chester chooses chestnuts / getting back into the swing of things.

alright. so much has happened in my absence from this thought-outlet, and i've been prompted to share.

summer vacation has actually treated me quite well. i've finished working my job as an english department teachers' aide, leaving me with a sum of cash that will go towards purchasing a new laptop. i've been cast (and have completed the first string of performances) as the diction coach in dht's, "singin' in the rain". i've got my license. i've seen two superhero thrillers. and i've done a lot of reading/writing.

that's about it.

and i won't elaborate. there's a lot of positivity woven in with those events transpired; i won't muddle it with my rambling explanations. i'll save those for later.

imperfect molecules.

for my birthday, i received a copy of john green's the fault in our stars from kamden. i basically devoted an entire sitting to finishing the book for i found myself more and more engrossed with its message. if you're ever looking for a quick-read, a book that is well written with a great message that doesn't require much thinking, then this book is for you. green's crafted the characters in a way where one can read with much compassion. hazel is bright for sixteen-years-of-age, and weaves a lot of psychology and philosophy into her explanations—sidenote, she outlined maslow's hierarchy of needs, and i felt really smart for already knowing what it was. her favorite (made-up) novel is an imperial affliction; she connects with the main character of the novel, anna, in that they both are cancer victims. though anna dies, hazel is able to accept the inevitability of anna's fate; however, she can't grow to accept the lack of a future of the other characters, particularly, anna's mother. when hazel goes out in search of answers for anna's mother's fate from the author of "aia", he doesn't necessarily provide her with the ones she needs to hear. i found a drastic parallel in that hazel has come to terms with her disease and her future death; she is unsettled over the fact that her mother has no discernible fate for her mother has assumed the role of "caretaker."

sorry, i didn't mean for this post to become a literary analysis. that's what you get from working in the high school english department. anyways, i do recommend this novel to anyone. this novel has further prompted me to reread hawking's a brief history of time. for those who like books that don't require much thinking, this book isn't for you.

straying away from that, i've had quite a lovely summer vacation so far and we're only a week in. some of my poetry will be published in an upcoming issue of the adroit journal. i was awarded an honorable mention in a youth verse contest, and i was further offered a position on the editing staff. i'll be working on the staff this summer while simultaneously working as a ta for the academy english department and continuing work on a short story. if i get anywhere with my short story idea, i will post it here. for now, i will keep it under wraps.

i've had some lovely times with friends recently. kelley invited me to go-kart racing with her, josh, and ethan. although it was quite a random group of people, i was extremely excited for the opportunity to try something out of my comfort zone. while i might not be the greatest reckless driver (coughcough da_stig cough), it was definitely an experience to remember. especially since kelley drove into one of the barriers and shortened the race for us...and possibly broke her finger. forever grateful that she didn't break something on a larger scale, like her neck. moving on.

these girls (+austin, +scott) and i went to kaimanas for a beach picnic yesterday. i've really enjoyed their friendship throughout this past school year, and i can pretty much say these are some of my closest friends. very sad that kam and em couldn't make it out here, but we kept their memories with us, and tanned extra-hard in their absence. i've never really encountered any problems with these friends as we've yet to allow conflict to arise; there's also no reason why conflict would arise when we're all so close and share many of the same values. i'll really miss katie, madi, austin, and scott once they go off in their separate ways. also:

i'll miss the sleepycat quite much, as i've known him since elementary school. nothing to see here, just the manifestation of our undying passion. i'm glad austin's such a good sport about this. and i'm glad scott's such a good sport about this:

mehehehehehehehe.

grocery shopping is a hobby quite.

yesterday, i was lucky enough to stumble upon this incredible aisle in don quijote. although i never particularly enjoy don quijote, i love when one can uncover these kinds of not-so-hidden places. i purchased nestle green tea latte packets, and i came back today with emily. we were both in desperate need of caffeine and happiness, so this seemed perfect. emily's probably the only person i can go grocery shopping with who won't tire of my grandfather-like interests.

mr. bond, or mr. brown? now you don't have to choose!

pre-packaged iced coffee—this will be essential, later.

london fog packets!

i'd just like to say how grateful i am for emily's presence throughout today. i was feeling pretty awful yesterday, and today felt like one of the best days i've had in awhile. it's quite easy for me to feel submerged in an inescapable pool of others' worries. i usually end up neglecting my own unsettled issues, and yesterday served as a breaking point of sorts. today, i decided to move on from that minor setback by treating myself to a huge bottle of unsweetened black jasmine tea. i feel calm & reassured, and i know things are slowly weaving themselves into harmony. it'll just take more effort on my part to keep this harmony i so desire.

as i finish this, i'd like to point out that this little kitten is currently asleep.

perhaps that's my cue to sign off. i keep using this new format of posting photos when i feel too lazy to reflect. i like this. goodnight.

god that was strange to see you again.

last night was spent arguing my point to person who i will never truly understand. it was not only necessary, but at this point, i believe i'm finally ready to stop ruminating over this topic and begin my processes of moving on. this is cryptic, and it is meant as such.

i've decided that this blog will no longer be kept to such limitations of either relating to positivity or change; instead, i will go on to post things that interest me—things that make me feel good about my life. or whatever i see fit to post.

i suppose i ought to explain myself. on saturday night, my parents took me out to buca di beppo, and to see the avengers afterwards. we sat at the bar where i snapped the top-left photo. when i get to a point in my life where interior decorating will become necessary, i wish to furnish my home with vintage italian curtains. before dinner, i sipped on an iced latte (top-right), while my parents enjoyed some wine. the bottom-left photo is still a mystery to me and my mother. we both didn't understand how a cat would ever be capable of smiling as such.

we saw the avengers (bottom-right photo), which was not particularly of my liking. i'm not one for action films; by the end of the fight scenes, i was literally exhausted. it's my fault for being so boring and spending my time watching obscure documentaries. twas quite a great flick, however, i just don't think i'd see it more than once. captain america is breathtaking, but the man who plays the hulk...

i'll just stop there.

the next day, this happened:

the man you see here is sir dane neves. dane recently composed a short film entitled "poison apple", which is a take on the story of snow white from the poison apple's perspective. i had performed slam poetry for one of dane's events for 'olelo, and he contacted me to fill in for some of the character voices. it was a different experience, quite, but i'm grateful for the opportunity to be involved in such a project. i will be able to see the movie at preview events/film festivals once it has been completed. many thanks to dane for making this possible.

finally. my sunday night ended with this goodness:

before sleeping, i spent a bit of time listening to the beach boys' rarities lp. bless those wonderful black disks and the charm/fairy dust they bring to analog listening. sometimes, one just needs to listen to the beach boys crooning beatles' tunes—or singing "the lord's prayer" in five-part harmony—in order to realize how lucky they truly are. had a moment of ease last night. things will be alright.

dear future rick. don't delete your past posts. you will regret this eventually.

winding down.

well. i've never really expected this to be read by anyone—for i began this blog with the intent that it would be there as a constant outlet to pour my positive emotions. i'm sorry i've been gone for so long, but only recently have i been made aware that this was being read by some wonderful friends (you know who you are). i will continue maintaining this as necessary for i've realized how much i do actually enjoy looking back on these posts and experiencing large bits of nostalgia. thanks for putting up with my inconsistency.

it is nearing the end of the school year, and i couldn't be more thankful for the experiences i've been bestowed with. moreover, i'm still very much excited for the things i've yet to accomplish. although a part of me will always continue to gravitate towards negativity—as is in my human nature—there have been some key moments that have occurred throughout this school year (e.g. carnival, function, winter camp) and i realize that i'm extremely lucky. i've also been acknowledged for my many academic pursuits in regards to english. i've had the pleasure of serving as one of three coaches for the school's slam poetry team, i've been hired as a ta for the summer's academy english program, and this thursday, i will be awarded with academic recognition for my pursuits in the english language. i will stick true to being humble and stop there, but i'm still very much thankful that i've found something i'm passionate about. i hope to achieve more successes and failures in the future.

recently, dance has become such a prevalent part of my life. i was invited to a callback for an upcoming diamond head theatre musical, "xanadu", and although i was not cast, i'm grateful for the opportunity i was given to display my knowledge. many, many thanks to tammy colucci for being so gracious with me—i've learned a great deal from her although i've merely taken two of her classes. also, i wouldn't have been shaped into the dancer i am today without the constant help of my teachers: caryn yee, christine yasunaga, and charlys ing. i've never been more fit in my life, and i've truly realized that my future cannot be sustained without the continuation of dance.

going back to the end of school—i'm very much saddened by the soon-to-be graduating class of 2012. the class is comprised of many choice people, and i will forever be touched by the friendships they've provided me. particularly my best friend kamden, with whom i've been grabbing lunch with during our weekly three-hour breaks. i honestly don't know what i'm going to do next year without someone who will accept my crude humor; without someone who constantly pushes me beyond my writing boundaries. i will truly miss this particular gem of a being.

well, i guess we really are that awkward.

i keep acknowledging the same two people in my life, but that's because i have too many people whom i so cherish and too many experiences to recall. i've had some pretty long, extensive conversations with another one of my best friends, emily. i don't know anyone in my life who will ever understand my cynicism—and my behavior resultant of too much caffeine, and too little sleep—better than she. i've realized that i need to take more initiative in regards to my relationships, and although i sometimes fail in social situations, there's a greater failure in not taking that initiative in the first place. i've found someone i can truly be philosophical, honest, and comfortable with - a sophisticated kind of friendship i didn't think i'd find until my late 20s (i don't know why i typed that last part, but i'm keeping it there). many thanks for the coffees, mixtapes, and conversations shared; i know i can forever count on you.

finally, i'd like to thank yet another one of my best friends, ariel. i recently went over to her house to aid her in a time of need, and she provided me with such great insights into my own struggles with my former-relationship. also, she took me to this part of her backyard where at night, the stars are truly glimmering. it reminded me much of sylvia plath's "black rook in rainy weather", where plath basically states how it is a trick that nature could be so beautiful at times. my time with ariel really inspired me to begin writing again, and confront my current situation with said former-relationship.

the bones in my back are growing. and to add on to all this positivity, i just got a $30 tax return from the united states treasury. things are ending, but i've also been lead to believe that things, are forever growing, and changing. and i find i'm very excited about this.

very much excited indeed.

i would just like to say that i'm glad kevin is dead; i think all males should be dead.

it's gonna be a good day!

the title of this post originates from the daria episode: "murder, she snored." i'd like to take this time to reflect upon ms. barch and how great of a character she is; you don't see characters like her at all in television shows nowadays (wow, i sound really condescending considering i wasn't old enough to understand daria when it actually aired on mtv). daria is my main source of happiness when everything starts going wrong and real life starts becoming too fabricated. oddly enough, i've started writing my thesis paper on third-wave feminism and was pleased that mrs. stevens allowed me to cite daria in one of my body paragraphs. on a related note: thanks to that wonderful bookseller/women's studies major who helped me find books to develop my thesis.

i've been pretty disappointed with the state of the world recently. most likely because that's easiest for me—to view the world extremely negatively. it's unhealthy and i should change my perspective. kamden has done so much for me in these past couple of weeks. he's driven me to lunch, given me revisions on some of my work, worked with me through some of my random bouts of neurosis, taken me to the rope swing at makiki park. mostly, he's just been a great person to me. truly grateful to have the honor of calling him one of my best friends.

emily slept over last night, and i've missed her quite. i guess i've just been so busy in my life that i haven't made an effort to sustain our friendship - something i feel extremely guilty over, because i realize how much fun we can both have together. moreover, she's very much supportive in everything i do, and always provides the greatest, most logical advice. we watched daria, ate kettle chips, drank hot tea; all the things hip grandmothers do in each others' company. i'm lucky to have her in my life, and i know it.

i'm grateful for my itouch. i know, i know, i'm not one for relying on electronics. in fact, i'm quite drawn to the idea of a world without electronics for i yearn to live very nomadically, or like a gypsy of sorts; however, i haven't realized how useful the itouch truly can be. i can unlimitedly text message iphone users through an email address. i can charge starbucks drinks to my gold card via a simple app. and extremely importantly, my 4th generation itouch has a built-in camera on both sides, which also doubles as a compact mirror.

some final bouts of thankfulness:

• "into the woods" is over. i will no longer need to stay at school till 10:30 pm on school nights. moreover, i won't have to see x's face so frequently, which may/may not be important.
• the following itouch apps: instagram, puddingcam, starbucks, solitaire, dailyhoroscope. i just really love my itouch...it's unhealthy, but there's no stopping me now.
• lauren asked me to participate in a script reading today. i really enjoyed critiquing the script, as well as being paid $60 to simply offer my opinion.
• for being asked to perform slam poetry in the 8th grade slam assembly, and for the sustainability slam. i feel my message is reaching more people, and i feel very good about it.
• this.

my current goals are to stay alive, and strive for constant improvement throughout the rest of this school year.

will the real snorting elk, please stand up?

i realize i haven't been good about keeping this blog updated with posts, consistently. i've got quite a bit of catching up to do, but i've decided to dedicate this post to one of my best friends, ariel, and her family. they were extremely gracious in allowing me to accompany them on their trip to washington; this particular trip was a variety of firsts for me. this post will serve as a late travel log (i had limited computer access on my trip.)

we spent the first couple of days in olympia with ariel's grandmother, annelise - an extremely heartfelt woman who was nothing but caring and inclusive towards me. annelise suggested for me to visit the state capitol in downtown olympia, which turned out to be a magnificent suggestion. home to impeccable architecture, the olympia capitol was a wonderful way to jumpstart our washington adventures. i'm especially proud of this moment:

planking on the steps of the olympia capitol.

following our visit to the state capitol, we headed to downtown olympia for some secondhand shopping. there weren't many known stores, but i was impressed by the amount of secondhand stores available for browsing. particularly, there was a store filled with antique magazines, books, minks, jewelry. it was divine, and i regret not purchasing anything from there earlier. we'll save it for my next trip to washington, because i will definitely be back someday. i also visited this somber, new age medicinal shop - i believe it was called "midnight sun". there wasn't anything particularly interesting, which was somewhat of a letdown. even their collection of herbs was not too impressive - but still, i was lucky enough to happen upon their celtic jewelry, something i am fascinated with. i decided not to purchase anything. instead, we made our way to a nearby café, where i purchased a rich chocolate ganache cake. first smart spend of my trip.

ariel's family and i then made our way to enumclaw, washington - location of the crystal mountain ski resort. i had never seen snow prior to this trip; if anything, i had been to ice palace and seen the resulting ice shavings from skaters' blades. the snow was entrancing, and unlike anything i had expected. i had the urge to shove incredulous bits of it into my mouth like i had seen on man vs. wild. the temperature was also wonderful, for in a past life, i believe i existed as a black bear.

lying in the snow was not one of our greater ideas.

our lodging accommodations were also quite nice. in our small apartment, me and ariel's room was only accessible through climbing a ladder above the kitchen. this is very hard to explain, but it was a loft, i believe. this little apartment proved extremely useful in the 10º weather. also, during our stay at crystal mountain, we dined at the "snorting elk." i mean, in a place where there's an abundance of white powder, what else would these elk be snorting?

will the real snorting elk, please stand up?

after the second day, filled with gondola rides, skiing, a screening of bridesmaids, french onion soup, dogs in the snow, and snorting elks, we departed back to olympia where we rested for a couple of days. we toured seattle uni, and u of w, and eventually shopped at urban outfitters (huzzah! it exists!) we then took a two-hour drive to downtown seattle, where we stayed at the edgewater hotel - a place seemingly ghetto from the outside, yet luxurious from the inside. the beatles stayed at the edgewater during their stints in seattle.

our room window literally overlooked the water.

we took some time to feed the seagulls outside of our room, which turned into something out of "birds: the movie." the seagulls would hover right in front of our window, expecting food. ariel and i made a run for it and hit downtown seattle's shopping district.

i could take multiple posts glorifying the downtown seattle shopping district, but i feel it is something that must be experienced. we explored the many inlets of this vast area including: urban outfitters, h&m, the six story nordstrom, j. crew, american apparel, free people. it reminded me much of union square in san francisco; ariel claimed it was very much like times square in nyc, and i shall be sure to visit there someday. i made many purchases including the long sought after denim jacket, cardigans, sweaters, stationary, teas, and etc. overall, i completed a lot of retail therapy - something so necessary as of recent (i will explain this crypticness eventually.)

the next day in downtown seattle was spent at pike place market. i've become so enamored with this city, and will make sure to come back someday. the market was mostly specialty foods, and one thing i regret not trying was the seafood. i have a hard time trusting seafood from places outside of hawaii, but what's done is done, and i will just have to experience it some other time. i was intrigued by the woman selling ocarinas. she sold a special-zelda ocarina and when i asked her to play "zelda's lullaby", she smiled back and played it effortlessly. twas a beautiful moment, and i thought of getting one for my friend, x; however, i budgeted myself on these last few days of the trip due to a shortage in funds from my prior retail therapy. i hurried on and made one of my proudest purchases from a cute little chinese man. he sold me this sterling silver owl ring, and although i'm not one for rings, i haven't taken off this ring since the trip.

(to those who doubted its existence)

my old man hands modeling "my precious."

fresh seafood!

interesting story: the fishseller yelled at me for taking pictures of his fish, rather than purchasing one. i don't know what i'd do with an entire dead fish, especially with no place to prepare one (nor do i know how to prepare one...) after pike place, i did a bit of self-adventuring and happened upon this wonderful alley:

i bought a hazelnut truffle from rose's chocolate treasures and was offered a bit of a chocolate-coconut brew from perennial tea room. both were simply delightful. i was disappointed that the white horse trading co. was closed because where else would i purchase a white horse? in all seriousness, their sign said they sold "books, ale, & wine" and in an ideal world, these would be the only things that existed. alas, i went around the alley into the building it was nestled under, only to discover another antique shop. twas similarly wonderful like the first antique shop i had visited in olympia, only, things here were way expensive.

we spent the next day exploring seattle center. ariel and i ventured to the top of the space needle where we saw an incredible view. i don't believe it was as spectacular as others made it out to be. if anything, i could find something more spectacular at home, after climbing diamond head. nonetheless, we took some pictures at the top.

thug lyph at the top of space needle.

we eventually took a ferry over to bainbridge island, where we stayed with auntie andrea's friend peggy and her family. their home was so lovely, and they had a piano. i took some time to reacquaint myself with the black and white keys, something i had abandoned for awhile due to the trip. their backyard also had a trampoline, something ariel and i utilized and had too much fun with. future investment: trampoline.

the day before our return to hawaii, we stayed in a best western near the airport. ariel, auntie andrea, and i shuttled to the westfield center, which was large beyond my greatest expectations. quite frankly, it was larger than any mall i had ever shopped in, and i got lost multiple times. from the mall, i bought a nice pair of jeans from h&m, and spent some time adventuring on my own. we all met up at around 5:30 pm and saw "the hunger games" together. after seeing the movie, i now wish to read the books; i had felt they were overhyped, but now i understand.

overall, this trip provided be with a great appreciation for the world outside of hawaii; more importantly, it made me realize how much i appreciate the opportunities i an bestowed with. i hope to do more travels in the future, for as much as i love hawaii, there are many places i've yet to discover.

hopefully that's everything; there is far too much that i can't recall, but i believe this covers most of it. xx