lunchbreak
Final pic of the day
Me in action ... or the lack of it
Snow + Friends + Skiing = Freakin’ great time
October 30, 2008
I can’t remember when exactly I started running. What started out as a casual gym warm up exercise has now turned into a passion. I started running when I was new to this place and didn’t really have a lot of friends. I ran at the gym. When I met J, little did I know that my running would get elevated to another level. Like me, he found a passion in running. We just finished the Disneyland half marathon. A month from now, we are set to run the Rose Bowl half marathon. Four months from now we will run the LA Marathon.
Running through the Angels Stadium during the Disneyland Half Marathon
There is more than one reason why I run. Running is my catharsis to the stresses in life. Running makes my cholesterol and blood pressure at a safe level. Through running I have met new friends. Running makes me feel young. Running pumps up my endorphins and gives me a certain sense of high. With all that being said, there is no wonder why people “run” away from their problems.
To meet other runners, go to:
October 12, 2008
Sometimes my being too impulsive can get me into trouble. Last Wednesday, I was informed that I will be taking a business trip to Billings, Montana to participate in another plant’s BRC audit. I was enthused. Aside from it being an opportunity for learning about something, it may be a good chance for me to see Yellowstone National Park. I immediately told my boss that I was up to it and that I would like to go there a day ahead to do some sightseeing. I told him I was willing to shoulder any additional expenses, and he didn’t have a problem with it. But one thing I didn’t do was check the weather. I already did my flight arrangements when I realized that Billings had a winter storm warning. Hence, the roads are difficult to travel and may be impassable. What a drag. The original purpose of my coming a day ahead is defeated. J was laughing at me.
However, instead of feeling bad about the weather I was excited. Never in my life have I experienced plowing snow off the street or cleaning snow from my car. Yes, we have been to snow resorts but not with snowfall. Whenever we go, the initial downpour has already been over and done with and the resorts are just making fake snow.
my small car in the middle
- view from my hotel window
the only tools I had
I woke up this morning with a moundful of snow on top of my car. It took me an hour almost to get it all cleaned up. First due to the lack of experience and secondly due to the lack of tools. I also drove through the streets of Billings since the roads were closed and I couldn’t really go anywhere else. It was quite an adventure and I loved it.
October 2, 2008
I waited a couple of days before writing this post to make sure that I have a rationale mind. Last Sunday, J and I went to Torrance to witness the adventures of the velorex, a one-of-a-kind Czech car. The designated meeting place was at Zina’s restaurant and bar, a place who supposedly serves authentic Czech food. I was excited. We arrived 2 mins before 13:00, since the “exhibit” was supposed to run from 13:00-17:00. The cars were not there yet and the restaurant was not open. Another couple and 3 guys were also there waiting for the restaurant to open and the cars to arrive. “No biggie, it will just be a couple more minutes.” I thought to myself. By 13:30, the restaurant owner arrived on his motorcycle and spoke to the guys telling them to wait 5 more mins. After 10, the cars arrived. It was cool seeing them parade through the parking lot and settled at the parking spots. Each of the spectators then took turns inspecting the vehicles. To me, the velorex looked like the Philippine version of tricycles only that the body is covered with tarp instead of steel. It has 3 wheels and can seat 2 people. According to the guy who drove them they can go as fast as 50mph, and a tank of gas can run 108 miles. Not bad. Due to its limited speed, it cannot enter major freeways which is the reason why they chose to drive through historic route 66. That was pretty interesting. I wondered if the tricycle can match that car’s power. It would depend on the type of engine of the motorcycle of course.
After admiring the vehicle, I told J that I was really hungry so we went inside the restaurant to get something to eat. The bar was open. There was only one person inside. I figured he is probably one of the owners or the bartender. It didn’t look like they were serving food. The guy in the bar spoke Czech to the other guys so I asked one of them if food is available. He said it is. So I got myself seated and asked J to get a menu for us. We were waiting there for 5 mins with our menu but it still didn’t look like the guy was interested in taking our order. The whole time I was watching him and noticed that he was more interested in serving the people in the bar than us. I also noticed that he already took the other table’s order and not ours. Being the only colored person in the house, I became overly sensitive. Do I smell discrimination? In my 3.5 years in LA, this is the first time that I ever felt this way. Is this how colored people feel? I told J I am terribly hungry and cannot wait to be served. So we left the restaurant and went to outback to get some steaks. I didn’t feel right not letting J know how I felt about the whole situation.
When we were seated, I told him I felt discriminated and he was surprised. As I was relating the events that led to my conclusion, he made me see the other side of it. Yes, the service was bad. Yes, he didn’t like how disorganized it was. But yes, the guy didn’t pay attention to him either. So it wasn’t discrimination. He told me what I experienced was just a sample of the other side of his culture. There will always be people like that irregardless of ethnicity. I thought about it and it does make sense. His friends and family have been very warm to me and I love them for that. Katka was one of the nicest people I’ve met. But the thought of being in a place where I am not wanted scares me. Well, maybe that’s just the way things are.
September 7, 2008
“Pain is temporary but victory is forever.” I’ve read this on a contestant’s shirt at the San Diego Rock’n Roll Marathon. This has been my mantra when time came for me to run the Disneyland Half Marathon. I sprained my foot. I might have landed on the wrong spot, but I pushed hard if only to meet my time goal in the disneyland half marathon. And I did. Everyone did. I finished at 2:30, Val and Shashanna my two other teammates finished at 3:01, and Muj Drahousek finished his current personal best at 1:43. It was a victorious day for us and all the effort we put into our training were paid off.
sunset at Mojave National Preserve
To celebrate our victory, Muj Drahousek and I went on a camping/hiking trip to Mojave Desert. I didn’t expect much about the place but I was astounded by the beauty of it. I don’t particularly like dry, arid conditions but this one is remarkable. With this trip I have realized that I am evolving. I have completely traded my mall-going, spa-visiting self for nature girl. Somehow all the luxuries that I used to like seem too shallow. There is much more out there that needs to be explored and experienced.
We camped at the Hole in the Wall campground, where coyotes hovered around us and the desert wind relentlessly tried to blow off our tent. We went to Kelso Dunes where the sun seemed to be biting off our skin. We visited Amboy Crater where traces of the volcanic eruption that happened a century ago can still be seen. My foot was hurting through it all due to the 13.1 miles I just ran. My old self would’ve told me to lay in bed, take it easy or go to the spa. But I didn’t. I trudged the hard terrain of the desert and survived its unforgiving climate. And guess what, it was all worth it.
August 30, 2008
I feel like I’m hitting two races this week. First one: submit my plant’s HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) Plan. Second one: Run the Disneyland half marathon. I just got through the first one and it was mentally exhausting. Now, I am saving my energy to go through the second one which will be physically exhausting.
I am already visualizing the victory ahead. Oh, how sweet it will be.
August 19, 2008
I knew he was the one when he patiently took my hand as I was nervously getting down from that waterfall I once bravely climbed. I knew he was the one when I passionately talked to him about six sigma, lean manufacturing and all these QC tools without ever getting bored. I knew he was the one when he played the guitar and sang with it. I knew he was the one when he ran and exercised with me. I knew he was the one when he ate rice, adobo, afritada and mangoes with much gusto.
I know he is the one when I can just talk to him about anything under the sun. I know he is the one when he knows when to push me when I’m slacking off. I know he is the one when he comforts me when I’m at my lowest point.
I know he will be the one when we move to another country. I know he will be the one when I say ” I do.” I know he will be the one when we build a family together.
I knew he was, is and will always be Muj Drahousek.
July 28, 2008
I cried last Saturday when I couldn’t finish my 6mile run. For some reason, I think I twisted my knee muscle and it hurt so bad. I couldn’t run. It is just a week now from my 5K and 3 weeks from my Half Marathon. I’ve worked so hard for this. This cannot happen. I refuse to be defeated by human weakness.
June 24, 2008
Last weekend, my very dear friend Karen, came by to see me in LA. She was on her way to Virginia for a product standards conference and decided to drop by. Time was limited, but every moment spent with good friends are precious moments. Even with the 3 years since we haven’t seen each other, nothing really changed. She is still the same Kikay that I knew in college. By accident, I saw that she had a red passport. I then wondered if passports these days now come in red. But much to my innocence, it was because she is an official of the Philippine government and thus is considered a diplomat. “Ay, kahilas!”
May 23, 2008
I had high hopes when I first got here. I thought it would be that easy to land the job that I want and get better with my craft. On another token, I also thought that I needed to shift away from being an “expert” in quality assurance and just focus on other things. Still as a food technologist, but not in QA. I thought my few masteral units in statistics would just go to waste. I thought this day would never come.
But God has other plans for me. He knew my heart’s desire and true enough, he granted me what I wanted. I am now officially the new Quality Assurance Manager at Interstate Bakeries Corp., one of the nation’s leading food companies. I knew I have done this before, but to do this in an entirely different country is another story. I am confounded with mixed emotions— both confidence and fear. Due to my small stature, I am not sure how people will take me seriously for who I am. But at the same time, it is also a very good chance for me to showcase how brilliant I can be.
The game is on. This is my time to shine.
