bird on a wire

"I make people happy for a living..."

2011-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

YES, it's about a hot dog stand. BUT the sincerity of the owner the message of the video had me tearing up a little bit.

happy new year!

2011-01-07T16:44:00.001-08:00

just a little inspiration for the new year. if you don't know who the sartorialist is, check him out. it gives a some insight on his creative process.

here's to plenty of inspiration to all of the photographers, graphic designers and people in all the creative fields this new year.

MAD MEN

2010-10-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

after hearing about all the emmy nominations and wins i kind of checked it out ondemand. wasn't totally into it, but i was intrigued. so i was at leia house just a few months ago and she gave me season one and i literally finished it in a day. i got the rest of the season from her and told myself that i should pace it out. so as a reward for myself i would just watch one episode a day. i knew that i was totally hooked when i looked forward to watching an episode with my breakfast. it has to be the costumes, the characters and especially the stories.

with the season finale tonight, i don't know how i'm going to fill my monday mornings when i get that message from itunes saying that i have a new episode to download. i guess i'll have to fill it with old episodes and read the blogs.

here's a video that brian williams' daughter, allison put together with the mad men theme song (by RJD2) and nature boy (by nat king cole). not bad.

F**K YOU!

2010-10-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

yesterday was an awesome day for some star sightings in silverlake. leia and i were hanging out, pashalling around some of the stores in her hood. we stopped by intelligensia to grab a hot beverage. they have these really AMAZING oatmeal cookies filled with buttercream. so GOOD. if you love butter, you'll love these. anyways so you know we were minding our own business when we first see MAE WHITMAN from parenthood and arrested development. THEN WILL McCORMACK who played ethan on brothers and sisters. THEN we see DANNY PUDI from community or maybe you saw him on a verizon commercial butt dailing. THEN we see JESSE TYLER FERGUSON from modern family!

what a day.

we're driving, and we don't see anymore people, but we hear this awesome song called "forget you" by ceelo green. leia tells me that it's actually called "F**K YOU." check it out. kinda makes you want to dance doesn't it?

SUSTAINABILITY

2010-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

it's been some time since i've been at gensler, but this is one project that i worked on while it was there. it's a new cabin type that is going to be used at the boy scouts camp in catalina.

it's made from two shipping containers with a stretched fabric roof. the design has been refined since i last worked on it, but it still gets it's point across, sustainability.

read more about it here.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

SO GOOD SO GOOD!!!

2009-10-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

happy friday everyone!

PSA: H1N1

2009-10-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

this is pretty awesome

washington d.c.

2009-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

here's a cool little series that the washington post put up showing different areas in d.c. great images and it gives a peek into the cool vibe the the city has. click on the image below.

Song of the Day

2009-09-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

just on the side...

2009-09-02T23:45:00.001-07:00

just a little something that i've been working on on the side...

HAPPY FRIDAY!

2009-08-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

maybe you don't watch SYTYCD, but Jeanine Mason won the title of AMERICA'S FAVORITE DANCER. she was recently on Regis and Kelly, but Ashton Kutcher was co-hosting.

you got kelly and jeanine, how could you go wrong? happy friday!!

i <3 architecture

2009-08-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

this is a short film about one of the projects at SPF:a (Studio Pali Fekete Architects), an architecture firm in culver city that i used to intern for. the ideas of having music bridge people together and having the building become an experience are not new, but it's so interesting to see how designers and architects interpret that idea.

i am to say the least, inspired...

Sequencer from Studio Pali Fekete Architects on Vimeo.

i think we've got a WEINER!!!

2009-08-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

it's a late night, probably b/c mando and jackie came over to the house and we ate at paco's with the parentals at like 10pm. i've been catching up with late night with jimmy fallon (specifically 7th floor west) and stumbled upon this. ENJOY! especially leia!!!

love hurts...

2009-08-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

incubus on jimmy fallon!

happy friday everyone!

2009-07-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

not sure where lester got this from, but he gave it to cile and she passed it on to me and it really just made my day! here's to a great weekend!

TOP CHEF MASTERS

2009-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

just in case you missed it here's this weeks episode, with who else than... NPH, and they're at the magic castle. to top it all off, the other diners include David Burtka (a lucky bastard), and Ed Alonzo ("Maxx" the chef from The Maxx in Saved by the Bell). pretty awesome!

fast forward to 25:00 to dine with NPH, David, Ed and the rest of the guests and judges.

btw, is it me or does chef mark peel sound like kevin spacey? you decide...

BEERGARDEN BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT!!!

2009-07-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

what do you get when you put four july babies, all their friends, feed them sausages and beer and have them dress up in german outfits??

THE BEST 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND EVER!!!!

this past weekend gwen, kay, joe and i celebrated at the MINERVA BEERGARDEN. the whole backyard was decked out with canopies, long table, tents, german decor and of course sausages and beer!!! and to make it complete, we all dressed up in german outfits!!!

here's a video that gwennie put together to highlight the events of the day.

BEERFEST09 from gwen78 on Vimeo.

enjoy!

PLINKO!!!

2009-07-02T23:47:00.001-07:00

this is pretty awesome. plinko was definitely one of my favorite games on the price is right, but they barely played it! now you can all you want!

Fish

2009-06-26T00:42:00.001-07:00

just something relaxing to do...

just in case you missed it

2009-06-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

the tonys were about a week ago, but it was really an amazing show. and it was only made better by the one, the only NPH.

here are just a few clips from the night.

The Opening Number:

NPH's Closing Number:

Next To Normal:

when Next To Normal comes to town, who's down to go? it's an amazing show, especially touching issues about family, mental illness, discovering yourself.

pokeman

2009-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

i just discovered this thing called igoogle and it's like a personalized homepage for my google account. the cool thing is that it shows you your emials and other things like the weather and stuff but you can also add things like youtube and translators. anyways so i added this thing called weird news and it showed me this! super crazy!

it's called a pygmy jerboa.

TOP TEN...

2009-06-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

SIGNS YOU'VE HIRED A BAD TONY AWARDS SHOW HOST

presented by

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS

make sure to check him out as the host of the
TONY AWARDS
tonight JUNE 7, 2009 @ 8pm et/pt
on CBS

magic happens when i'm with pat...

2009-06-05T14:21:00.001-07:00

so pat calls me up this morning and goes "you want to go to a coffee shop today?" and i'm like "sure" not knowing what's in store for me.

anyways so we walk to ROYAL/T to check out the vibe and grab something to nibble and who do we see sitting there, probably talking to some important music people, none only than this seasons runner up from american idol:

ADAM LAMBERT
(who funnily enough was wearing this jacket, i guess it is his) he's a lot taller probably about 6'2" and thinner than i thought. he was wearing make up but i was too star struck (i know, kind of lame, but my jaw dropped when i saw tori spelling at the mall when i was in high school) to really notice. and i did oogle for a quick second, maybe two...

and to top that off:

Daniel Franzese (the "TOO GAY TO FUNCTION" guy from Mean Girls)

MAGIC DOES HAPPEN WHEN I'M WITH PAT!

IHO Jay Leno

2009-05-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

with it being jay leno's last night as host of the tonight show, i thought that it would be fitting to put this on, the best of ross the intern. there is something endearing about this guy. enjoy!

need inspiration?

2009-05-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

check this out. Ross Ching is this time lapse/video artist that i stumbled upon.

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

pretty awesome! if you feel daring this weekend, he give you tips on how to do this yourself...

The Making of Eclectic 2.0 from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

have fun!

Chicago...

2009-05-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

This song was featured in one of my favorite episodes of "sex and the city," when carrie started seeing her high school sweetheart played by david duchovny. It also kind of reminds me of being little and sitting in the back of my dad's cordoba with mando, adrian, alvin and larnie all smooshed in the back. (sigh)

TOXIC!

2009-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Interesting article about personalities. Did your personality make the top 8?

8 Toxic Personalities to Avoid

by Brett Blumenthal

Although we like to think that the people in our lives are well-adjusted, happy, healthy minded individuals, we sometimes realize that it just isn't so. Personally, I've had moments where I'll be skipping through my day, happy as can be, thinking life is grand and BAM, I'll be blindsided by someone who manages to knock the happy wind out of my sails. Sometimes it is easy to write it off and other times, not so much.

Maybe you are a positive person, but when you are around a certain individual, you feel negative. Or, maybe you have an idealistic view of the world and when you are with certain people, you are made to feel silly, unrealistic or delusional. Or, maybe you pride yourself in being completely independent and in control of your life, but when you are around a certain family member, you regress into a state of childhood.

Some of these situations, and yes, these people, can have a tremendously negative impact on our lives. And, although we are all human and have our 'issues,' some 'issues' are quite frankly, toxic. They are toxic to our happiness. They are toxic to our mental outlook. They are toxic to our self-esteem. And they are toxic to our lives. They can suck the life out of us and even shorten our lifespan.

Here are the worst of the toxic personalities out there and how to spot them:

1. Manipulative Mary: These individuals are experts at manipulation tactics. Is a matter of fact, you may not even realize you have been manipulated until it is too late. These individuals figure out what your 'buttons' are, and push them to get what they want.

Why they are toxic: These people have a way of eating away at your belief system and self-esteem. They find ways to make you do things that you don't necessarily want to do and before you know it, you lose your sense of identity, your personal priorities and your ability to see the reality of the situation. The world all of a sudden becomes centered around their needs and their priorities.

2. Narcissistic Nancy: These people have an extreme sense of self-importance and believe that the world revolves around them. They are often not as sly as the Manipulative Marys of the world, but instead, tend to be a bit overt about getting their needs met. You often want to say to them "It isn't always about you."

Why they are toxic: They are solely focused on their needs, leaving your needs in the dust. You are left disappointed and unfulfilled. Further, they zap your energy by getting you to focus so much on them, that you have nothing left for yourself.

3. Debbie Downers: These people can't appreciate the positive in life. If you tell them that it is a beautiful day, they will tell you about the impending dreary forecast. If you tell them you aced a mid-term, they'll tell you about how difficult the final is going to be.

Why they are toxic: They take the joy out of everything. Your rosy outlook on life continues to get squashed with negativity. Before you know it, their negativity consumes you and you start looking at things with gray colored glasses yourself.

4. Judgmental Jims: When you see things as cute and quirky, they see things as strange and unattractive. If you find people's unique perspectives refreshing, they find them 'wrong'. If you like someone's eclectic taste, they find it 'disturbing' or 'bad'.

Why they are toxic: Judgmental people are much like Debbie Downers. In a world where freedom rings, judgment is sooo over. If the world was a homogeneous place, life would be pretty boring. Spending a lot of time with these types can inadvertently convert you into a judgmental person as well.

5. Dream Killing Keiths: Every time you have an idea, these people tell you why you can't do it. As you achieve, they try to pull you down. As you dream, they are the first to tell you it is impossible.

Why they are toxic: These people are stuck in what is instead of what could be. Further, these individuals eat away at your self-esteem and your belief in yourself. Progress and change can only occur from doing new things and innovating, dreaming the impossible and reaching for the stars.

6. Insincere Illissas: You never quite feel that these people are being sincere. You tell a funny story, they give you a polite laugh. You feel depressed and sad and they give you a 'there, there' type response. You tell them you are excited about something and you get a very ho-hum response.

Why they are toxic: People who aren't sincere or genuine build relationships on superficial criteria. This breeds shallow, meaningless relationships. When you are really in need of a friend, they won't be there. When you really need constructive criticism, they would rather tell you that you are great the way you are. When you need support, they would rather see you fail or make a fool of yourself.

7. Disrespectful Dannys: These people will say or do things at the most inappropriate times and in the most inappropriate ways. In essence, they are more subtle, grown up bullies. Maybe this person is a friend who you confided in and uses your secret against you. Maybe it is a family member who puts their busy-body nose into your affairs when it is none of their business. Or maybe, it is a colleague who says demeaning things to you.

Why they are toxic: These people have no sense of boundaries and don't respect your feelings or, for that matter, your privacy. These people will cause you to feel frustrated and disrespected.

8. Never Enough Nellies: You can never give enough to these people to make them happy. They take you for granted and have unrealistic expectations of you. They find ways to continually fault you and never take responsibility for anything themselves.

Why they are toxic: You will spend so much time trying to please them, that you will end up losing yourself in the process. They will require all of your time and energy, leaving you worn out and your own needs sacrificed.

All of these personalities have several things in common. 1) the more these people get away with their behavior, the more they will continue. 2) Unfortunately, most of these people don't see that what they do is wrong and as a result, talking to them about it will fall on deaf ears, leaving you wondering if you are the crazy one. 3) Most of these people get worse with age, making their impact on you stronger with time.

Frankly, life is too short to spend your time dealing with toxicity. If you can, avoid spending mucho time with people who are indicative of these behaviors and you'll feel a lot happier. Have you encountered these personalities? What have you done? Any personalities you would add?

LETTERS: The UNIVERSE to ANDREW

2009-05-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 19, 2009, 1:14pm

DEAR ANDY-POO,

Hope you got my messages, that's what happens when you're acting "TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL." I'm always glad to put you in your place!

Hope you're having a better day!

The UNIVERSE

p.s. BTW, did you get my second message to you today?

----

Tuesday May 19, 2009, 6:23 pm

DEAR UNIVERSE,

Thank you so much telling me that i've been acting "TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL." yesterday when I got my first moving violation and I started hyperventilating, I thought, this must be the universe telling me something. Thanks! And today when that bird pooped on my forehead, I knew it was you again. You're a funny guy! I think I know what I'm supposed to do now.

Keep it real, like you always do,

Drew

KIDNEY NOW!

2009-05-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

i've recently become a fan of 30ROCK. the humor, the wit, and the ridiculousness of it really got me.

the season finale was killer! take a look, the ending has some of your musical favorites: Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, Clay Aiken, Sheryl Crow, Adam Levine, Sara Bareilles, The Beastie Boys, and others that you'll definetly notice.

Don't Stop Believin'!!!

2009-05-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

i'm on an acapella kick! check this out, it looks pretty funny. right after the crowning of the next american idol.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

are you out of your VULCAN mind?

2009-05-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

dude i must be b/c i really enjoy the latest installment to the star trek series.

Star Trek cast John Cho, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto and director J.J. Abrams - Filmink (May 2009)

having not watched any star trek before (although i do enjoy some sci-fi like BSG and the final fantasy movies and games) i was pleasantly surprised by the fact that i didn't need to know anything about it. it really gave some good insight into the characters and as to how the relationships between characters were formed.

i have to give it up to j.j. abrams for creating a great film. although i'd have to say that my only disappointment was that keri russell wasn't in it, but it seems like there are going to be many films in the franchise for her to make a cameo or maybe even star in.

crazy in love...

2009-05-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

check these guys out, MASS TRANSIT... they sing acapella and add dance moves to them... pretty awesome...

and a favorite song...

ready to get that BEACH BOD?

2009-05-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

one of my friends from grad school has an aunt who is becoming a spin and yoga instructor for a company called YAS. you've probably seen them if you've driven down abbot kinney in venice or down hyperion avenue in silverlake or even in costa mesa. for the next TWO WEEKS you can attend a yoga, spinning or a yoga/spinning class at any of the three locations for FREE (just as long as you haven't been there before). Just print the image below and take it with you to your local YAS location, you'll fill out some forms and take your class. it's as easy as that!

i just took my first spinning class tonight and i totally KICKED MY ASS!!! i was sweating about 5 minutes into it and ready to throw up by the end... but it was so worth it. i'm going to be feeling in my thighs probably for the next couple of days... but it was really awesome. good, positive and motivating instructors and the whole process was hassel free! it ain't 24 hour fitness!

remember it's only good for the next two weeks! enjoy!

can you imagine...

2009-05-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

what dance we'll all be doing?

NPH as the SHOE FAIRY!!!

2009-05-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

don't you think having NPH around to magically put shoes on your feet would be fun? i'd like it! i think my mom could use the shoes that help you mop!

have a good weekend!

Sesame Street: Neil Patrick Harris as the Shoe Fairy - watch more funny videos

BEWARE OF THE TROLL!

2009-04-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

YOU COULD BE NEXT!!!

MIGHTY HERMAPHRODITE!

2009-04-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

I was having pinkberry today with a friend on olympic and sawtelle, and my jaw dropped and my eyes got huge when i saw the world most famous hermaphrodite:

JAIME LEE CURTIS!!!

this is most likely an urban legend, but let's weigh the "facts" here:

1. her name, "jaime," is neither a male or female name. (hmmmmm....)
2. BOTH of her children are adopted, calling into question her ability to produce children (interesting...)
3. her short, manly hairstyle (sounding very plausible isn't it???)

but honestly none of these "facts" have been proven. they're all gossip and rumors. but don't you find it funny that most rumors are based in truth?! i'll leave it to you to decide. =)

DRESS CODES: How to Look Like a Grow-Up While Biking to Work

2009-04-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Read the NYTimes Article here.

one of my friends from high school facebooked this and i thought it was cool. definitely makes me want to ride a bike to a job. but doesn't this make you think why we don't have more a bike culture in la? there are some fundamental things that are halting a huge bike culture from emerging, namely we love our cars too much and that parts of the city aren't made for biking. why bike when you can get to places faster in your car, and there's parking everywhere? don't get me wrong, i love my car, but i think we're making small strides toward something that is beneficial not only our health but our environment. loft living in revitalized urban areas makes way for the opening of basic necessities (markets, restaurants...) that are within walking/biking distance. to be able to step out your front door, walk or bike to work, and them come home with groceries and the few sundries from the neighborhood market (can't you image the reusable bag filled with some leafy greens and a baguette?) is a dream that is slowly emerging in la, maybe in 15-20 years. also, with farmers markets emerging in cities everywhere, not only do you get access to fresh produce that is grown locally (which puts less carbon emissions into the air from delivery vehicles), they're located in places that are easily accessable to everybody. perfect for taking your bike out (with a basket!) or a walk with somebody. and with the food being so fresh most people only get what they need, so you're not carrying home cardboard boxes of food, only a few reusable bags! to find a local farmers market near you click here.

i'm going to stop while i'm ahead, and bust a lester and step off my soap box and put my two cents in the bucket.

BTW, earth day is coming up, APRIL 22. get more information here.

INSPIRATIONAL

2009-04-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

check this out. i'm sure most of you have seen this, but it's pretty inspirational...

SUSAN BOYLE

CONGRATULATIONS to NPH!

2009-04-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Bravo's A-List ACTOR

YAY!

the perfect day

2009-04-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

yesterday couldn't have been more perfect...

a few weeks ago, i received an email from my favorite band, INCUBUS, saying that their new album MONUMENTS and MELODIES was coming out soon and that they were going on tour. also if i pre-ordered their cd (with 13 hits and 2 new tracks and a bonus disc of b-sides/rarities) you'd get a code for the presale. so no more than a minute later i as on the website ordering the cd and eagerly anticipating the code in my email.

flash forward to sunday april 5, 2009. check my email awaiting the code for the presale. it's not there. i figure, these concert things are usually a little late, so check again later in the afternoon and then in the evening. still no code. i'm worried. did i put the right city venue when i purchased the cd?! what email account did i use?!! (i have three, one which i'm trying to phase out and the others that i use for more "professional" correspondence and a "friend" email) was this whole presale thing some kind of scam that some hacker was using to get my money?!! you could say that i was A LITTLE stressed out. so i decide to email the preorder people and say, calmly an cooly "could you send the presale code, i have not recieved it" but i really wanted to say "GIVE ME THE CODE OR I"LL STARE YOU DOWN WITH MY CRAZY EYES AND EAT YOU!!" that night i didn't go to sleep till about 3am.

april 6, 2009. the day of the presale on the internet. i get up about 9:15, knowing that i have to go to the bank and then head out to downtown to pick up and elmo pinata, elmo balloons, and other party decoration for aiden's second birthday party (can you guess the theme?), have a little cereal and check my email. it was like the clouds parted, angels started singing "ALLELUIA" and a beam of light fell upon me and neil (my computer) and there it was... THE PRESALE CODE!! so i bought the tickets (HOORAY!), sent a copy of them to leia as a precautionary.

so i checked my email again and to my surprise they had sent me another code!!! i was so relieved that i did put the correct venue, i did use the correct email, the whole thing wasn't a scam and the concert people do respond!

but it doesn't end there. later that day i received their new single "black heart inertia," larnie got her new modality dvds (there were like a million dvds that got sent to her) and we finished up a lot of the things for tin and jeff's wedding. AND we had el pollo loco for dinner and then strawberry shortcake ice cream and drumsticks. perfection. =)

Song of the Day

2009-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Song of the Day

2009-04-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

INCUBUS HIGH

2009-04-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

you have to check this out... incubus is just awesome... not only do they write great original songs that you can rock out to or just chill and lay back to, but one of the things that i look forward to in one of their shows is when they cover classics...

here they are with some band members from the police at KROQ's almost acoustic christmas in '04, doing some of your favorite police covers...

singing some lionel richie...

some classic madonna...

and "stand by me"

check out their site also: www.enjoyincubus.com

guilty pleasures...

2009-04-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

reality shows are funny. you can say all whatever you want about them, how the concept of a show is lame, how the people are annoying, but once you start watching them (some of them, not all of them) you get hooked.

i've been watching the millionaire matchmaker, definitely a guilty pleasure amongst other things that i'd rather not say right now, and i can say that i'm definitely caught up on that show. patty, is refreshing, keeping it real with her clients. she told her latest client that his hair was too "bozo," as in the clown. and it really was. thank goodness that he got a haircut, not a great improvement, but better than looking like a bozo.

anyways, so at the beginning of this weeks episode, this guy named robbie love goes into the office. apparently he was an old client. i looked at him and started thinking to myself and then LIGHTBULB! i run into my room and pick up his CD. so you might be wondering why i have his cd... ROBBIE LOVE IS THE BIZZOMB!

yeah right, i got them free from somebody at gensler. she basically had a box full of them b/c she was going to host some sort of premiere party for him. RANDOM!

check it out... the vocal stylings of the ROLLER RAPPER!

FRIENDS

2009-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

i had the tv turned on for background noise and friends came on. i forget how funny that show is. definitely a classic. i caught the episode where monica and chandler get married but forgot about this scene. it really caught me off guard. i was rollin'!

elliiot gould and christina pickles are pretty funny.

here are some more DANCING scenes. fat monica is the best!

headshake eyeroll...

2009-03-24T11:57:00.001-07:00

this girl must have been new, but while i was waiting for my order at titos tacos, and she goes to the cashier and goes:

"IS THERE A VEGETARIAN OPTION?"

(this is where i did the headshake eyeroll)

i should have said (just like ted mosby), "Lame girl, come on..." (she would have looked at me and then i would have said again) "...come on..."

drinking the haterade...

INTRODUCING...

2009-03-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

the newest addition to the BOQUIREN CLAN:

MILES ALEXANDER GALURA BOQUIREN
March 18, 2009
6.3 lbs
19 inches

he's ready to do some dancing just like his grandparents and parents! this is what he looked like on saturday, he was only about 24 hours old, but i'm sure he's going to look very different the next time i see him! and did you see all of that hair?! he's a boquiren (he's got his daddy's hair). and his appetite? he eats a whole meal in 15 minutes... DEFINITELY a boquiren!

The Grandparents and their Grandchildren (Tita Agnes, Mom, Dad and Uncle Tony)

The Boquirens of Las Vegas (Alvin, Aiden, Minette and baby Miles in the foreground)

BROTHERS! can't you just hear Miles calling Aiden "Kuya"? Definitely one of my favorites of the weekend.

Q: On an episode of Punky Brewster...

2009-03-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Linda the "idiot savant", was made fun of for playing what?

A: A spray bottle and a feather duster (and pretending it was a violin).

answered correctly by Mr. James Landas. You're 2 for 2! and the lesson of this? james put it best: "Lesson learned: Don’t judge a book by its cover!"

allen is such a jackass

so what is savant syndrome? according to wikipedia:

Savant syndrome—sometimes abbreviated as savantism—is not a recognized medical diagnosis, but researcher Darold Treffert defines it as a rare condition in which persons with developmental disorders (including autism spectrum disorders) have one or more areas of expertise, ability or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations.^[1] Treffert says the condition can be genetic, but can also be acquired,^[1] and coexists with other developmental disabilities "such as mental retardation or brain injury or disease that occurs before (pre-natal) during (peri-natal) or after birth (post-natal), or even later in childhood or adult life."^[1]

According to Treffert, about half of persons with savant syndrome have autistic disorder, while the other half have another developmental disability, mental retardation, brain injury or disease. He says, "... not all savants are autistic, and not all autistic persons are savants."^[1] Other researchers state that autistic traits and savant skills may be linked,^[2] or have challenged some earlier conclusions about savant syndrome as "hearsay, uncorroborated by independent scrutiny".^[3]

Surf dudes with attitude...

2009-03-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

KIND OF GROOVY!!!

i can remember waking up early on saturdays, after we ate our corned beef with eggs that our dad made, to watch the line up of cheesy, but addicting shows, like saved by the bell and of course, CALIFORNIA DREAMS. i think i was actually the only one to watch these shows. no one else really watched them with me, or if they did they'd want to change it. i guess i really like how they incorporated acting and singing into a show. granted, some of the songs were cheesy, but it was fun.

the saddest part of the show for me was when jenny (heidi noelle lenhart), the older sister left the show to attend a music academy in france, after that most of that family left. the parents, the little brother, and then matt. i guess their story wasn't that interesting. anyways, she was kind of sassy, but she could actually sing. you also might know her from her AU PAIR movies, where she plays a nanny but ends up marrying the father of the kids she's the nanny for. (fyi, b/c i know you all are so into it, AU PAIR 3 premieres on ABC family on march 15, 8pm.)

anyways, speaking of california dreams, i really liked the story line where sly (slyvester winkle) gets together with a blind girl named allison (nikki cox, pre-boob job). they were trying to show how such a self invovled guy could actually change for someone he really loved. kinda sweet, kinda sappy, but very good for teenage drama. but here's the kicker: they met chatting ONLINE! this show was so ahead of its time!

here's a clip:

speaking of nikki cox, i was at church and saw her and jay mohr (from gary unmarried). they left after communion. i guess they didn't want the rush of fans bombarding them after mass.

anyways, california dreams comes out on dvd this month! EXCITING!!!

what are you doing this weekend?!

2009-03-06T09:33:00.001-08:00

well atleast for a couple of hours. here's a fun little activity to do at home, or at work, or before going to a costume party, or even before going out to complete your ensemble...

MINI MOUSTACHES'

here's what you'll need:

- #6 plastic (look for it at the bottom of your favorite thai food place to-go containers (hint hint: thai thai bbq) or a ralph's muffin plastic container)
-sand paper (grit doesn't really matter, you'll just need to rough up the surface)
-colored pencils, permanent markers
-hole puncher
-string
-scissors
-a blow dryer, or an over (set not more than 200 degree, higher temperature is better, just make sure you don't burn down your house), or a heat gun

or just watch this video:

have a great weekend!

anyone want to do a mini moustache photo shoot?! i think all we need now is aloha shirts, OP cord shorts, and a red ferrari...

random fact #3: Crazy Robertson

2009-02-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

this was a pretty amazing week for me... star sightingwise, well i'll call it starsighting. it's funny, if you keep your eyes open here you can see a whole bunch of celebrities/people who you see on tv/models.

so i'm at the gym heading out and who do i see walking in... and i see this model that's in all of these print ad for macy's and stuff. i guess it would be nice that i showed a picture, but i couldn't find a picture of him. and on ash wednesday i see brigette monahan at st. monica's. crazy!

but i think the sighting that caught me off guard was this:

i'm sure you've seen him dancing along robertson blvd. between third and doheny. John Jermyn, or more popularly called "Crazy Robertson," suffers from a form of schizophrenia and refuses to take medicine according to his sister. He grew up in Hancock Park, went to school at Pepperdine, and had a promising career in baseball. He had a short stint playing for the LA Dodgers. you can read more about him here.

the thing that caught me off guard was that i hadn't seen him in a long time and then there he was, popping and locking infront of a storefront window on robertson. i thought that something might have happened to him.

just for shits and giggles...

2009-02-20T16:04:00.000-08:00

i was im'ing with cile today talking, talking about slumdog which lead to design. i was commenting on how i really liked the new advertising for ritz, how bauhaus it is. it's the colors and the way that the ritz box is drawn.

and then it just got silly...

click here for some fun with RITZ!
there are some pretty fun games on here

so i'm in santa monica...

2009-02-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

on 3rd street, heading towards banana republic and all of a sudden i see the one, the only... LARRY DAVID. he was there with the curb your enthusiasm crew filming an episode. apparently they closed BR until about 3pm today to do some filming. i should have gone and asked for a picture, but i was all grubby, so i didn't. he looked surprisingly better in real person than he does on tv, but it could have been the makeup. anyways so i started thinking about all of my favorite episodes.

this one reminded me of the car ride up to mammoth when lester, cile, leia, fantone and we started talking about our "favorite" family on TLC, the Duggars (BOOO!). Read cile's post on Feb 9th to get the story.

and this one is just funny... one word... TOURETTES (my apolgies if you have it).

random fact #2: DOUGHBOYS

2009-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Doughboy is an outdated slang term for a United States Army infantryman, best known from its use in World War I, although it dates back to the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. (wikipedia)

The word has many different orgins, ranging from the food that these infantry men ate (fried dumplings which were possibly a precursor to our present day doughnuts) to the color of their clothing after being in the trenches.

But when I think of Doughboys, I always think of that place on 3rd Street, where I saw "L.C." when she was making the transition into being called "Lauren," that morning in December 2005. Unfortunately that location has closed, due to illegal zoning and complaints, and so has their new location on Highland Ave. You can read the story here.

Aside from thinking of that morning that gives me good nice memories about Doughboys, it was also the RED VELVET CAKE. It was probably where I had my first taste and where I fell in love with it, every moist, flavorful bite with a thick helping of cream cheese frosting.

The good news is that they are still selling it, maybe not the small little cakes that can satisfy an urge, but it's still around in 8" round, and 1/4, 1/2, and full sheets!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

just for fun

2009-02-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

random fact #1: SCOOTER

2009-02-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

I was watching HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER last week, specifically the episode called "Something Borrowed," where Marshall and Lily have the not-so-perfect wedding, and the credits where rolling and then i see this name:

DAVID BURTKA as "Scooter"

i think to myself, why does that sound so familiar and then a split second later, LIGHTBULB! he's the boyfriend/partner of NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (aka Barney Stinson).

so here's the lowdown:
-NPH (dob: 6.15.73) and David (dob: 5.29.75) have been together since 2004.
-David has twins, through a surrogate, with his old boyfriend.
-According to Out Magazine interview (http://out.com/detail.asp?page=1&id=24000) Neil thinks that Anderson Cooper is "dreamy" (come on... who doesn't?!)
-David play "Scooter" in two HIMYM episodes "Best Prom Ever" (season 1) and "Something Borrowed" (season 2)

so sad...

2009-02-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

the past two weeks have been tough, especially since my little 15" powerbook g4 (and funnily enough i haven't named, but let's call him... NEIL), which has gone with me to japan, europe, and to the east coast, seems to be slowly, dare i say it... the opposite of living.

he's shutting down randomly and can't handle multiple applications like he used to. granted he is almost 4 years old, which is pretty good in laptop years, and his battery only gave me about 10 minutes of battery life, but i've taken pretty good care of him. i've never dropped him (knock on wood) always kept him in his case when traveling, never put him in extreme temperatures, and if i did it was only for a few minutes. the few visits that we've had to the genius bar haven't been horrible, but hopefully he'll be able to make it till i finish my portfolio and then some after that...

but the upside is that i could get a new one, to help ease the pain of not seeing his big 15" screen.

i'm pulling for you NEIL!

WORST COOCHIE?

2008-12-19T14:44:00.001-08:00

right?! looks like it right?! but it's actually this amazing sausage place over in downtown la, right down the street from SCIARC, my old school.

i would definitely recommend it, especially to leia! they have all of these exotic sausages there. buffalo, rabbit, alligator and rattlesnake. i kind of kept it safe b/c i'm not sure how my stomach would react to it, but i had this mango jalapeno sausage. the sweet and spicy taste just hit the spot.

but it didn't stop there. their fries were great. served up belgium style with flavored mayo on the side.

they have an amazing beer selection. this was an apple ale that was basically apple juice. it was serioulsy delicious...

check it out:

http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/index.html

guess who's going to have a beergarten birthday party in 2009!

hey look!

2008-11-02T09:35:00.001-08:00

I FOUND YOUR BOYFRIEND!

i'm not the fashion police or anything, but isn't this just ridiculous and absurd!? i guess it just points out the fact that everyone has lapses in judgement.

ANDREW!

2008-11-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

In spite of all of the crap that's been going on there's one person that knows how to cheer me up, even if he doesn't really know it...

you guessed it... MR. AIDEN RILEY BOQUIREN

the other day we were talking to alvin, minette and aiden showing us his great skills of repeating. he can say all of the normal stuff like "bob" (his little red dog) "baby" (and he'll point to where his new little brother or sister is) "ba-ba" (his milk), and some other stuff too. BUT the best word that he said was "ANDREW!" and it came out so naturally. this boy is going to be super smart!

now if i can only make him say UNCLE ANDREW, then we'll be set...

ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE NPH

2008-07-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

check it out...

http://www.drhorrible.com/

Straight Up (Acoustic)

2008-04-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

for all you paula abdul fans, here's a little acoustic tribute to her...

this guy totally rocks out...

kawawa naman!

2008-01-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

here's my mom and aiden giving their best kawawa face... it's like they need flies on their faces and woman asking for donations to feed them...

merry chirstmas!

better late then never!

2008-01-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

so it's been seriously forever since i've actually written something. i've been wanting to write something but things get in the way, work, going out, watching movies, you're too tired, the list goes on and on but i'm trying to.

anyways so at work i'm helping out on this project called camp emerald bay. it's boy scouts camp over on the northwestern tip of catalina island where boy scouts can earn merit badges and gain skill sets to help them survive and make themselves better people. we're doing a masterplan for them (basically laying out the camp's future, building wise, for the next 25 years) but also designing some pretty cool new camper cabins created from shipping containers and tensile fabrics and a dining pavilion. i would show pictures of those things, but i think it might be some sort of copyright infringement or something or i could get in trouble at work, but anyways, so i'm working on this thing and we get the opportunity to actually see the site and spend time there documenting.

anyways the trip was pretty awesome, we saw dophins race by the boat, i almost threw up, had to take a little motor boat to the camp that had a slow leak in it so a guy was pumping out water while we got to the dock, i canoed, saw sea lions or seals, went hiking, and all of this was funded by the boy scouts! all of our meals, transportation to and from the island and lodging were included. the funny thing was that the reason they a boat was going to the camp was to help close it for the season and i got to go there and just have a good time. this was definately one of the perks of my job, site visits!!!

so this is us packing our stuff on the little boat that had a leak...

late night on youtube

2007-10-18T00:21:00.001-07:00

so i'm staying up late for no reason... maybe b/c i've got a GOOGLE EARTH PRO training tomorrow. i have trouble using that program, i'd like to be better at it. but work is paying for it so it's kind of cool. apparently there are secrets that everyone can use especially architects...

but i started to go on youtube to look up stuff on the "the hills." i know i bet some of you are going "oh geez, you watch that show?!" or some of you are going "oh my gosh, spencer and heidi are so annoying, they deserve each other!" or maybe even "chrisss... chrisssy... tiff..." but i like the show. i guess i would call it, as leia would say, "my guilty pleasure."

anyways so i was looking up that stuff and then i found this guy and he's not half bad. and the song is really good too.

alright time for bed...

on your marks...

2007-09-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

matthew racing tita larnie

get set....GOOO!!!

it's official. my blog has turned into the baby blog...

YAY!

ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!

2007-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

DUM DUM DUM!!!!

aiden riley doing his best Dr. Evil impersonation.

oh madre...

2007-09-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago my mom got a position at work and along with the new job she got a new pager from work. i know, a pager? how 1995... but it's one of the fancy kind that sends you data messages, like the weather and sports scores and stuff like that. i don't think that VA is going to cover that but anyways...

so i ask her:

andrew: do you know to use your new pager?
mom: no
a: did it come with an instruction manual?
m: no, but it says on this sheet that you can get in on the WWW
a: (scratching my head and thinking:what the heck is the WWW?) you mean the internet?

oh mom... she's too funny

that's mom and dad on the canals in venice, california, not italy here's a fun architectural fact: venice was originally called Ocean Park and concieved as a beach resort by tabacco billionaire Abbot Kinney. And it's famous canals were modeled after those in venice italy.

Happy Baptism Aiden!

2007-07-02T22:42:00.001-07:00

i can't believe how much he's grown! since i last saw him he's put on 5 lbs and grew 3 inches!!! and seriously each day he gets cuter and cuter!!!

well this weekend i was fortunate enough to take part in aiden's baptism. as his godparent i'm supposed to be one of his spiritual guides, so he can grow in his faith. definately a big undertaking, but i think i'm ready.

The happy Boquiren Family

happy birthday steve...

2007-05-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

here are some images from your birthday party... hope all of your birthday wishes came true...

<3 andrew

steve and andrew...looks like we're listening to some kind of serious toast...

hanging with meredith, andrea, and tyson from all-american rejects
(j/k, just a guest! but it kind of looks like him if you just glance a little bit)

the boys, andrew, jason, steve and trevor

what's a party without manders!

andrew and katie (you did a great job katie!)

one of my favorite pictures from that night...

today is your day to shine!

2007-05-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

lol...congrats larnie on getting hired at crossroads as a new physical education teacher and an athletic trainer for the sports program. maybe we can carpool to work... yay new roommate!

don't forget to make your bed...

chillin' with matthew...

2007-05-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

just this past weekend, i finally saw matthew and to my surprise he got a haircut! he's just too cute. i have a feeling that when aiden and matthew start playing, matthew's got to be delicate with aiden b/c aiden is so delicate, matthew might trample him!

playing with uncle mando's remote control monster truck...

with auntie larnie...

being carried by uncle andrew (it doesn't look so comfortable for matthew, but i'm trying!)

speaking of poopy diapers...

2007-05-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

speaking of babies and poopy diapers, i was at church the other day, saying "hi" to god, as cecile would put it, and taking in the environment. admiring the decorations, these pastel colored drapes from easter, and all of the pretty people that go there, enjoying the music, and kind of not listening to the sermon. and of course taking in the smell of the church. so i took in a deep and i was like... dude... it smells like a poopy diaper...

and you're probably thinking, there was probably a baby in close to me, but there wasn't, only adults. there was a baby like down the way, but it was so far away that i couldn't have been him.

so while i was kneeling in the pews i took anther whiff and i found out it was the lady in front of me... and older woman with her daughter... maybe she was wearing a diaper...

Introducing...

2007-05-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

AIDEN RILEY BOQUIREN

Sunday April 22, 2007
at 8:27 am
5 lbs 9oz, 18 in.

those of you who are wondering i did hold him and it as really... MAGICAL! j/k. but it was really cool to hold my new nephew. i didn't do it till an hour before i was headed to the airport, b/c he's so small! i was kind of scared that i was going to break him or something. i don't thing i even held hayden till he was like 10 lbs. or if i did i was sitting down on a couch and jean was like a foot away from me.

for the looks of him, i think he's definitely got more of the galura genes than boquiren, but i'm sure in a few more months he's going to start looking like a boquiren. while i was in vegas visiting, i could have sworn that he started looking more and more like my brother. maybe it's in his small expressions, but he's starting to look like his daddy.

having a new nephew is pretty exciting, all of his aunts and uncles get to teach him so many new things! i mean i can't wait to teach him now to play basketball, so we can do drills and hoop it up with uncle mando, and auntie larnie and auntie jen. and we'll talk about the celtics and the rivalry between larry bird and magic, it's going to be so much fun! lol. i guess i can teach him the importance of taking care of his skin and where to go in l.a. if he wants to go eat someplace kind of cool. i'll figure it out.

here are some pic of alvin and minette's new bundle of joy:

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762399910311&amp;amp;amp;pid=&wtok=YJM97UM0RamdC3knDmu7mw--&ts=1177904235&.src=ph

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762400614969&pid=&wtok=i_MJSke5SjpVRs6w0IHBNw--&ts=1178478698&.src=ph

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762402071695&amp;amp;amp;pid=&wtok=Ny9Po71nfEDuWaCQhXjPMg--&ts=1179624880&.src=ph

Aiden and his Uncle Andrew

Come and Support!

2007-02-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

i know i've been back for a while now, and i'll finishing showing pictures at a future date, but here's something that's coming up THIS WEEKEND!

Come support the talents and efforts of PATRICK BALLESTEROS and friends (Ja Tecson, James Landas and Andrew Boquiren) as they exhibit their art and photography at the KUTTING ROOM in Santa Monica....

therme vals

2007-01-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

so what did i do with steve and his mom? just got one of the bests spas in switzerland! what else? it's actually a very beautiful place. Therme Vals (http://www.therme-vals.ch/?__locale=en) was revamped up by Peter Zumthor, a native of switzerland. he does amazing things with simple materials like wood, concrete, glass and metal. you can see how he plays with light in this building too. it was so serene to walk in the building.

and don't me started on our seven course meals,

the views from our rooms,

the rooms,

the beds and the chopard toiletries,

the chocolates made fresh daily that were placed in a silver bowl,

and the terry cloth robes...

it was really an amazing time. and to be able to share it with special people made it even better.

zurich

2007-01-08T22:52:00.000-08:00

scheduling at sci-arc has always been, how do i put this, fluid. sometimes things happen, sometimes they don't, sometimes there are a million things happening at one time. the whole studio was supposed to go to therme vals on tuesday and that's where i was supposed to meet up with steve and his mom, but when that field trip got canceled i decided to get to zurich, where steve and steve's mom,marie, were at, a day early. steve was going to get in that evening, i was going to get there in the afternoon, but marie had arrived early that morning. so i thought, since i'm here and marie's here we should hang out and get to know each other a little bit better.

so while i was trying to enjoy the view, i was on my cell phone trying to call marie. it was seriously a race against time. i didn't know how long these views would last before we would enter a tunnel and i would lose all connection. so i got to know the staff at the golden arch hotel (which sounds like a mcdonalds, b/c there was a mcdonalds attached to it) prettty prettty prettty well. i called atleast 10 times asking to be transfered to marie's room.

anyways to make a long story short, we met up at around 2pm, walked around zurich, which i would still like to explore, had tea, shared some chocolates, and exchanged stories. she's a pretty amazing woman. 4 kids, 5 grandkids, she's got a master's degree in public health and she's traveled the world. i have to say that i was kind of nervous to hang out the whole day with her, but it turned out to be a pretty cool day and i'm glad we got that time.

later that evening we met steve at the zurich hauptbahnhof... and this was just the beginning of my adventures with steve and marie...

2007-01-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

it's been a while since i've actually posted, this thiing called school got in the way... j/k. but it got busy... these are just a few images from the tuscan countryside of siena... it really was beautiful.

i kinda miss it now...

a famous town bath, you're not allowed to go in b/c you'd probably get something nasty...

a monkey grinder!!! this town, has the best gelato ever! grapefruit champagne... YUM!!

scootin' in siena!

scooter posse

the duomo in siena. one of the most beautiful that i've seen. it was just so different from all the other ones that i've been in.

here's the group minus jonathan. we think he was below us roaming the piazza below. not totally sure why he wasn't there... you all know who i am, but from left to right is leili, ross, kari, steph, jody, lisa and yoolee

yoolee is the best model ever. it just comes naturally to her...

surprising outburst

2006-11-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

it's one of our last days in florence and going to the batisteri is a definate must see. we go inside to rest our feet after another long day of sight seeing and kari, yoolee, lisa and i are all enjoying the gold leafed walled and intricate frescoes when all of a sudden...

someone totally cut the cheese!!!

GEEZ!!! have some respect!!! it's the house of god!

so we looked around for the culprit and spotted a lady covering her face and nodding her head in disappointment at the man next to her who sat with his arms crossed and a slight smile.

there was nothing else we could do but laugh...

a pretty amazing experience

2006-11-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

i got a chance to explore the city by myself. it was nice to get away from everybody. you know get some andrew time and not have to worry about people needing to go to the bathroom or not wanting to go to a certain place b/c they're too tired or whatever. you know what i'm talking about... anyways...

it was late afternoon and i headed to one of the highest hills in florence. i got hot from climbing stairs, dodging cars and scooters, and when i got to the top i found out there was more to climb. there was this church at the top of the hill...

it was very unassuming. not as fancy as the duomo, but still nice. i went inside the dark church and heard the most amazing sound... monk chanting. it was like dream. as i made my way down to where they were i realized that i had stumbled upon a mass. and the thing that i didn't realize til i left was that it was being conducted in latin! it was strange, they conducted mass behind this fence. it didn't really make sense to me. i guess we were in the small chapel of the church.

i felt refreshed. it was nice. so i got outside and got this view...

another beautiful tuscan sunset...

the best steak EVER!!!

2006-11-01T14:01:00.001-08:00

this was seriously the best steak ever! the guy come down and showed us the 1.5 kilo (3.3 lbs) steak and then cooked perfectly... brown on the outside with the grill marks, seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper and i know this sounds gross and i don't even usually eat steak this way, but it was totally BLOODY!! YUMM!!! it was totally good...

so if you're ever in florence stop by osteria de benci. it's right on via de' benci. pretty close to some pretty cool bars and a mexican restaurant... (btw, the mexican food, really isn't mexican food. i ate there and it was alright. it doesn't really compare with the mexican food back in la, but a good effort. it certainly hit a spot)

Via De' Benci, 13/R
Florence, Italy
055 2344923

Florence

2006-11-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

after having traveled norther italy, we finally stepped into the city where the renaissance began... FLORENCE... i had visions that it was going to be this amazing place filled with art, culture and endless amounts of "great" architecture...

i was traveling with the people in my studio, and with the way things were going this trip was going to be a stressful one. we got lost in the morning. there was an unusal fog floating around the autostrade which made for difficult navigation. but lucky for me, i don't drive stick and i didn't have to navigate so i slept in the back, waking up to take a bathroom break or listen to someone's ipod trying to learn italian. btw, i'm not to sure about the berlitz method or brand, i didn't learn too much from them. plus they're a little bit difficult to follow.

anyways we get to florence and the hotel is nowhere to be found. florence has an interesting address system. certain colors stand for a private residence and businesses, but you can also have the same number on the same streets too. odd. so finally we just park, a few of us go search for the place. we find out that the hotel is actually located in this office tower on the fourth floor, next to an attorney's office and some other random things.

the area we were staying in was kind of shady, but alright. it's a good thing that we were in a group and that usually means that no one walks alone. which is good, so people can watch your backs especially around the gypsies around the area.

here are just a few of the images from florence...

the view of the florence duomo. gruesome and grotesque, but pretty amazing...

lisa and i at the top of the duomo with the city as the back drop...

view of the uffizzi and the tuscan hillsides...

Monte Generoso!!!

2006-11-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

while being in europe is a highly academic experience (seriously!) sometimes you just need to get away and go outside, especially when the weather is so good outside your window. since we were still on a traveling kick since munich and doing things on the fly, a few of us decided that we would go to the top of monte generoso for shits and giggles.

me, lisa, kari and john on the summit of monte generoso

taking a look at vico morcote from the top of monte generoso

all roads lead to: GREAT VIEWS!

you can't tell right now but the von trapp kids are on top of this hill...

another place for amazing views, and of course animals!!! what is it with me, foreign countries and animals?

this one is for you steve!

dachau

2006-10-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

here are a few images from dachau. the camp that other concentration camps were modeled after...

http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/englisch/content/

MUNCHEN (munich)

2006-10-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

"PROST!"

our instructor was back in the states this last week, which meant "WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY, THE MICE WILL PLAY!" we weren't that bad, but kari, lisa and i ended up going to MUNCHEN (Munich, Germany) for the last day of oktoberfest.

apparently according to my german resource, who told me on the 1st of october (thanks steve! =)) that oktoberfest is actually from mid-SEPTEMBER to early OCTOBER. so Oktoberfest is some what of a misnomer. this year it was extended a couple of days b/c there was a german holiday, so good thing for us!

our little beamer... now he's all thrashed up...

so we took the beamer and made our way to munich. and like any trip with me, we got lost. it was raining and super foggy but after we crossed the border into germany there were clear skys. germany is really an amazing place, granted we only went to munich, but everyone was really friendly and helpful. after a couple of hours on the road we were itching to just rest up a little bit and head out to oktoberfest.

ummmm....BRATWURST!!

we were supposed to head out to the castle that was the inspiration for the disneyland castle, but that was a no go since our little detours started adding up and we were probably about 2 hours behind schedule. we got a hotel that was probably in the gayest part of munich, which was totally cool. i guess the two guys that where linked arm in arm made sense.

our beer wench

anyways so we head out to oktoberfest and right when we step out, there is torrential rain! it was so crazy but we didn't let the downpour stop us from getting to the beer and sausage! dude we were so hungry that that's all we could think about. FOOD!

too drunk to care...

to get there we took the subway to kind of stay dry. it was the most amazing thing though. being stuck in the tiny resort town of vico morcote i felt to isolated from everything. like i couldn't get out. we're stuck in this place were no one can really visit us, but anyways we i got down into the subway station and suddenly i felt to connected to the world again. and as lame as this is going to sound i felt alive. maybe it was the rush of the crowd, the sound of the subway zipping by, the sounds of cars, street lights, civilization, my heart was racing... i think we were talking about this in film class but it was a really strange, but exciting feeling...

party!!!

anyways to make a long story short... we had some pretty good beer, paulaner (it's made in munich) had some amazing rotisserre chicken (crispy on the outside, with a blend of nine herbs and spices on the inside... the colonel had nothing on this chicken!) and met some new friends. birgit, uli, bastien and a whole slew of others that i don't remember b/c, well... we were drunk from the 2 liters of beer that we drank individually!

PROST!!! not sure what number beer this is...

i'd have to say that germany is a place that i would definately go back to, wonderful people, pretty good food, and some amazing sights...

one thing the swiss are really GREAT at...

2006-10-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E!!!

maybe i'm a hopeless romantic...

2006-09-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

while we were in verona sitting on some church steps just people watching a couple of us started playing "GUESS WHO'S AN AMERICAN." people passed by and soley based on their outward appearance we decided if they were americans or europeans, and sometimes we just made up stories for them. most european have pretty good style, suits with caramel colored shoes, dresses with high heels, basically just really put together. most of the americans were tourists and were pretty easy to spot, but i've got to give credit to some of them b/c they really stepped up and were dressed impeccably.

after really getting into it, we spotted the couple above. they were strolling down the street, in their sunday best, holding hands (the right way, interlocking, not hands clasped together) just enjoying the late afternoon. it seemed like their weekly routine, but they never got bored of doing it b/c they loved the city, and it was a way for them to remember how they met, and how they fell in love, raised their children and built and amzing life for themselves. like they came full circle.

but looking at them reminds me of one of my favorite movies, notting hill, when william and anna sneak into the private gardens and they see the park benches with inscriptions on them. anna says:

""For June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her." Some people do spend their whole lives together. "

as lame and sappy as that sounds, sometimes it is true...

attack of the BIRDS!!!

2006-09-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

after tiring day of drawing and hiking, we awoke to the soft sounds of rain tapping on the rooftop of the villa. sitting down at the breakfast table with my toast and orange juice, it felt really relaxed. it could have been that i wasn't fully awake yet but life up here seems to go at a slower pace.

so after the group headed up to the studio to pin up our drawings, but something caught our eyes before we could pin up... BIRDS!!!

they were flying through the rain, like a dark cloud, changing shape and then heading towards our windows!!! so what else did we do but take out our cameras and start taking pictures. something like this would never happen in la. it was pretty amazing...

one of our studiomates was telling us to close the windows b/c if one of the birds got into the house, that it is bad luck. and the only way to reverse it was to have another bird into the house. so has anyone heard of that before. it's new to me!

it did feel like the Hitchcock film "birds" but it was just too amazing...

goodluck? badluck?

2006-09-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

i usually tend to think that when a bird poops on you it's good luck. think about it. this bird could be anywhere, in the air, on the ground, sitting on a wire. and a person could be anywhere, we're very mobile creatures. and bird poop is so small, usually. so what are the chances that a bird's poop and you will meet? pretty, pretty, pretty small (usually). but pigeons are a different story...

i'm not sure if you've noticed, but i really don't like pigeons. i basically think, and i'm sure i'm not alone on this one, that they are RAT with WINGS. so as we are walking in venice we hit up st. mark's square (or plaza san marco). and the place is infested with these winged rodents. they're everywhere.

people holding out crackers and they're jumping all over them. but it looked kinda fun to do. how many times and i going to be in venice and let these little shit monkeys on me? probably never. so i decided to face my fears and walk amongst them...

f' it, i don't want to be that lucky. luck happens when you least expect it, not when you invite it and let it poop on you jackass...

we're in venezia, give me a drink...

2006-09-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

(aka venice, italy, not california)

alright well i guess this is where my little semester abroad, vacation, whatever you want to call it, gets kind of sad.

so after our dinner in verona with the accordian and violin player, the people who drove in the new fiat ducato van (ross, jody, stephanie, lisa, kari and myself) are joined by john and yoolee to go back to the hostel. so we get back and we see coy,our instructor, with leili and the back door of the bmw is open. coy is sitting in the back door and we're like "what's going on?!" and he's like "the car got broken into."

at this point everyone's jaw is on the cobblestone road, and questions about what got stolen are asked. basically the car was parked on an open street outside of verona and a rock was used to break the window and all of the stuff in the back was stolen. everyone's stuff was stolen, including an ipod, clothes, camera chargers and cameras. the only things left were kari's luggage but they went through her bag and stole her shoes and make up. i think the saddest thing was that yoolee's computer was stolen. if you dont' know yoolee she's probably one the sweetest girls. she's got the charm of any asian girl, but she's got this undercover side to her. i think she's working on getting a new one to use here.

coy thinks that it was a group of gypsies that broke into the car and stole the stuff. just another reason to be angry/scared/mad at those people. hopefully this is the only instance of this happening to us (knock on wood!). i would have been crying...

that night a few of them go to the police station to file a report in the hope that they're stuff could be found, which was doubtful, but so that maybe insurance could replace the stolen articles.

so after having a really horrible night and a not so great rest the group decides to head out to venice. we get to the hostel and first of all, all of us are kind of bummed and pissed off that we get accommadations at hostels, not even hotels!!! dude, we're adults, graduate students, not 18 year olds or young kinds that just got out of high school or college and are backpacking through europe! (no offense if you did that, i think that great) but i think that most people our age are passed that and want some decent, not fancy, accomodations. so we get to our hostel in venice and we actually dont' know where it is. we have an address and when we find it it's this big mideval looking door. and a small ass sign that says "BAXPAX HOSTEL." all i got to say is, if you're ever in venice don't go there. anyways so we're knocking on the door and i'm almost waiting for one of the panels on the door to open and have a hunchback stick his head out and say "WE DON'T WANT WHAT YOU'RE SELLING!"

and then just shut the door. but that doesn't happen. so we continue to knock on the door for like ten minutes and then this black guy with an italian accent goes up to us and says "are you de group from swiss?"

and all of us who are just emotionally drained go "yes."

so he goes "follow me."

so we follow this guy and he leads us to this back alley. we're all thinking, about how non-legit this guy seems and how he's going to kill us and take all of our money. he leads us to the top of this building and shows us our accomodations. there is a seperate boys and girls room with mattressess that are stained with blood and what ever other fluids and black satinish, non cotton and non comfortable sheets. the walls are also covered in bad art, like this jackson pollack wanna be painting, and dead bugs. so basically we spend the rest of the day looking for hotels and not really enjoying the city. and we end up eating at this restaurant at like 12am that is italian but run by some northern african people. what a day!!!

at least the sun setting was beautiful...

fair verona...

2006-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

ahh verona! the backdrop for shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. i wasn't sure what was here, expect for the carlo scarpa building (banco populare di verona) but it surprised me...

this was one of the first images that i got from there. i <3 nikon!

lisa enjoying gelato, nothing makes the day better than a gelato!

this is the fabled balcony where juliet utters "romeo, romeo, where forth are thou romeo?! deny they father and refuse they name, for if thou will not be sworn my love, i will no longer be called a capulet!" or something like that. for the romantics out there, legend has it that when you are under the balcony you should make a wish, and it will supposedly come true... =)

this is where people leave their numbers, hoping to get lucky...

after an exhausting day, we sat down for dinner while this violin and accordian player serenaded us

day 1 and 2: melide and lugano

2006-09-18T03:16:00.000-07:00

on that day after realizing that i needed supplies to survive, and hoping that my luggage would arrrive the next day i went down the hill, which took about 1.5 hours to the market, which was basically a convenience store and got the necessities, tooth paste, laundry detergent, shampoo and soap.

i waited for lisa to arrive and then we went to dinner and after i went to bed in my dirty clothes...

the next day when more people arrived we went to lugano and i had probably the best gelato ever...

pistachio and stratiacella, yummy!

and we walked by lake lugano

and rode segways. those things are pretty hard to ride, but i think if i had an hour on them i'd be alright on them

and then later that night every one arrived and we had dinner in our little outdoor patio

sitting under the canopy with the scent of concorde grapes and kiwi's in the air (l to r) leili, ross, jody, yoolee, stephanie, john, kari, coy, lisa and me

the best thing i've seen so far...

2006-09-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

okay, i know what you're thinking... suitcases? so here's the story...

a few months ago, when i made the decision to go abroad again we were given a packet that laid out what we should bring with us. without an art supply store within the small resort town of vico morcote, and the nearest one in milan, the packet stated that we should bring any and all of our architecture supplies. x-acto knives, olfa blades, cutting mats, straight edges, computers, and cameras filled my bags. our instructor also advised us to bring drawing pads, graphite dust, pencils (hard and soft leads), pens, and artist tape of varying sizes. my luggage became a small art supply store, it also became a small khiels store, and diesel store.

i packed so much stuff that i had to pay extra... yikes...

so i left lax and arrived at dulles without a hitch. but that's where it stopped. i had a 1 hour lay over to catch my next flight, but i was so confused in the airport. apparently dulles airport is composed of parallel terminals, all of which are connected by these big trams (think hummers and prison buses combined, but not as cool). i walked the length of one of them, on the advise of a airport information worker, to find that i needed to go another tram. at this point i had about 20 minutes to get on my flight. it might sound like a lot of time, but i had never been at this airport to gage time. at this point i'm sweating and rushing towards the ticket booth to alitalia airlines (which apparently isn't that great to fly on). they totally know my name b/c i'm one of the last people to arrive. everyone has already boarded...

so i get on the plane and sit right by the wing and the emergency exit. things are looking up, i have all of this leg room!!! i'm also sitting next to this old, but friendly italian man who starts to tell me how he's going to show his friends around milan and how he flys between d.c. and milan. he also suggests places and things to go see in milan. in the middle of our conversation he starts to tell me about watching my back and beware of the gypsies.... (which totally reminds me of the time we were in chinatown in london and these kosovo gypsies started begging for money. i think it was a diversion so that they could steal our wallets and money...) he also tells me to watch my back in with the swiss people, he doesn't trust them b/c he's italian.

anyways, i get to italy and wait for my baggage for like 30 minutes and apparently, IT'S BEEN LOST!!! it might have had something to do with all of the liquids that i brought and they thought it was a bomb, or they're just kind of incompetent people and didn't get it right... in any case, i got lost in milan, but found my way to the lugano via a tram, that seemed kind of shady, got lost in lugano and basically took a $50 taxi ride into vico morcote. the funny thing is that even though the taxi driver had a gps in his car he still couldn' find the villa.

so i get in the villa and no one is there except for the cook beppi. so far this trip has been great.

and what makes it worse was that there was no internet, and i had to share a room...

boo!

goodbyes... part 1.5

2006-09-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

The night before I left, I had a little visitor,

Matthew, my nephew,

he came with his papa.

He wanted to say goodbye to Uncle Andrew and show me he could...

WALK!!!

goodbyes... part 1

2006-09-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

the wednesday before i left i had a little going away gathering, nothing fancy, it wasn't my birthday! lol i didn't know how many people to expect, but once again i have the best friends and family... EVER!!!

thank you all for wishing me well. it makes it hard to say bye, but i know it will feel good to return...

bev, andrew and ja

lori, andrew, alex

here you go jason... happy now? you can put it on myspace... LOL

blaine, andrew, katie, jonny

fernie and andrew

jeff and tin

leia and andrew (thanks for the new tunes!)

charito (one of my dad's new dance partners) and jason

monz, jackie and andrew

I made it to the villa safely!!!

2006-09-09T02:53:00.000-07:00

the view from my room

after a long sleepless night, well i took about a 45 minute nap, a nice little visit from somebody at the airport (THANK YOU SO MUCH STEVE!! =-*), security check, a flight to dc, and then a hurried boarding on to alitalia airlines, missing luggage, getting lost in some town in switzerland and taking a $50 cab ride to the villa, i'm here!

i'm a little overwhelmed right now, but i'm sure that once i get settled and people start arriving i'll be fine.

btw, you know how i was all saying, "it's like 30 minutes away from milan!" well.... it's not quite that... i'd say it's about a 45 minute bus ride, and a 10 minute local bus ride after that and then about a 20 minute taxi... but it's all good, the drive was pretty nice.

it's pretty amazing...

together for 24 years and...

2006-08-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

going strong!!!

so i was at my sister's graduation last weekend and i must admit, arizona wasn't that bad, but i don't think that i'm going back.

anyways, so it's the end of the graduation and the family is outside taking pictures, in the shade. larnie is posing with the parentals, the brothers and sisters and people that she knows come up to her and take pictures with her too. so the president of the university comes up to congratulate larnie and take a picture. a smile and a click later, the president says to larnie and points to me and goes "so is this your HUSBAND?"

my jaw drops, eyes bug out and there is loud giggling and ewww-ing coming from mando, jackie, alvin and minette. so i had to set the president straight, "no, i'm not her husband, i'm her BOYFRIEND." (which somebody else said to me and larnie)

yak yak yak yak yak...

good grief...

the worst hangover EVER

2006-07-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

old school... check out my puso shirt!

this past saturday was the annual PUSO directors dinner. it was supposed to happen at my house, but plans changed and we went to lala's in west hollywood and then to the bungalow club afterwards. everyone seemed to enjoy it and go a little taste of the la that i've grow to really love. everyone seemed to enjoy the argentine food and delicious sangria. it was nice to see a few familiar faces and meet some new ones.

i found that a lot of the traditions that we started back in the late 90's are still being continued, like all the traditional programs (the pre-health conference, medical mission gala...) i'm even more delighted to hear that they've started up new programs like a high school tutoring program with high schools. although some traditions have fallen to the way side (like PUSOgrams) i'm sure that they'll come back again.

i''m sure most of you know that the sangria at lala's is pretty good. between danny, danielle, rozanno, may and i, we had five carafes, and after that we went to the bungalow club where i proceeded to have a mojito, a cabernet, a raindrop martini, a grey goose cosmo, and another raindrop martini. and i didn't eat afterwards....

so this morning i payed for it... and i felt like this...

leia's favorite! airplane food!i'll eat it and all, but sometimes is just digusting...

and what makes it worse is that it so f'ing hot!!! i'm totally sweating right now...