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Friday, November 01, 2002
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM CASTRO...
where u can find the most concentrated form of flaming gay in the whole entire world... well, maybe jus around in the bay area, but its pretty concentrated nonetheless. Despite the impending doom that is a whole wk of midterms, i decided to go anyway. Guess this is one of those things u jus have to do, at least once, jus to c what ppl are talkin bout. I've heard various stories about their trek into Castro, ranging from being hit on by random guys (and these were guys, no explanation needed) to random ass grabbings. Yea, so in the sort of dazed state that i am in the day after, ill try to recount what happened to the best of my ability. And if i cant, ill jus embellish a little... heheh.
It started when my good friend Jasmine said she wanted to go to Castro for Halloween, since she never gone herself. She invited me along, and even came up with an idea for my pseudo-costume... a q-tip. Sadly to say, that was the best thing that was avaliable to me. (If i had the means and time to prepare something extravagant, heres a list of costumes i would have worn: wushu silks, Kazuma from Scryed, Wong Fei Hung, jus to list a few, hehe). So, for Halloween, i attempted to be a q-tip. I dressed in all the white i could find, and went over to Jasmine's place, towel in hand. Once i got there, i found out what Jasmine decided to be, a little schoolgirl. Donning some pigtails, a plaid skirt and a curious george lunchbox... she fit the part pretty well, heh. Her friend Star was there too (yeap, thats her real name). She dressed up like a little eskimo. Jasmine's roomie came along too, i think she was a character from one of those Harry Potter books... but i wouldnt kno, havent read one of them. When every1 was pretty much ready, we left for the bart...
We were in for quite a wait. The bart was packed, ppl waiting in massive lines to get a ticket, to get onto the bart, and so on. This is the first time i saw something of this kind, and of this magnitude. Pretty crazy to be with that many ppl, all goin to Castro. Luckily, we managed to be in a relatively short line, removed away from the main escalator entrance. Luck was pretty much the theme of the night, and that will be elaborated more on later. Apparently Jasmine was supposed to meet up with her cousin at the bart. It was pretty hard to shift through that horrendous crowd, and when she did manage to find her cousin, we found out that her cousin was in a big group of ppl already. So, it was all good. Then, we had to wait for another friend that was supposed to come along w/ her two roomies. Being the good friend she is, she decided to wait in line for tickets for her friend. Out of the blue, a random guy yells "THE BART IS FREE!!!!", and then a whole wave of ppl rush the stairs down to the trains. All the while, im thinking that this is mad anarchy. With that many ppl, it jus might work... A few minutes later, Jasmine's friend arrives with her 2 roomies. I forget her name now... but she dressed up as a typical asian tourist. Good stuff baby, heh. Going down to the trains, i found out that the bart ride was indeed, totally and utterly free. Whoa. Now, all we had to do was get on the damn thing....
I think my good buddy Kenny described this sort of thing to me once. Back in the day, we bought lunch at the horrendous school cafeteria, replete with soggy, oily remnants that were passed off as food, on par w/ the dorm fare that i had to endure last yr. Even still, it was still hard to get something to eat at lunch time, since there were virtually no organized lines. U jus had u use ur good shoulder and push through the crowd, inch by inch, which Kenny described as "Chinese merging". Well, this was about the same... but on a magnitude far worse. To get into that crowded train, u had to pretty much flow into it, cramming the person in front of u into the train so that u can get in. To make sure we didnt lose anybody, we sorta linked up and went in. (i suggested forming a flying-v formation.... heheh). Luckily, every1 was accounted for, including another friend of Jasmine's that we happened to meet up with at the station. (im not listing the names... cause i forgot most of them already, heh). The ride had about the same feeling. It was filled to sardine-can capacity. During the ride, some1 broke out into an inpromptu tirade of song, an unofficial CAL fight song, i think. Then, there was some1 lighting up the mary jane, on the train. Oh man, it reeked. Im not partial to smoke, of any kind. I kinda like to breathe now and then... After a pretty extended ride, we get off at the Powell station in SF. We werent quite to Castro yet, so we had to hop onto the Muni. Again, luck smiled sweetly and a train was waiting for us to hurry to. That ride was kinda bumpy, i had to combat inertia quite a few times, plus the inertia of some other ppl. Two train rides later, we finally make it to Castro...
On the surface once again, we encountered the same thing: hordes of ppl, dressed in costume and some ppl in their day-to-day wear. Kinda like a parade, it was jus a whole massive swarm of ppl walking... walking around to display their finery (or otherwise). We shifted into the mass, and jus looked around. Heres a list of interesting costumes: two guys on stilts, the ambiguously gay duo, spongebob, lotsa hulks, rednecks, a nun(apparently)dragging a decapitated body around, a priest following, lotsa (prospective?) doctors, two homo-robots, a McDonalds fry and drink combo (homemade too, whoa) and some others i cant recall right now... Oh yes, and there was the drag. The streets were infused w/ drag. Some had freakishly nicely shaped bodies. The only way u could tell was the upper body... u could tell it was a man. Then, u have ur mardi-gras style bead-tossing out of windows, and also random flashings from the windows as well. A little store was blastin up this trancy sort of musical fare. There were ppl who couldnt dance if they're life depended on it... horrible. And then there was ur standard circle around a hardcore breaker. Couldnt quite c what he was doin, but i think it was some sort of handstand. Among the trancy stuff, the horrible/pretty good dancing, strewn beer bottles and cigar/cigarette/mary jane smoke, we lost 3 ppl in the crowd. So, we proceeded to look for them, among the crowd, calling constantly, to no avail. For the rest of the night, we didnt get a glimpse of them. Hopefully they were jus partying within the crowd so hard that they jus missed us...
Yea, so most of us havent had dinner yet, so we chance upon this thai restaurant shrouded by the crowd. It was a nice little sit-down place, perfect to get out of the crowd, and breathe. By this time, i think i was running on low reserves, cause i went into that state in which my reactions were jus a half-second off, and it took me longer to register things. I didnt kno anything about thai food, so i let the rest of the ppl order. Once the dishes came out, they were pretty darn tasty, and spicy. Oh the spiciness. There was this dish, a seafood dish wrapped in some sort of leaf. In honor of iron chef, the sauce they used was... sooo sexxxyyy, hehe. Well, it was some good thai food, but it was gettin around that time. These chain of events will jus prove how much luck i really do have...
So, to prevent losing anybody again, we linked up. I had Jasmine's arm in tow, and Star had a hold on my hood. This made for some interesting results, cause when Jasmine ran, i had to follow, and then the choking came. It wasnt that bad, i could still breathe. But, all in all, it was a nice feeling, not the choking part, that is, hehe. A few beer bottles here, more drag queens there, we came upon the Muni station... which was closed. To our surprise, there was another Muni train headin for embarcadero. We do the mad merging into the car, and a few moments later, Jasmine checks her voice mail. The 3 girls that we were seperated from had a way home. Relief ensues. By the time we approach our stop, we decided that boarding the bart was a lost cause, and decide to get off at Powell. Again, lady luck sweeps on in, and we hear an announcement "The last train for (berkeley, i forgot which line it was, but it wasnt a direct one) boarding". Takin of in a mad sprint, we fly down the steps and hurdle into the last train for berkeley. Luck certainly has smiled upon us that night, and hopefully this luck will continue... hopefully.
So, once again back in berkeley, we walk to Jasmine's place. Taking a little breather (yea, i like to breathe), i make my way home along w/ Star, who lives on the same street. By the time i get home, i get a call from Mark. Hehe, some1 cares, ehh? Good stuff. Thats when i realize that i left the apt without telling any1 where i was goin... oops, hehe. Yea, so reeking of smoke and other unpleasantries, i tumble my way into the shower to freshen up. It was close to 3 by this time, and i had an 8 o clock class to. Fun indeed.
But, all in all, an experience that i was lucky to have (and lucky to eventually come home from). With pretty much any outing, its the ppl ur around that make the most difference. In the company of good ppl, anything is better. And with that said, let me retire for my afternoon nap.... this is goin to be one... awful.... wk... take care yall, hope all of ur halloween experiences were good. More to come soon.
Sunday, October 27, 2002
AN ODE TO THE HALOS...
quite a while since i did an ode to anything, but this one deserves special attention, due to the extent of unprecedence and spectacular associated with it. Disclaimer to all those who read on in this post: Despite the fact that i do currently reside in No Cal, im still a So Cal guy at heart. U really cant take that spirit out of me, and with that spirit comes a blatant bias on my part. Some of the things up here i despise with a certain passion, which include the general way of drivin up here (elaborated in the Squelch, hehe), the whack nature of the weather up here (being friggin cold for a good stretch of the wk, and then heating up for no reason), and then one that strikes a certain chord deep within me; the giants. Through these veins of mine run Dodger blue, ever since i was born, i was a Dodgers fan. My sis was born when the Dodgers won their most recent World Series, and my parents came to the States when they won it in 1981. Being a feverent Dodgers fan was jus a matter of cause for me, hehe. As well as u all kno, the Dodgers and giants have a long, great rivalry dating back when they both resided near the Atlantic. That rivalry was carried over to the West, where it divides up both regions of the state. As long as i loved the Dodgers, i have despised the giants as much. While i am in my right, rational mind, let me jus say that Barry Bonds is one of the greatest players in baseball history, and i have nothing against him at all. Even when im fired up and curse at the tv during a Dodgers/giants game, i have a hidden respect for him. That goes for most of the staff here in SF. With that said...
What i despised as much as the giants were the friggin sportscasters. No matter where i turned to, it was pretty obvious. They might as well should have donned full giants wear and said screw being objective, go giants! (or to be more accurate, go barry bonds!). For the local stations, i understand, cause after all, the giants are the home team here (although it seems that the fans down in LA are more critical of my Dodgers than they have to be... or maybe thats jus me). But, the NATIONWIDE sportscasters for Fox... unexcusable. The two guys who called the game... not soo much, it was more subtle. Ever since Fox broadcasted its Saturday Game of the Day, i have harbored a deep resentment for those two, especially when they called a Dodgers game. U can tell that they sided for the other team, no matter who it was. And for some odd reason, it was magnified when they played the Giants... There was another guy who really ticked me off. He might as well have plastered a big sign across his chest, enblazened with a "i love the giants *cough* barry bonds *cough*". I dunno his name either, but he interviewed dusty baker right after the game. There are other instances where the whole barry bonds-oriented media ticked me off, but that will be interspersed throughout.
Initially when i heard that the HALOs were up against the giants in the World Series, my overwhelming hate of the giants overrode my love of the Angels. That was the ultimate reason why i wanted the HALOs to win, but that was only in the beginning. This feeling began to be replaced as the series went on, due to the rising star that was the young Angels crew, and due to the further antagonism brought on by the media. The World Series was touted as a showcase for Bonds, a stage where his ability will be displayed and where he would finally win that elusive one... as one msnbc reporter put it, "the only reason to watch the World Series was for Bonds".... and thats when my anger and astonishment grew. My veins might run w/ Dodger blue, but the Angels also have a special place within this heart of mine, and certainly this was a hard slap in the face. For the HALOs to pull off what they did, with the talent, but relative lack of experience as well, and to be disregarded as a potential competitor well before they can show their mettle... it is a sign of dishonor indeed. My desire for the Angels to whoop on the giants grew intense...
It was a pretty nerve-racking series, rally-monkeys and thundersticks abound. It was almost like two pugulists duking it out, evenly matched. One would show an opening, and the other would unleash hell. When it seemed that the fight was won, the counterattack is placed with devestating effect. Thats pretty much how the 1st 5 games of the series went. When the dust settled after those 5, the HALOs found themselves behind 3-2 in the best of 7. Alas, jus like a spider lying in wait for an unsuspecting fly, this was the prime position for the HALOs to be in. With at least 1 win back in PacBell, they had 2 games to look forward to back in good ol' Anaheim. Fate will dip its vast hand into the fray, it seems....
This little boy asked for a small b-day gift from the Angels, a game 6 win that would force a game 7. If i had watched the whole game through, i dont think i would have survived through the initial innings. At certain times, i can be the worst kind of fan, abandoning the team at a critical time of trial. And certainly through the 1st 7 innings, i think i would have lost all hope. Lucklily for me, i didnt even kno the HALOs were down 5-0 until the next day. I tuned in jus in time to watch the Angels rally back to a 6-5 lead in the 8th, and clinching the win in the 9th, forcing the game 7. Quite a b-day present indeed....
Destiny was not on the side of the giants, cause it was the Angels' turn to have a glimpse at the limelight. Mr. Never-Lose-In-October Levan Hernandez was startin for the giants, while the rookie John Lackey took the mound for the HALOs. Again, destiny proved to be a harsh mistress to the hapless Hernadez, who had his unbeaten October streak broken by the Angels early on in the World Series. He was ousted in the 3rd, failing to retire a batter in the 3rd, giving up 4 runs and leaving the game with the Angels leading 4-1. My heart couldnt take much more excitement, so i picked up the rest of game 7 starting with the 8th inning. Fransisco Rodriguez, another rookie pitcher, was in relief. Walking Bonds and striking out Santiago... i knew that it was prime time for victory... The 9th inning rested on the shoulders of Percival, who proceeded to get into his hardcore stage in his ritual squat at the mound. With each pitch, there was a moment of dread and at the same time an overwhelming impulse to pierce the air with my fist in celebratory fashion. Once Kenny Lofton looped a playable ball into the outfield, i knew it was over. As the ball found its way into the leather, a resounding cry escaped from my lips, an outpouring of pure emotion and raw joy that consumed me. I felt like huggin some1... but only my roomies were around... and they knew how we all felt sans the huggin, hehe. How much can 1 yr mean to a basebal team? This victory snaps a 42 yr streak of exsistence w/o winnin a series, the longest runnin streak of its kind to date. It can also be a tribute of sorts to the late Gene Audry, who would be proud of his team up there in the heavens. It gave Angels fans something to cheer about, unabashed and w/o hesitation, with the rally monkeys swingin and the thundersticks bangin (i heard something very uplifting from my good buddy Jin. She said that fellow Angels fans congradulated each other and shook each others hands in the parking lot. Usually all of them would be rushing toward the exits by now. Its great when ppl get together...) . And, sadly, Fox had the bad taste to even show this poll: "Should Bonds get the MVP award in the event that the Angels win?" WTH??????????? This jus took the cake, i dunno what to say... im speechless. A good majority said no, thankfully, but that majority should have been along the lines of *cough* 100% *cough*. Troy Glaus, the true MVP, was awarded with the honor. Well deserved indeed.
The HALOs have won it, u have made all of us in so-cal truly proud. And for all the giants fans out there, gg giants. It was not meant to be this year... and not the next either. Thats for the Dodgers baby. I can feel it... And now, back to the horror that is midterm wk... take care yall then. More to come soon.
THE AFTERMATH...
of a special day. It marks the birth of one UC Berk student, a wushu enthusiast and an anime nut. One who is known to be very sappy at times, and is a bit of an extreme romantic, sometimes even un-realistic. And if u dont kno by now, he has a site where he posts his many little rants on....
Yeap, so about 50 min ago, 19 years to this day, i was born into this crazy world. And i have to say, this has been one of my most enjoyable b-days in my teen years, even tho im still distanced away from my family. They're always with me in one way or another, of course, but it would have been extra nice if i could have spent it back at home. At least most every1 around me made me feel welcome, and for that, i thank each one of u for makin this day a pretty good day indeed. Its always nice to get random calls and ims sayin happy b-day throughout the day. It makes u feel all warm and tingly inside. You can almost see yourself smiling slightly within. Its a very nice feeling to have, to know that some ppl in this world do care, it makes this life of mine feel much fuller. And side note, the HALOs gave me a small b-day gift too (well, kind of for me, hehe), beating down the giants in a 6-5 comeback spectacular. Even tho i still consider it a b-day gift, i kno that the victory is more than that, its more like a outcome from destiny. The HALOS are destined to win game 7, i can feel it running deep within these bones of mine.
Well, anyway, i spent most of the day jus enjoying my gifts and all, playin up some well-anticipated games of mine. Also went out w/ my roomies to get another b-day girl her gift as well. Its crazy, our friend Jane has the same exact b-day, same month, day and yr as me. So, she invited us to a little dinner party to celebrate. Hearing how she "loves" ramen, Mark decided to give her ramen... well, a ramen box with her real present inside, hehe. We made our way over to her place (i throughly broke in Tekken 4 by this time, btw, hehe), and then found out she was running a bit late. So, we entertained ourselves by watchin the last nerve-racking moments of game 6, which turned out to be real sweet. Jane's parents came up to celebrate as well, which means that a good homecooked meal isnt too far away, hehe. After settling our stomachs, it was time for the cake. I had 2 candles on my cake (1 was representing 10 candles, the other stood in for 9, but i really think i was turnin 2... ), and i made my wish. Cant tell what it is tho, hehe. Jane got handfuls of frosting on her face, courtesy of her roomies, and she gave me the same treatment. Frosting is quite oily, i found out... Cleanin ourselves up, we proceded to open up our gifts. Jane got stuff from the Gap... i forget what the other thing was, and then our box of ramen goodness... housing a pretty snazzy mp3 player. Oh yea baby. And then i got my gift, housed again in a faux box. By this time, ive gotten so many clues that it would have been better if they jus gave it to my outright 2 days later. But... i "acted" to be surprised anyway, hehe. By that time, we made our leave, and now u find me here, typing away...
What have i learned in my short 19 yrs of life on this little rock? I really dunno the breath of my knowledge, or if its of any practical use. The most important truth that im slowly realizing as the years pass is that i cant kno everything, that wisdom is ever-changing and flowing. In other matters, i think im as clueless as ever. Most things i endeavor in i play by ear, and sometimes i can pass by w/ dumb luck. Its always nice to kno that some1 out there is watching for me. Thanks, hehe. I dont appreciate how much You have done for me, but i will eventually realize. And for all those who have helped me to notice the wonder that is hidden in this world, i cant express how grateful i am to kno all of you. All that you guys have given me during these 19 years is immeasurable, and hopefully it will guide me through the many years to come.
B4 i go, i jus thought this was pretty cool, i never gotten this sort of thing online b4...
( Y) ("`v'") (Y )
(\(* ,,) ("`v'") `v' ("`v'") (,, ")/)
o( ") ") `v' *HAPPY BITHRDAY JIM OPPA* `v' (" (" )
My lack of html skills is apparent. Its supposed to be 2 rabbits w/ 3 hearts around the msg, heheh. Nuff said. Its still very nice. Thanks again, hehe. Well, take care yall. More to come later.
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