30 January 2017

Another day of lazing around at home, which works for me because I had a late-onset hangover... Like 16 hours after I stopped consuming alcohol, and now I have a fat headache. I didn't know I could feel headaches in my nose. 

Anyway, shout out to my Uber Drivers. The woman I talked to 2 days ago and I had talked about how weird it is in America to live so far from your family. This echoes a couple of different conversations I've had with my Uber drivers about living away from family.

When I was in Dallas, my Uber driver was from somewhere in Africa, and he worked for a long time to get his son through school as an electrical engineer. More recently, my Uber driver in Seattle was from Ethiopia, and he lives with some of kids.

Since it was a while ago, I can't recall the exact conversation. His youngest kid was still in high school and the oldest one was in college. He was also in college studying nursing, so we talked about the college experience here. I recalled the hostel keeper from Ethiopia that I had met in NZ. I'll have to talk about him some other time, but about how he lives with his sisters after fleeing the Ethiopian Civil Wars. But even though they fled to Australia and then NZ, they stayed together anyway. 

With all of these people, we agreed that family is really important to us... And something we observe that's bizarre is that in the US, everyone is ready to leave home at 18, whereas in other places, it's pretty standard to be close to your family members and interact with them more frequently. 

That's something I kind of wish was valued more in US culture I guess, especially since I see that it isn't.

29 January 2017

Someone I met today is the father of a girl on a robotics team. He was asking me about how powerful computers are/can be, since she always seems to be updating her stuff. 

"So what does your daughter do?"
"She's on the robotics team at her school. They're going to the World Championships in South Carolina. I think that it's only Kalani and Waialua."
"Wow that's really cool!"
"Yeah. You know, if you make it to the final round at one of the World Championships, you can go for 5 years." 

I don't remember if that was the exact qualification, but I do remember it was 5 years. 

"Wow, that's awesome. How many years has it been?"
"It's been 3 so far."
"How old is she?"
"15."
"Oh, that's good, she still has plenty of time."

We chatted a little more.

"I didn't know Kalani was good at robotics. I've definitely heard that Waialua is though."
"Yeah, but they get funding from the military because of their location. The kids at our school have to do the fundraising all themselves because the school doesn't give them money."
"Oh wow, that's impressive. It's good that you're supporting her."

I don't know how true that is, but it's still cool to see someone bought into their child's success. 

28 January 2017

Someone I met was a woman who recently immigrated to the US from Spain. We had been interacting since yesterday, so it would have been appropriate to write about her then... However, I learned more about her the second day that we spoke. I asked her a little bit about herself, especially since I found her Spanish accent to be one of the most charming I've ever heard.

"When did you move to the United States?"
"I moved in August."
"How do you like it so far?"
"It's been like starting like new again, you know? I have to make friends, find a place, get a driver's license because the European one doesn't work here; open a bank account. It's really like I'm new again."

She has a diverse background of jobs and education around Europe, mostly dealing with financial industries. 

"So is it true about siestas in Spain?"
"No it's not true. Well, in Spain we start late. We don't go to work till maybe 10, and lunch is anywhere from 2-5... People will leave their offices and work and go to eat. Then dinner is at 8, maybe at the earliest. Because of globalization, most of the shops are open during siesta hours. But if it's a mom and pop place, then they'll probably be closed. For sure, on the weekends this is what most people do."  

She was here for work, so we chatted a lot throughout the course of the day. Her favorite place to live? London, she just loved the people and the experiences there.

She asked what living in Hawaii is like, and I told her that people in Hawaii are really truly the kindest, most generous, and nicest set of people I have ever met in my life. We talked about the cost of living here, and how expensive it would be, but the trade off in weather and happiness was worth it. We talked about the implications of Mark Zuckerberg suing and not suing people on Kaua'i and what the cultural implications of that could have been. Eventually, the topic went to politics.

"What do you think of what's going on here?"
"I think it's so crazy, and I think it's a lot of people who are scared. It's like when they voted that Britain leave the European Union, you know, the Brexit?"
"Yeah, I agree."
"Did you know that there are about 2 million British people living in Spain because the weather is so much better, and it's part of the EU. Now, if they continue with the Brexit, then that's about 2 million people who will no longer be valid members, so what will happen to their healthcare? And their children go to school in Spain, but how are they going to keep track of who's there? What are they going to do? Logistically, it's just a mess."
"I mean that's why diplomacy is so important."
"Yes! Very much so. Did you know that between most European countries, you don't even need to bring your passport?"
"No, I didn't know that. I know that my dad has to do a lot for a Visa because he's a green card from the Philippines." 
"Yeah. You know, I have this theory that in 10 years, it'll be easier to travel to the moon than other countries."

She and I kind of lamented the divide that the current political atmosphere has been creating; especially in places we love so much. We talked about how bipartisanship ignores a lot of the voices in the middle like ours. 

We didn't keep it too serious though. We had tons of time to talk to each other. I introduced her to poke, and she told me about how she and her dad love to sail. I told her about how beautiful the other islands are in comparison to the others.

"How long do you think it would take to go around the other islands?"
"I'm not sure, let's ask my coworker."

My team member shared that she felt 2-3 days per island was enough, because there was so much to see. 

"That's the biggest thing I miss about Spain. Did you know we have 28 days of vacation!"
"That's like a month!"
"Eh... Well if you divide by 5, that's like 5 weeks and 3 days. So yeah, we had a lot of time not doing anything. But here, you have to really do everything and plan it because you don't have so much time."
"Yeah, that's too bad, I love vacation."
"Me too, but you know what? I think that France has more."

We chuckled a bit and went on with our days. People are great. 

27 January 2017

Someone I met today was an occupational therapist. We didn't really talk much about his occupation though. I was doodling an elephant when he insisted that the snout was longer. 

"Do you work with elephants?"
"Oh no, not at all. I'm telling you though, the trunk is way longer than that."

We looked it up and agreed that it should be longer.

"So what do you do?"
"I'm an occupational therapist."

He was a tan gentleman a few inches taller than me. He had a sunny disposition, and his skin matched the sun that radiated from the outside. His cap hid the strands of white hair on his head, contrasting his playful demeanor.

"I can see that from the pin that's on your hat. But what's the Sturgis Rally?"
"It's a 3 day motorcycle drive that goes from Las Vegas all the way to South Dakota. We drive for 10 hours in a day, from 7am to 5pm. We've stopped over in Wyoming, looped through Montana, and..."

He continued to drone on for a bit. I kind of was spacing out because I had to pay attention to what was going on around me. 

"Sorry, that was kind of long. I'm sure you didn't want to hear that."
"No it's ok, I mean I did ask you about it."

He and I shared a laugh. It's cool what communities you join doing things that you liked. Turns out, he was looking to move to the mainland, possibly LV, for one reason or another. The motorcycle riding also explained why he was so tan. 

Sometimes though, I just have to remember some of the people I talk to aren't very good at telling stories. Though, the fact that they feel comfortable sharing is a good enough reason to listen. 
 

26 January 2017

Someone I met today was terrible at explaining things. Occasionally I'll get asked questions about what I think a problem is, and most times I try to help. I have a great team who's willing to help each other out when there's a question to be answered and today was no exception.

"I need help with my Japanese keyboard, can you help me?"
"I can try."
"I can't find the space bar."

I went through the trouble of going in and setting up the Japanese keyboard, and it showed up right away. 

"No, that doesn't look right, that's not what it is."
"I really don't know what it could be, there isn't really anything else I can see."

Eventually, one of my team members helped me out and attempted talking her through her problem. He couldn't figure it out either. What was frustrating was the fact that she wouldn't listen to us even though she was asking us for help. She insisted we were wrong even with repeated "we can't help you unless you see it." We even asked her to describe what it looked like, and what we showed her was wrong... But she didn't explain what would make it right. 

Anyone who has ever asked for help knows, you have to recognize when there's a limitation in what you're seeking help from. Sometimes Google won't give me my answers anymore than a person who only knows so much. Also, it's never a good idea to reject help that you have asked for. It doesn't make people want to continue to help you.

She ended up getting the points and leaving. Sometimes you have to stand firm even if people give you crap directions. 

25 January 2017

Someone I met today is Filipino. I went to eat bagels with my friends and the woman who took my order is Filipino. 

This normally wouldn't stand out very much. There are plenty of Filipino people who work here, with food, have accents due to their mother tongue. What I've come to appreciate in my feeble attempts in learning Tagalog is that the language unites Filipinos everywhere.

I've been with my parents to shops and places where there are Filipino workers and there's a strong sense of camaraderie among strangers. I was at Liliha Bakery the night before, and I spoke to the woman just like me parents would have and read received warmly. Yeah, it was probably because I was being nice, but still.

The Philippines has a large amount of overseas (Filipino) workers. OFWs for short. The communities in the places they choose to work is very strong. What's stop admirable to me is the fact that these people make the choice to leave their home country for somewhere they may not know anybody just to support their families at home.

When watching the Filipino channel, you can see how many apps address dedicated to just sending money to the Philippines. It's a common plot in many teleseryes. Anthony Bourdain visited a woman who spent over 20 years away from her family to put them through school and college.

The kinship is necessary, to make new friends and acquaintances, and find a way to survive and support. If learning my parents' language gives me the same fellowship, then cool. It's so nice to see how people can connect even though they're so many miles away from home.

24 January 2017

Someone I met today was really a sometwo. I met a couple from Argentina today, and it was a really, really, small conversation. The husband did more talking because he was familiar with English than his wife. I didn't feel like doing much talking today. It happens. 

"You know on the... The computer, can you type a.... The énye."

I wiggled my finger in a wave, signifying the tilde (~).

"Yeah. You just have to change the keyboard." 

I proceeded to show them how that would work, as well as a few options for them. They began asking about price and I helped them calculate it out. They applied the conversion rate from USD to Colombian Peso. They considered cheap, despite their currency, what most people would consider expensive.

"In Colombia, there is a 20% tax on electronics."
"Really? That's so much! Why?"
"Corruption."

I didn't ask anymore, but they seemed to be in good spirits. Expensive is perspective, and corruption universal. She asked me a few questions, and had him translate when she couldn't find the words.

"So how long are you here for?" 
"Eh... cinco, I mean 5 days."
"How do you like it so far?"
"It's very nice. The people here are nice and so friendly. It's not like that in Colombia."
"Yeah.. When I go on vacation to other places, I always feel happy to come home to people like that. It's warm but the people are really so kind."

They nodded in agreement as we continued our sales conversation. 

"Which one do you think I should get?"
"It's up to you sweetheart, you pick, I pay. That's usually how it goes right?"
"Yeah... That's how my parents do it."

We all shared a laugh. Corruption isn't the only thing that's ubiquitous. 

23 January 2017

I didn't meet anyone today.

Doing what I do, it's important sometimes to just lay on your face and just be alone for a couple of hours. I do enjoy talking to people and engaging in the world, but I also just like being alone. Sometimes, I really just need to be alone. Today, was one of the most productive lazy days I've had in a long time and I couldn't be happier about it.

I did send out a message to someone about their job... And I'll fill that in later if they ever respond, but that just reminds me of a few people I've met and emailed about themselves or things around them:

• A woman who works at a bank. Bank was paying her to get her MBA(?) so that she can better build services that will affect customer experience. She had originally gotten her BA in Psychology.
• A woman from Iceland who was a published author and poet. She used to do stained glass and metal prints. However, her husband died and she injured herself... So she went to live with her sister here for a few months. She also owns a vineyard in Barcelona. 
• A woman who works in Public Health in Micronesia. She teaches it. I raved about Moana to her and asked her if she knew anyone who could share folklore with me. 

I'm sure there were more, but I have always sent out the emails to these people who have given them to me. And.. AS OF THIS MOMENT ONE OF THEM EMAILED ME BACK. I was going to go on about how people you meet might never get back to you, but really. I guess I can talk about her now. 

"So are you a student or a teacher?"
"Oh... I teach public health."
"You look really young for a teacher! I wouldn't have guessed that."
"Oh... Thank you."

She had a shy smile. The woman was petite and didn't look any older than me. It would be impressive if she taught at UH at that age. Most of the teachers are old. 

"Where do you teach?"
"Oh. I teach in Micronesia."

That was even cooler. Around the time I met her, I had just seen Moana. I raved about it to her for a couple of minutes and really recommended that she should see it. I asked her where she was from in Micronesia, since one of my friends is from Pohnpei. She said she was from the Yap State, and I admitted I didn't know where that was. 

"I hope I'm not talking too much. I just really liked the movie. It definitely got me more interested in the mythology, but I had a hard time finding it online."
"Oh that's good. Yeah, a lot of the younger kids don't care about it much anymore."
"I feel the same way! It's too bad because you don't know many people who want to learn about it too."
"Yeah... Well, if you want I can ask some people around where I'm from and let you know what they say."
"Really you'd do that?"
"Yeah. Besides, it's not really that hard to find anyone in Micronesia." 

I thanked her and took her email down. I penned her an email a few days after that, so excited about my new acquaintance. Then... Nothing. I assumed she forgot about it. It wouldn't have been the first time. Usually when people say email me, I usually do email them and ask about what we talked about. I figured the most that they would do is not email me back.

But... The woman from Micronesia emailed me back! With a link about some of the mythology. Which I'm now going to read. She sent it at the beginning of the new year, but because of the way my email is set up, I don't check that folder all that frequently. I will now since I do get some emails about my community service in there... Oops. 

Anyway, I emailed her back and I hope to hear from her soon! In case you're wondering, here's the link of what she sent me. You never know what people are willing to do and as hard sometimes as it is to reach out... You never know who will reach back! 

22 January 2017

Someone I met yesterday could have been a man previously guilty of fraud. He seemed nice enough, as he strolled around holding his wife's hand. They parted ways as he began looking at different products.  

"I want to buy 15 of these."
"Oh? What for?"
"My company sets up security systems all over the island."

We chatted a little bit more and I asked him for his information so we could set up a consultation. He didn't have a business card on him, so I asked him for his email. He couldn't remember it, but I took what information I have.

Usually, when someone runs their own business, it's pretty easy to find a contact email on the internet. I had an impossible time doing it. Trust me, I've been using the internet for most of my life, I'm very good at finding things. 

While I didn't find his email, I found someone with his name who was in charge of a company that routinely scammed people here and in California for concert tickets. 10 years ago. Crazy, right? 

There's a good chance that it wasn't him, but considering the wealth of information the internet has on people... There's also a chance it was. It's amazing to me that in my lifetime, we went from thinking people on the internet were creepy pedophiles to creating communities, making friends, and falling in love. With that progression, is it any wonder that our own stories would be shared too?

We use the internet to journal and remember a lot of things. Facebook does a great job of this. Of course, some people choose the opposite with apps like Snapchat; where whatever you say disappears into cyberspace (which is a completely dated term). There's a lot that is completely within our control... But also gives access to other people to do with what they want, which is obviously out of our control.

People get concerned about being hacked and stuff, and it's a fair concern. Sites on which you conduct transactions shouldn't ever have that issue... But if you've seen familytreenow.com, there's tons of information that's scarily right. Possibly by means of what you've authorized yourself. 

Anyway, I found it ironic that this person works in security systems now... Especially if he is the same person that I saw on the news when looking for his email. Maybe he had a change of heart? 

21 January 2017

Someone I met today still plays Pokemon Go. He was tall and bearded, with his hair coiffed loosely away from his face. He was busy tapping away at his phone and followed my instructions.I saw him playing it on his phone and I almost didn't ask him why... But of course, it's me.

"I have to ask... Why do you still play Pokemon Go?"

He looked up from his phone and gave a shy smile.

"Well... I like it."
"Is that it?"

He slowly smiled.

"I'm a software developer. I used GitHub and paid for access to a geotagging app, then I modded it so that it would work with Pokemon Go. I wanted to play the game without having to deal with all the other moving around stuff."

Reasonable enough. I'm a huge advocate for doing whatever it is you enjoy, but his modification and manipulation of existing apps and stuff was definitely next level. 

"So you said you're a software developer. What do you develop software for?"
"Nothing yet. Although, I used to do some stuff for the military."
"Were you independently contracted?"
"No, I was in the military."

He definitely didn't look like he was in the military at any point in time. His manner of dress would have read more Portland to me. Although, I know many people who have left the military taking on looser style and hygiene rules for themselves regarding shaving and haircuts. 

Also, for someone who used to be in the military, he seemed very happy. It doesn't sound like he was every exposed to anything emotionally draining or stressful... Or if he was, he was extremely resilient and positive about all the experiences. 

All in all, very cool to meet someone who can find ways to apply what they know to augment their experiences in their work and their fun. 

20 January 2017

Somebody I met today was very rude. He stormed in demanding to be helped right away. I let him know what the parameters were and he got really upset with me. I continued to politely reason with him and he gave me a gem of a comment.

"I know you're being nice but I'm done being nice."

Excuse me? You come in demanding help and then yell the person who's trying to help you? That's just rude. 

I, for one, have never been a fan of people taking out their anger on other people. I'm not innocent of that, but I've done my best to temper my anger as much as I can.

Seriously though, all life has dignity, and therefore all work has dignity. What people do for their livelihoods supports their families, hopes, and dreams. Even if you're not the person in the McDonald's drive thru, or the janitor, or the person who processes your paperwork at the DMV. They do that job and you don't. Maybe they like it? Maybe they prefer it to other jobs, or maybe that's the only job that they can do.

But you need to respect that the job they're doing is one you can't... Or won't. Maybe you don't want to be at the DMV, or were able to acquire a different form of employment. These people have the ability to help you because you might not know how to help yourself. It's kind of like why they say not to be rude to the server. They might spit in your food. 

I mean, I don't have a food equivalent for what happened... But I continued to be nice. The fact is, however, most people who work in customer service like helping people. In fact, even outside of customer service, most people are decent enough not to be rude. He ended up getting his beef solved and I got the last laugh.

He apologized to me twice before he left.

-

Runner up: Met the guys who run this website. One of them lives here now, and moved here for the "women." Mostly because they're "beautiful, nice, and really great to talk to." 

19 January 2017

Someone I met today was a mother to two children. She and her kids were hanging out, and they were really the most adorable children I've seen in a while. Her son was in a t-shirt and shorts with a closely shaved haircut, with a little baby fat on his cheeks and arms. His sister was only a few inches shorter than her, with the same pudgy cheeks and arms. Her curly hair was pulled taut and split into two neat buns on the top of her head. 

"... Are they twins?"
"No... They're 4 and 5, but they like to tell everyone that!"
"Hahahahaha. My brother and I did the same thing except when we were much older. Most people who had known us since your kids age forgot we weren't twins because we were so convincing."

She and I had a good chuckle, watching as her two kids moved as a unit from station to station.

"The year age gap doesn't seem to make a difference for them. I think that's why they keep telling people they're twins."
"Yeah, when you're that close in age... You move together, do everything together, and get in trouble together."

Definitely have to say that having my younger brother as a partner in crime was one of the best parts of growing up. We did almost all our extracurricular activities together and played together. I mean, you never have to worry about moral support because someone's going to be there with you, whether or not they want to be there.

But that's kind of the fun of it. When you both don't want to be somewhere, you find different ways to make being somewhere more fun... Which then leads you to getting in trouble or and when you both practice skills to be the world's best conmen.

And who doesn't want an ally?

18 January 2017

Someone I met today was someone I spoke to exactly once before. As a side note, I use the term met loosely because "met" implies that the someone is new. Anyhow, I was dropping into a store to pick up some supplies for my new hobby! (Note to self, make a blog about it). I had circled the art store a couple of times before deciding on what I was picking up today. It wasn't really extraordinary, but it was a matter of preference. 

"So are you still doing the tattoo thing?"
"No... The friend who I was going to apprentice with has a lot of side jobs so I didn't want to bother him..."
"Oh that's too bad. Are you doing anything else at least?"
"Yeah, I'm applying for MAC so hopefully I get it!"
"That's awesome! I hope you do too!"
"Yeah! I don't know what I want to do with myself or my life."
"Haha, me neither sometimes."

He scanned all my things, which had discounts! Yay me. Then again, the only reason I got discounts is because I got the email saying that they had a back to school sale. I wasn't about to pick up a hobby without sale prices.

We had both talked about not knowing what to do with ourselves the last time we met... Which was at least 6 months ago. Neither of us knew what to do with ourselves, but we shared a love of engaging our creative side.

For as valuable as science and math is, so is the ability to create or think creatively. It doesn't require a career in arts, but maybe an engagement in it. The ability to synthesize ideas and complete demanding, long-term art projects does speak to a kind of stamina that some people don't have. It was also nice to see someone else who was experiencing the same need to engage creatively while maintaining a job or chasing a career.

I've been shown articles about having a side hustle, and while I've done and do random things on the side... The more important thing to do is engage and find a thing that keeps your day to day interesting. Like this blog, most of what I do on the side isn't particularly profitable, there's still value in maintaining the discipline necessary to do something every day.

Some of it is also knowing yourself. I like routine, but I also like the potential for random encounters and creativity that comes up because of my general disposition. 

Either way, good luck to him, and good luck to me as I take on new stuff and learn new skills! 

17 January 2017

Someone I met today was blind. I was practicing demos with my team today, and I saw Kayte pop in with a man following her. My brain scanned through a million different profiles of people I know through Kayte that would follow her so closely. When I saw that he was holding her elbow, I knew that it was someone unfamiliar to her.

"Hey Maxx, I have someone who might need your help." 

I knew immediately he couldn't see me. He was tall, but the slight hunch in his back. He wore tinted that concealed his eyes, but as he shifted the weight of his backpack, I could see the milky cataract that concealed his left pupil. Although his skin was already tanned, you could tell that it was weathered by the sun. 

"Are you who I speak to today?"
"Yes."
"Do I set my computer here?"
"Uh... No. There's a table we can use elsewhere."
"Can you show me?"

He reached out, and I gave him my hand, not knowing what was appropriate in this situation. He instinctively guided himself to my elbow. I lead him to a tall table that I would take normal customers to. He patted the stool.

"Is this the table?"
"Oh... No. Let me show you."

I took his hand once more and helped him feel the table.

"You can sit if you want to."
"Oh ok. I normally don't sit on chairs like this. It's a stool isn't it?"
"Yeah it is." 

He proceeded to take his computer out of his bag and tried to open it. I corrected for him as he chuckled, muttering he must have put it upside down. 

"I need help. My JAWS software isn't working, and I was told that I might need to start Windows over."
"Alright. Well... It seems like it's not booting into the OS, so I need a technician to take a look at it. But it won't be till an hour from now. Is that ok?"
"Sure."

I proceeded to take his information down, having him guide me through the spelling. I suppose the store was loud, as he asked if I typed his email. I did, he just couldn't hear me typing.

"You have an hour wait, did you want to wait here."
"I think I'm going to eat, can you show me to the front of the store?"

This time, I put his hand on my elbow and walked him to the front of the store. I couldn't imagine navigating this with his walking pole. 

"Is there any food on this floor?"
"Hm... No not really."
"I smell it."
"Well... There's a burger place upstairs and a couple other things, but there's a food court downstairs too."
"Can you show me to the elevator?"

By this time, I was an expert in showing him around. As we walked, I asked him what he usually does with his computer. It was simple, easy stuff; checking his email or writing papers. He used a special scanner to help him read. I led him to the elevator and placed his hands on the elevator buttons. 

"Are you going to have a hard time finding your way back?"
"It'll be alright, I can find someone to help me."

Someone did guide him back later, which was good to see. It was crazy to see someone who had an obvious disability so willing to continue living outside and doing things for himself. At the same time, I felt a little sad. To have to rely on someone for so many seemingly simple things. With the lack of a someone, he relies on his senses to get around. 

I wonder if he feels embarrassed asking for help.. But then again, in the course of one day, 3 people helped him: Kayte, me, and one gentleman who brought him back. People are kind too, and maybe he knows that and either takes advantage of it... Or trusts that people do the right thing.

I'd guess it's the latter. I'm more amazed at the courage it takes to trust people that you can't see. Visual judgment is the first thing people use to assess risk, and that is completely eliminated for him. That's just really... amazing.

16 January 2017

Someone I met today was a Youtuber! He was manipulating a dial with one handle, while supporting a wobbling, unopened tripod with another hand. I watched his balancing act before approaching.

"Couldn't you have opened up your tripod and then recorded yourself?"
"I thought about that after I was done."

We got to chatting and he revealed himself to be an Apple user, but had been wanting to check out the Surface Studio for some time. It was the first time he was seeing one in person, but he had watched so much about them. 

"So what do you do for work?"
"I'm a YouTuber."

On one hand, he looked like someone who wouldn't be a YouTuber. His beard was graying, and a few wrinkles appeared as he talked. He dressed younger than he was, with a printed shirt and baseball cap that reminded me of my friends in college. On the other hand, he stood straighter than some of my friends on their best days, with an energetic excitement coloring his voice.

"What do you do on YouTube?"
"I review Apple products."

He thought that the Surface Studio was cool in comparison to the "gimmick" he believed the Apple touchbar to be. He admired the screen and design, stating it would be awesome to edit videos on. He showed me his channel, scrolling to the exact one where he called it the gimmick bar.

"I make videos too, but nothing like what you do. Mostly just me talking about really silly things. I bought a DJI OSMO Mobile since I'm going to Iceland in March. Figured it would be a fun way to take videos and log too."
"Oh that's cool. I've been taking drone shots."
"Drone shots? Have you seen the Mavic Pro?"
"Yeah! I have one in my bag!"
"Can I see it?"

He proceeded to bring it out and show it to me. I told him I thought it was cool and I asked him what he liked about it so far. He shared that he was able to fly it on the Pali Lookout, without a problem; he cited the strong winds as a cause for potential malfunction. Although, he did use his drones to try and capture the whales on the east side. The sound of the motor becoming more and concerning, and he didn't want to risk it. 

"Is this your first vacation with the drone?"
"Yeah. My wife and I shoot drone videos in the day time and then we go home at night and I edit it all together."
"That's cool. It seems pretty easy compared to the other stuff you do."
"Yeah! Vlogging is super easy. Compared to what I do, I can see why so many of those guys do it." 

I suppose at the end of the day, it's all perception. Vlogging seems rather difficult to edit together, but then again most of mine are pretty complex. I asked him where he was from originally and he said Turkey, having moved to Los Angeles in 2007. 

"How have you liked flying your drone here?"
"I like it so much better. It's beautiful and people here are much nicer. In LA, you can get all the permissions and fly your drone around. But, if the police tell you to stop, you HAVE TO STOP. They can confiscate your drone."
"Wow, that's crazy."
"Yeah. But here, people are so nice, even in LA. In Turkey, not so much."

I suppose to me that was interesting to share. Turkey does have a long, complex history and has been a meeting point of east meets west throughout the years. I believe The Great Schism occurred in Turkey, and just recently they had that weird instance where the media got taken over or seized, depending on which perspective you take on yourself.

I wonder what he thinks about the current social climate, with people feeling unease with the current President-Elect, or the potential cabinet members. Is it worse or better?

In any case, if he thinks vlogging is easy... Guys, I still have a chance!

15 January 2017

Someone I met today is someone I've seen over the past 3 or so years but never talked to. I've been doing the Bridal Expo for a while, if that wasn't already obvious, and the person I spoke to today is one of the models who walks around the showrooms.

"So when you do the expo, do people ever ask you about the dress?"
"No. Most of the time they just say it's a nice dress."

It was weird to hear but that's kind of how I feel about most clothes advertisements. "Oh, it looks nice" is my general feeling. I don't necessarily want to look like what I'm being. But... I guess that's the goal of clothes advertising, be compelling enough to make people want to look like you. Right? 

Maybe. Companies are now about selling a certain lifestyle or image, not just the clothes themselves. Hollister does beachy, Abercrombie does preppy, etc. It can't be the same with wedding dresses, since you don't live your day to day in wedding dresses. At least, most people don't. 

I think that's why having models walk around in wedding dresses isn't a very effective way of getting people to buy the dresses. I mean maybe it is, because you want to see what other styles that bridal store has. It seems hard to sell the dream when your audience is visualizing someone else in it.

What do I know though? I'm someone who's also said she wanted to elope. But...... I also happen to like dresses and trying them on. What looks good on me doesn't necessarily look good on someone else.

And while exhausting, who doesn't want to feel like a fairy wedding princess for a whole afternoon? Pick your style and try on the damn dress.

14 January 2017

Someone I met today was really a group of people: those in the process of getting married. Please forgive me as I had forgotten to write yesterday night, but I'm going to write the post as if it were the day before. I had been up for close to 20 hours and was pretty ready to tear my eyeballs out, so I'm sure you'll be fine with it.  

As I said in the previous post, I occasionally work a the Bridal Expo to help out some friends of mine. Today, I met a bunch of couples who are getting married in the next 2-5 months. I'm not in any place to judge... But then again, I'm not much of a procrastinator. The 5 month mark is a good safe place to be putting the final touches on your wedding. 2 months is seriously cutting it close. You blink and it's gone. Right? 

Then again, I've been doing the Bridal Expo since maybe 2011(?!). It's been a very long time. I've always liked seeing beautiful weddings and understand the work that goes on behind the scenes to make it work. As an outsider looking in, it's easy to say, "Procrastinating?! Terrible!" 

But when I think about planning my own wedding (if I were to get married), some part of me stresses out a little bit. The costs involved, including the consultations, and all these things. I can understand becoming a bridezilla at times. Almost. I say almost because I really don't dismiss disrespectful behavior towards people you've hired. 

Then you have to think about who you invite. My younger brother and mom were appalled at the fact I wouldn't consider inviting most of my relatives.

"You have to!"
"Well... I don't have to do anything."
"Wow!"

The "wow" was mostly my younger brother. I generally prefer more intimate and smaller gatherings anyway, so that's probably why. But pruning the list of people you invite is a nightmare in itself. It's like you're playing marital game theory if you don't want to invite everyone, and also want to consider who they might bring if invited. 

What was insane to me is that some of the people I talked to didn't have venues... And their wedding was in 2 months. Good luck if you're planning to do it at a hotel, since most of those are booked out months in advanced. All these small details just add up to what is said to be one of the most important days of your life. How stressful would it be if you missed one.

I've joked that I would elope every once in a while. While it's unlikely, it's not a terrible possibility. 

13 January 2017

Somebody I met today was at the bridal expo. I do the bridal expo twice a year and I very rarely meet people ready to invest a lot of time in a conversation.

The guy I met was in a Storm Trooper outfit. It isn't very often in which you meet people in Storm Trooper costumes, but apparently there was a couple who was going to have a Star Wars themed wedding. Of course I had to ask him the most pressing question in my mind.

 "Is it hot in there?"
"Well... There's a fan in the helmet." 

I looked down at the rest of his costume and saw it was just clothes with a Star Wars shell on top. Who knew those helmets had fans? 

I sure didn't. 

12 January 2017

Someone I met today was a student from Cornell University. That isn't really very interesting in itself. There are a lot of top performing schools here that get people into the prestigious Ivy League constantly. What's different is that the kid I met was from Singapore.

"So why'd you choose the United States to study?"
"Well, the choice was between here and the UK. I looked at the schools, and I found that when you go to the UK, you only study what you're going to school for. I thought that the education here is more holistic."

I don't know what Singapore is like in any regard, so I was curious why he would pick somewhere with a lot of barely hidden unrest. 

"Do you like it in the United States?"
"Yeah I like it so far. There's so much to see and learn that's so different."
"What are you studying?"
"City planning."

A quick Google Search on urban planning in Singapore brings up a very conveniently placed Wikipedia page. It tells you that Singapore has been meticulously planned since day one. It makes me wonder what he thinks of the infrastructure support here, and whether or not he has a taste for the occasionally organic and unorganized ways that cities spread here. Maybe there's something appealing in the perceivable chaos, or maybe it's just a warning to something he should not want to achieve.

I remember back in the 90s it was a big deal when that kid got caned for vandalizing something. There are some crazy laws about being dirty and disrespecting property in Singapore. The laws alone tell you how much they value their public goods and infrastructure, with punishments far more severe than hefty fines. If things appear to be working there, I wonder what they hope to learn from here.

He said that the education is more holistic, so I wonder what he feels about what the current president here. Is it much different from there? I don't believe there is any government entity without woes, but does their administration vehemently oppose each other more than we do here. Is their president or Prime Minister more likely to denounce "real" or "fake" news? Is that normal to him? 

I guess I'm really trying to figure out how much of it is a culture shock in the alarming sense. If it were me, knowing I didn't live here would give me a spectator sort of relief. That the world I'm living in isn't really the world I belong to most of the time. He seemed like he came from an affluent family. I wonder if sending your children to the United States is the norm for richer people in those countries. 

Maybe he sees what already makes America great, and wants to bring it home. Who knows? We parted ways today, after he said that he was going to go visit Hong Kong, a city not necessarily known for having great urban planning. So who knows?

Maybe he likes a little chaos in his day, but so do I.

11 January 2017

Someone I met was really someone I've met before. Multiple times. I first met him when he was starting out his business and used to putz around on an electric scooter. His business has grown since then, owning 2 condos and running both his AirBnbs out of them. He says he gets his guests great stuff, like beer, ice cream, fruits, coffee, and the works. 

"Hey!"
"I'd recognize that voice anywhere!"
"How've you been?"

He gave me the rundown of how his business and app is doing, and his laundry list of where he's going next. In case you're wondering, he's going to Thailand, Georgia, then spending 2 months in Columbia. His Spanish is apparently very poor.  It's also very likely I got his itinerary wrong, but I'm not his mother, wife, or secretary. 

"You still seeing that guy?"
"No."
"Oh it's ok, I think I realized I really just like doing my own thing."

He waxed poetic for a little about how he's single by his choice and how much he loves it. He asked who initiated the break up (me). He apologized that it didn't work out, but I said one of us tends to like to do their own thing (also me). I explained that I generally will do whatever I want or need to; if you're in, cool, if not, I'm still doing it. 

"Yeah, so I was seeing this girl, and she was smoking hot. 24, really athletic, fit. So she spent the night once, and in the morning she asked me if I wanted kids. I told her I would answer if she answered first. She said yes. I told her that as much as I like her and think she's a great girl, I don't want her to stick around waiting for me to change my mind. If we keep seeing each other cool, but I don't want her to miss out on an opportunity for something she really wants if I can't provide it."
"Wow. That's really cool of you."
"Yeah. I mean the sex was amazing, and she was a beautiful girl, but I couldn't do that to someone. I mean we still talk and we're still on good terms. She told me she thought it was cool I did that because no other guy would."

A couple of thoughts went through my mind. It's cool to see someone actively choose to be single and run a successful business. I've met a few people like that over the years. I admire the ambition and appreciate the hustle. I also liked that he was upfront about what he was emotionally available for and what he liked.

At the same time, there was nervous, awkward smiling. Who says that stuff about a girl to someone they are casual acquaintances with and have met like maybe 10 times over six years? Do I really need to know about your sex life with someone else? I mean he is a decent looking guy, not my type, but I could see it. He has reasonable game. 

Do guys really talk that way about girls to random people? I mean it wasn't rude, but it seemed oddly personal. But then again, I don't know the girl and it's not very different from what I'm doing here. I guess really it's this. Talking about someone is one thing, but for me, I feel like sex is a very intimate thing to talk about in a casual setting. Either way, the conversation moved on pretty quickly so it wasn't that bad. He spent more time talking about his current business plan. Like I may have implied, he was more interested in his success than a girl. I guess most successful people are like that. 

At the end of all this, guy gave me his card and told me not to be a stranger. Unsure if being picked up or just wanted to keep in touch with someone who's known him for a few years. 

Either way, will probably email him. Will keep updated on this fellow.