1000 Things: Day 8 – Last Man Off the Ice

Last Man Off the Ice

1000 Things: Day 7 – Evening Shades of Brown

Evening Shades of Brown

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” – Anaïs Nin

1000 Things: Day 6 – R2-D2

R2-D2

Leaving work late means more photos of work. Which is not a bad thing at all. This is a picture of the San Jose City Hall Rotunda, which is made with a lot of glass and used for special events and weddings. Most people compare it to R2-D2, the lovable droid from Star Wars. I can see the resemblance.

1000 Things: Day 5 – British Care Package

British Care Package

My friend Anna returned from England and brought me English tea, crumpets, chocolate biscuits, and a Stonehenge mug. I’m so excited to get my spot of tea and crumpets on.

1000 Things: Day 4 – Apartment Intricacies

Apartment Intricacies

Picked up a friend before we headed out for a night in the City for a birthday. This beautiful architecture greeted me in the entrance and caught me by surprise. Don’t find craftsmanship and details like this anymore.

1000 Things: Day 3 – Keep Me Where the Light Is

Keep Me Where the Light Is

Looking forward to the time when it’s no longer dark out when I leave work.

1000 Things: Day 2 – Silver Lining

Silver Lining

First day back at work after the New Year’s break and one of the things I love about my job is the building I work in. San Jose City Hall was designed by American abstract artist and architect Richard Meier. So, if you love lines and postmodernism, you’ll love this place.

1000 Things: Day 1 – Only the Ocean

Only the Ocean

In 2011, I challenged myself to take a picture each day, for a year. It was a difficult project. I found that I took some really crappy pictures, but there were some good ones scattered throughout. And I thought I could do so much better. So, here I am! Also, a good blog should be posting frequently. I just haven’t been doing that for whatever reason, but here’s hoping this changes for 2014.

Wouldn’t you know it, 2014 started at the ocean on California’s Central Coast at Montana De Oro State Park. For me, there’s a refreshing feeling when I’m standing on the sand. The water rolls over my feet and I can feel it cleanse my soul. I couldn’t think of a better way to get this year started.

A Saigon Love Note

Saigon Nights

After riding 5 hours on a bus from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we arrived at the city limits at around 7:15pm and followed a river channel into the heart of Saigon. Late June is the beginning of monsoon season and light drops of rain sprinkled on the river channel creating small circular ripples. Saigon’s night sky illuminated with white flashes of lightning bolts. Booming thunder followed seconds after each bolt and proved once again nature’s mystery. The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. Speeding along either side of the bus, motorbikes and cars raced up the street like schools of fish in an ocean current. The sound of constant honking was overshadowed only by the thunder and no one hit each other or yelled; it was purely controlled chaos. The bus approached the city center and the buildings grew taller, the lights brighter. We arrived at our destination and my first step onto the sidewalk is greeted with a humid and warm layer that attached itself to every part of my skin. What some see as unforgiving weather, I see as a hug. Saigon welcoming me back.

After 18 days, my journey came to a bittersweet end. I felt like I was just beginning to learn about this place. How could moments like this come to an abrupt stop? It seems so harsh. But, as Jack Johnson once sang “this moment keeps on moving, we were never meant to hold on”. Now I am home with a ton of memories that I can look back on and a hope that one day I will return.

This trip has been something more than amazing. An experience that has touched on every feeling I’ve known as well as feelings I didn’t know I had. I wish I could put it all into words, but I can only hope that my pictures and stories will do this trip justice. The world can be cruel – it can be heart breaking – but there’s something in these moments and experiences that releases life’s beauty in all its wonderful colors and feelings. Like the people and places I have observed, love strives and it survives, even in the most harshest conditions.

P.S. I know it’s been awhile, but let’s ramp this thing back up!

On Living in the Moment

Looking around, I am surrounded by travelers young and old.  We are in a plane flying over the Pacific Ocean and 3 hours in to our 11 hour flight.  Some people are napping, some are watching movies, and others are playing video games.  The flight attendants periodically walk by and sometimes ask me questions in Japanese or English.  I don’t understand their questions in Japanese, but I know their making sure I’m ok or if I need anything.  I’ve tried to talk to my solo traveler neighbor, but she doesn’t understand English very well so we mainly exchange friendly words when one of us needs to use the restroom or the attendant comes by with drinks or food.  I haven’t figured out if this group if kids taking up 7 rows next to me are a school or church group, but one guy has a shirt that reads “free prayers”.  That probably answers my question.  

 

I sit back in my chair and smile, almost breaking into a chuckle.  The flight is on its way to Tokyo and I still can’t believe what I’m doing.  I’m on my first international flight en route to Vietnam where I will meet up with my best friend Anna.  I’ve mentioned her before, you might remember.  She has been in Vietnam for a year on a Fulbright scholarship, teaching and inspiring the young minds at a university in Hue.  I remember when she made the decision to accept the scholarship and uproot her life to head to the unknown.  It had to be a quick decision and it was the right one.  This was an opportunity she just could not pass up.  

 

So, why am I smiling and chuckling?  Because this moment is one to behold, celebrate, and enjoy.  Three years ago I would have never considered traveling to Southeast Asia.  But, in those three years, I’ve met incredible people, maintained and strengthened older friendships, and had the chance to heal.  It was hard not to be empowered and inspired by the people that have both came into and been in my life.  We shared moments that have created the people we are today.  And that’s amazing.

 

When I lost my late wife and mother to cancer, I wasn’t sure what would become of my life.  The only thing I knew was that it would be tough.  Obviously, it’s hard to lose your past, present, and future at the same time.  Life lost some of its meaning, ok, a lot of it, but I kept telling myself over and over that I would discover a new meaning.  One where my old way of life would no longer limit me to the comfortable and familiar.  Where I would push my boundaries, overcome some fears, and live life in the moment.  I know all too well how extremely short life can be.   I will probably never fully heal from this experience, as most traumatic experiences do that to people, but I know I’ve come a long way.

 

Juanita’s family and I participated in our 3rd Relay for Life this past weekend which is a 24 hour team walk that raises money for cancer research, as well as celebrates and remembers the lives lost from cancer.  I told Anna that I use the Relay as a barometer of my progress.  For the first Relay I was a man on a mission. Normally, you take turns walking with your team members over the 24 hour period.   I wanted the ground to feel my pain and loss. I walked all day and all night without sleeping and accumulating over 30 miles.  I cried when it was over.  The second Relay still saw myself and other team members again walking 30 miles, but with less heartache and more happy memories.  I even fit in a two hour nap.  When I showed up to our third Relay, I had a completely different feeling. Of course we were there to walk, fundraiser, and remember, but I didn’t need to walk all those miles.  I don’t think I walked more than 10.  What I wanted was to talk with my family, share laughs and memories, hold my godson, and support my sister-in-law.  I wanted those moments.  I don’t want to say that walking all those miles during the first two relays was a waste because it was completely necessary.  But, I think that it allowed me to look back and realize that moments we share with each other are important. I dwelled too much on the past, but it was expected.  It allowed me to let it go and enjoy the present moment.

 

When I told people I was going on vacation, the first and expected response is: “omg! Where?!”  I tell them I’m going to Vietnam and Cambodia.  The responses go either two ways.  The first is excitement and them telling me how cool of an adventure it will be, which i definitely agree.  The second and most received response included a stalled “oh that’s cool” followed by a “why there?”.  Yeah, it’s a developing country.  Yes, it’s not exactly a destination like Hawaii, Italy, or Paris.  But, why not?  I have this opportunity to travel in Southeast Asia to (1) expand my boundaries and push my limits, (2) take a crash course in learning and understanding a part of the world that has seen years of history, (3) and all with my best friend who knows the area and speaks the language.  How could I say no to this moment?  It will probably not present itself again. 

 

As each moment passes I am grateful that I get to experience and share it with so many people, whether I know them or not.  Moments can be as broad as standing by yourself in the middle of a crowd at Times Square in New York, flying over the Pacific Ocean in a plane full of people, taking a class to educate yourself, traveling a country with your best friend, happy hour with co-workers, or kissing and holding someone you love at a coffee shop.  The feelings evoked because of these moments are exhilarating and powerful because you led yourself to those types of moments.  You let go of what you don’t know.  You made the conscious and unconscious decision to go for it and live in the moment. 

 

Since I haven’t blogged in awhile, Anna told me to blog about how I felt about my trip to Vietnam.  My introduction to this post is a lesson in the present moment and awareness.  What do I see?  How do I feel?  What do I understand and what don’t I?  What am I doing?   I am surrounded by strangers, but we share this moment in time flying over the Pacific Ocean.  When I reach Vietnam I will be welcomed at the airport by Anna who embraced her moments and whom I will share many others during this trip.  I am filled with questions, but at the same time I couldn’t be more excited, amused, and at peace.