Mele Kalikimaka

I ate at a Hawaiian restaurant tonight for dinner. I had to kill some time before I went to the Christmas program at Gardena HS. It was the perfect choice. I walked in to a room of live Hawaiian acoustic music. A Samoan and White lady were singing and playing their guitars while an Asian man accompanied them on his ukulele. It was a room full of old people, most of them you could tell were from Hawai'i. They just had that vibe to them, that laid back, "hang loose" kinda vibe.

I had a yummy dinner of saimin and teri spam musubi, two things I haven't had in a long time. To my surprise, they decided to get the dinner guests involved with the music and we participated in the 12 days of Christmas, Hawaiian style. It was so fun. They passed out these cards that you see in the picture above. I got the best one of them all in my opinion ;) Everyone had to stand up and sing what their card said.

I really had a great time and times like these make me wish I was back in Hawai'i again...someday.

Rainbows in LA

It's been the coldest it's ever been in LA. Everyone's complaining or talking about it and I keep telling them, "this is nothing. It's only December. January and February are the coldest months." We hit our first hard rain this week. The bad part was my shoes and socks were getting wet and it was super cold outside. Luckily, I had a heater to put by my feet to dry my shoes and socks. The good thing about the rain is the air in LA is fresher and when the sun decides to slightly peer out of the clouds, beautiful rainbows like the one above appear in the sky. It's a great way to end a day and beautiful greeting on my drive home.

Limbo

Feeling like I'm in limbo right now. In the midst of change but don't know what's gonna happen next or where my next path will lead me. Just practicing patience, presence, and letting the universe or the creator decide where life will lead me next. Bathala Na/Leave it to the Creator.

Justin Bua exhibit in LA

After my performance yesterday, Xochitl and I went to the Justin Bua exhibit in Santa Monica. Opening night, one of my favorite artists, had to see it. So I thought I would share. Enjoy =)

Goodbye Gardena HS

Today was my last day at Gardena HS. There were a mixture of feelings brewing inside of me: frustration, disappointment, embarrassment and sadness. It's funny how we don't realize the value of our work or our impact on others until our departure. One of my students cried today when she realized that I was leaving. I was reciprocated with a lot of "why", disappointment, anger, sadness, frustration, and shock from the staff, the students, and the administration. It was a difficult day but I found purpose in my job. I found passion, compassion, and acceptance. Most importantly, I found value and support. In a school that is undergoing so many changes and is at a critical point; in a district that's downsizing in half, in a country who's economy is breaking down into pieces, it is important to recognize that there is still genuine love that permeates in the air. In a population of students that go thru a lot, when one student is crying from my departure, it is a humbling reminder that I made a difference in someone's life. I made a connection.

I made many connections at Gardena HS. I had a vision. I was making strides, but nevertheless, I was able to humbly witness the fruits of my labor and the value of establishing connection. I will truly miss the relationships I built at Gardena HS and the people that made my job meaningful.

Italian food in LA

This past weekend, I spent my Sunday with my sister from college, Christine. It was a great day to spend a Sunday. We kicked it in her old hood around Fairfax and 3rd. She introduced me to this Italian restaurant that her and her mom used to eat at when she was growing up. I had no idea that it existed and it was REALLY good!

Ended up buying some cute things at a discount clothing store in the same shopping complex. This is so typical in LA. Mini-malls with cheap fashion and every now and then you'll find a gem, a good restaurant hiding in the cracks.

I love my girls! Always a new adventure and a new discovery about a place, a feeling, or just how to live life and make it more enjoyable.

Thanksgiving 2009

I love my family. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. Each and every one of them. I accept them for who they are with their mistakes and imperfections. No matter how old they are because they're my blood and they are reflections of me, because I feel that they don't judge me and I don't judge them. Our love is thicker than water.

I look forward to every family gathering that takes place. All 20+ of my family: cousins, aunts, mom, dad, nephews, nieces, kuya and in-laws. I love how we can get drunk together, now that we're all older. I love how we can talk about life together and where we're at in our lives. I love that I can build with them and watch them grow throughout the years.

These are glimpses of my family. The picture above is my nephew, Robbie, his mom is mexican, and his father is my cousin, Gary. Below, is a video of me and Jacob on the piano. His dad, is my cousin, and his mom is also Mexican. Jacob is an intelligent nephew who I hope is able to go far in life. He caught up so fast on the piano and this is how I ended my Thanksgiving night, with him.