer. I worked closely with my managers to make sure I had a smooth transition.

 

As the date got closer, I really started doubting the decision because now I would leave everyone behind. The friends that I did make there finally became apparent to me afterward. In retail, you make these acquaintances that you may think are your friends but then after you leave you start to see who your real friends are. I left that old Target store with my head held high but I also started getting emotional towards the end of my first night. I thanked everyone for the time they had spent with me and for their mentorship as well. I walked out knowing that I had made something good there and I started crying like a baby as I walked out. I sat in my car for close to 5 minutes thinking about the memories I had made there. I told myself right then and there that everything had been worth it. The hardships, the fun parts, the struggles, and everything in between. I remember driving to Smoke Eaters that night ready to eat something because I said to myself that would be my small meal that I would eat to celebrate this new phase in my life. No longer would I be commuting and struggling to get to work in San Jose and I would be closer to home. I sat at home and wondered about what the future would bring and thankfully I was off for the next 4 days. I started at my new store that Thursday and I realized right away how different everything was compared to my old Target store.

 

Everybody seemed older and there was a mix of younger as well. I started talking to a few team members and started getting my feet wet little by little. I saw this also as a new opportunity to learn with some new team members. I remember being approached if I ever wanted to enter an executive role as well and then I started seeing how everything was constructed and I realized that it was not worth it. The way that Target works is they like to recruit from within and see team members as being ready for that role as well. An executive is in charge of owning their area and making sure their team leaders have their planners up as well as making sure their aisles are full as well. I quickly learned at my new store that staying organized is one of the bigger problems at retail. You also learn to deal with people whether they are old or young. You see the good, bad, and the ugly. That was something that was worth it because you got to serve a completely new audience and a complete new kind of guest as well. No longer, were they the high strung client from Saratoga but now they were the working middle class from Sunnyvale. I had grown up in Sunnyvale so I knew a little about what the people were like there. As the months went by, I started to realize that my time to enter into the real world was rapidly approaching. I was close to being 27 years old and some of my friends at this age already had pretty stable jobs. I was going back and forth wondering what I was going to do next. I was working at Target one day and they implemented this new strategy where they wanted everything full at certain times of the day. One day, it was my turn and by all means it did not look the best. I got berated by one of our executives and it just so happens that is when I said this place may not be for me anymore. I started thinking what can come along or what can I do to change this new environment of mine. I did my best to keep my head up but everything just kept getting worst whether it was hours or the way we were all being treated. One day, I got a call from one of friends telling me about a position opening at Stanford and if you have read some of my previous posts, I ended up leaving Target soon thereafter.

 

In hindsight, this risk I took because my friend had told me about has led me to today. I would not be the same person I am today because I learned that going into new environments can be intimidating but that is what life if all about. Adapting and overcoming those obstacles and seeing what comes out of it. I can say for how my life is that I am grateful for what has happened because the ultimate lesson I learned from my transfer to another Target store was I learned those that stick by you pull through for you in the end. It doesn’t matter whether things are the best in the world or if they are the worst in the world, they will give the skin off their back in order for you to succeed. I saw the good in what happened and now I can look back and say my risk paid off. Yes, I did miss my co-workers but then I saw they are only that: co-workers. I made the analogy the other day with a good friend of mine “when in war, you only talk about war and then everything just ends”. I made my destiny with those changes and now I am looking forward to whatever life brings next.

Writing Prompts #9: Describe the most beautiful sound you have ever heard

Posted on by anele25

The prompt here got me thinking about what is the most beautiful sound you have ever heard and this one for me is easy as I once ran across a song by Riz Ortolnai when I was younger. The name of the song is called “A Blessed Event”. One thing that stands out for this song is that is so simple and it puts me at ease whenever I hear it. I could be driving, at my job, at the house doing chores, and overall I just enjoy the sounds in the song. I liked the sounds at the beginning as it begins with a horn and a little chelo sound. The sound is beautiful to me because it goes so smoothly without interruption of any other instruments and it just goes along and it makes me happy. It begins with a kind of a “do-do-do” instrument and it keeps going along until it hits this special spot in my heart. I feel as if this song was created with the intention of getting you in a good mood. I could be wrong here but having this beautiful sound full of wonder, awe, and hope is all in this song. I feel like I’m walking through any situation in life and feeling as if I can do it. I remember when I used to live in a condo in San Jose and this song would come on. I didn’t have many friends and this song made me feel this beauty inside. The kind of beauty you or anyone else would never hear again. I get the feeling that Ortolani got the idea to make this song so people can get this big emotion inside of them.  I can come with this song and it feels as if I am working on something greater whether its having a family, accomplishing my goals, or getting fit. It’s funny, because I heard this song when I was younger when I was watching El Chapulin Colorado. If you don’t know who that is he is the Mexican superhero who always comes to the rescue of his people that call for help. Roberto Bolanos really did want to show people his talents by busting out this song at the end of some Chapulin songs. I want this blog also to be aware of some other beautiful sounds I have heard. I sometimes go to the beach and pontificate what is going on in the ocean. There is a mystery that goes beyond the greatest realm of what is there. As I hear the waves, I feel this calmness and this ability to breath in new life inside of me. I can be standing on the edge of a rock or at the side of an ocean and I can just hear myself go with one with the waves. The waves also have these calming effects to them that only certain people would be able to describe.

 

The more I see waves and the more I hear them I just want to live freely within that ocean and wonder what is there. It feels as if the Earth is moving at a slow pace and you can just hear everything slow down for a quick second. One of the best times I have ever had in life was when I was younger and we took a late night trip to the beach and the waves were coming slowly that day. This was at a beach in Sinaloa and the waves were coming in rather slowly that night. I was out with my Aunt and her husband and we just went down to the sand. I walked by the waves several times and as they came in I realized the breath of fresh air was coming in to somehow suspend my belief that this was life. The waves kept coming and I could think about how nice and peaceful that was at that moment. I kept walking until my aunt and her husband stopped for a few minutes and just marveled at several things around them. I could tell that they too also enjoyed the waves that night. There is also nothing better than the ocean waves because of how fast they can change once you get inside for a quick dip. I know that once you get inside the water there is a different feeling as well because they can come on top of you in an instant and it doesn’t feel as fast as it used to. The one last thing I enjoy about the ocean waves is that water in general is a very soothing thing to have around you. One last memory I can remember about the waves and how comforting of a sound they are is when I was at a beach in Monterrey and I was standing on some rocks. The water was coming close to the rocks and I could feel that my body was somehow scared to go inside the water. I was standing against the rocks and once you get passed the water hitting you close it doesn’t get all that scary. I went down and I sat against some rocks and I could feel the water coming towards me as if I were one with the ocean at that very moment. There is no better feeling to be amongst something other than the water that comes towards somebody. The sounds that it makes, the whoosh that it makes as it gets closer, and ultimately the overall good feeling it gives. I hope one day many more people can come to appreciate the ocean waves and the sounds that they make for all of us. They say that beauty comes in many forms and this sound of ocean waves gives me comfort, satisfaction, and a great deal of hope. I know as I grow older I can give others the same feeling by integrating my life with there’s and telling them a little more about the ocean waves.

Writing prompts #8: Write about one of your most embarrassing moments:

Posted on by anele25

On my 29 years on this earth, I can’t think of many things which stand out more than embarrassing moments. I can say that I have had a few embarrassing moments throughout my life. For example, when I think of this I can harken back to when I had a little accident in elementary school. There is another incident which I will point out in the 2nd half of this blog but this one I wanted to share first. It was Mrs. Sunderland’s 1st grade class and I clearly remember this moment. It was just like any other day where we gathered around and we were hearing our lessons on reading and writing. I then all of a sudden to go to the bathroom. As a little kid, the feeling of embarrassment was new to me and I felt almost a scared feeling because I don’t think up that point I had ever asked to go to the bathroom during a lesson. I got up during the lesson and before I had known it I had literally crapped my pants. They took me to the nurse’s offices and I couldn’t control my diarrhea that day. I remember sitting in the bathroom in the nurse’s office and feeling ashamed. I didn’t know whether my classmates would think any differently of me. One of my friends who I still talk to this day remembers the incident and always eggs me about it. In a way, I felt the incident was good for me because getting embarrassed is a part of a life where you can laugh a little at yourself. Looking back, I was a kid and I didn’t know what that feeling was like yet and I felt as if the world was judging me. They were judging me because I was not accustomed to these feelings of shame and I did not know that idea of fear inside of me. I sat there for a few minutes until my uncle’s wife came and had to tend to me until I could gather my thoughts inside. I also had some toilet paper that was hanging from my side as I once again could not believe that this had happened to me. I was wondering at that time about what were my classmates up to and little did I know they were doing something much different than I would have imagined. I had imagined they were inside of the classroom learning some math or what have you.

 

Anyway, I sat there for a few more minutes until I could walk away for a little. I walked out and saw my uncle’s wife wearing her purple McDonald’s shirt and I just thought what just happened. I was sitting inside the classroom and all of a sudden I could not control what was inside of me. I walked outside and there were my classmates playing recess and I was sitting there wondering there what was happening. Thus ended one of my most embarrassing moments of my childhood. I want to touch upon one of my 2nd most embarrassing moments which was when I fell during a dance with my mom almost 15 years ago. I was not the most experienced of dancers and I remember dancing and almost falling which has to rank amongst one of my most embarrassing moments. Embarrassment isn’t always bad because it allows you to grow and see what else is ahead in life. I leave everyone with this, don’t be embarrassed that these moments be happy because you were able to grow and learn from these experiences. Till next time everyone.