Category Archives: naboplomo

from out of my tired eyes

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been living from my suitcase for the last 11 months, shuffling my clothes in between spaces which i never would have any chance of visiting had i been safely tucked back home. tonight is another one of those nights when i have to choose what to bring and what to leave behind. i should have a checklist by now, lessons from previous travels that might help me this time. but each destination is new and strange and beautiful in its own way, and no matter how much you prepare for it, you always end up forgetting something or wishing you didn’t carry so much. so the best way to deal with this really is not to take it too seriously, we all make mistakes, as long as you’re alive, it’s never too late to make things right.

as i empty my luggage of things from my last trip and fill it with more stuff for the nth time, i’m wishing the turbulence won’t be as bad, the waiting not too long, the questions not so hard, and the answers easier to find.

wish me luck.

into the ocean

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blue october’s single has infected my system. it’s on eternal repeat on my ipod. that’s usually what happens when i find a song i really like, i play it over and over again until i don’t want to hear it anymore. i use up its replay value and shelf it away for good.

this looks like how i treat mostly everything else i have, at the beginning i get obsessive and tinker with each nut and bolt until i’ve discovered all flaws and marveled at the ingenuity of its details; then after a while, i lose interest, i put it back in its box, give it away or sell it off. it’s a vicious cycle, i can’t grow roots, get attached, spin in place. i blame the rest of my generation for my restless soul. but mostly i think it’s a defense mechanism, i’d rather leave than be left behind. it’s better to be the first to stand up and go than wait till the dust settles and find yourself alone.

this song is really getting to me, i feel like drowning.

now floating up and down
i spin, colliding into sound
like whales beneath me diving down
i’m sinking to the bottom of my
everything that freaks me out
the lighthouse beam has just run out
i’m cold as cold as cold can be
be

i want to swim away but don’t know how
sometimes it feels just like i’m falling in the ocean
let the waves up take me down
let the hurricane set in motion… yeah
let the rain of what i feel right now…come down
let the rain come down

leaving las vegas

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sunday is for shopping. we went to the fashion show mall and visited our favorite tech destination – apple store. of course, can’t go there without buying gadgets or acessories, it’s a miracle though that i didn’t end up buying anything. still sticking to my last tech item purchase of the year. vin brought a macbook, i’m dying of envy.

went to ceasar’s palace and had another photo op beside the replicas of european statues. had lunch at cheesecake factory – their beef ribs serving is huge, and godiva cheesecake is to die for. strolled by the forum shops where ferragamo is just beside coach and fendi – a shopaholic’s heaven, mavic momentarily forgot her woes when she saw the designer labels lined up before her =)

by 3pm, we were on the way back to the airport, another weekend over and done with. time flies so fast, 2 days is not enough for this place. on the plane, we entertained ourselves by playing pai gao, still can’t get enough of that game, it’s so addictive.

i wish my wish on the falling star would come true, but then i saw how hopeless it all seems now, so i just closed my eyes and blinked back a teardrop. i know i could have asked, but i can’t handle the truth, so the moment just passed in silence. don’t know which is worse – leaving 24C of soulless nevada sun or coming home to 5C of heartless vancouver clouds – maybe both, compounded with the feeling of being left behind. wish i could go home soon. i need a hug.

crossing the grand canyon

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started the day early to visit hoover dam and the grand canyon. passed by the big clocks that showed nevada and arizona time, also saw lake mead and the site of that last transformers movie. a new bridge is being constructed in that part of town, from the looks of it, its not for the people with fear of heights. we had a brief stopover at route 66 and had lunch at popeyes.

on the way back from arizona, a magnificent sunset followed our trail until dusk settled and found me – a lonesome wanderer on the deserts of mojave. saw a falling star, wished with all my might…

by night time, part of the rat pack caught phantom of the opera at the venetian while the rest burned a hole in their pocket playing slots and pai gao poker at the mgm grand.

las vegas is a sight to behold at night, the lights left us awe stricken and mesmerized. it’s a city where good looking people are a dozen a dime, and shows are on left and right. liquor is obscenely cheap and even 7-11 has slot machines installed. vin almost opted to stay behind ^_^.

away from the rain

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yvr; waiting for the plane to board. got picked for secondary security check for the nth time. it must be my name. do i look like a terrorist? escaped rainy vancouver in search of the sun in nevada. hope i won’t be disappointed.

the usual suspects on this trip, plus one new recruit. can’t hardly wait.

sin city

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just finished filling my light suitcase with clothes that i’ll be bringing to fabulous las vegas. weather forecast is sunny all weekend, a positive sign for the grand canyon tour. good thing the stagehand strike in NY didn’t reach LV or else the phantom tickets would go to waste.

passport, check. shades, check. vaio, check. moleskine, check. that’s it, i’m ready to go. it’s always easier to travel light. gives me more space for souvenirs on the way home =)

land of the free

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today my bond ends and i am free. that calls for a celebration, i will talk only of good things like getting that coveted qa sign off on a defect fix that has been on hold for the past four months, or the coming LV trip this weekend, i will skip the ugly parts and fast forward to the good times.

life is full of surprises, and “great opportunites brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems”. it’s lame to focus too much on the downside of things, “we are never given a problem without also being given the power to solve it”. so for tonight, i will get drunk on motivational quotes and sleep tight without worries.

“nothing is ever lost, nothing that can’t be found.”

lions for lambs

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where: Silver City, Metropolis
when: Tuesday, 13 November 2007. 7:00 p.m.

is a propaganda movie against war and craftily intended for american audiences. watched this movie today and i got lost in all the political jargon. i guess this is a timely movie for remembrance day, watching idealistic young people march blindly as soldiers fighting for their country. but fighting for what? the reasons get lost in translation.

lest we forget

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yesterday was remembrance day here. there were lots of activites lined up to commemorate the sacrifices of all those who went to war. i missed everything because i was out town. a friend told me a story about a poem that became popular after the first world war, this is usually recited during remembrance day / veterans day / poppy day / armstice day. whichever country you’re in. poppies are those red flowers that grew in the graves of the casualties of war, this has become the symbol for this memorial.

i never really understood why people go to war in the first place..

in flanders fields the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row,
that mark our place; and in the sky
the larks, still bravely singing, fly
scarce heard amid the guns below.

we are the Dead. Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
loved, and were loved, and now we lie
in flanders fields.

take up our quarrel with the foe:
to you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
if ye break faith with us who die
we shall not sleep, though poppies grow
in Flanders fields.

— John McCrae

tullalip

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was planning to catch up on my sleep today but went to seattle instead at the spur of the moment just to hitch a ride with friends who wanted to shop for gifts. we found a great sushi place just beside alderwood mall right after we had lunch at the food court, how ironic. hope i can go there next time, it has kaiten sushi – sushi that goes around a conveyor belt and you just pick whatever you like as they move towards you. i tried it back in fukuoka and each plate was about Y100 then, i also saw something like that in greenhills, forgot the name of the place, it had a giant octopus as a mascot. oh well, it’s just the novelty of the kaiten that attracted me, but for nihon ryori cravings, there’s always kingsway sushi across work and fish on rice a few blocks away to satisfy my palate.

activated two iphones bought by a friend while strolling along the outlet malls, failed to buy anything, not even a shirt, for myself. maybe that’s why i felt a bit dejected when we were on the way home.

we almost called it a day after all the shopping they did, but the casino beside the premium outlets looked too inviting to pass up. we went in and tried our luck. i took out the last bills on my wallet which was $7 and played the slots. won a whopping $23, high stakes! haha. at least i got something out of this trip ^_^