Planes...
When I landed back in Vancouver I realized that on both the initial as well as the return flight that nobody started clapping or hootin' and hollaing when the plane touched down. Amazing considering there were 10 times more ppl then the PR flight... When I was in Edmonton I got sick and all week I've been as sick as a sick dog that is really sick. The week I was there all I did that resembled exercise was the few brisk walks in the mall as I shopped. And being sick all week I'm getting kinda restless. I wanna go for a run but I don't want to aggravate what ails me.
Trains...
Reading about Cristina's irrational fear of birds and how it happened reminds me how I used to have an irrational fear of train tracks. When I was about 8 we lived in Port Moody and my whole family used to hold it's gatherings at some park that you had to cross rail road tracks between the parking lot and park. It used to scare the hell outta me and bothered me that I was the only one that seemed scared. One summer I decided to face my fear and I waited for a train to pass. While I was waiting I put a coin on the tracks. I got a huge rush when the train passed and when I showed the squished coin to my bothers they thought it was so cool and asked me to make them one. As I waited for the train to pass with some new coins I got bored and eventually fell asleep against the fence separating the tracks and the parking lot. I was awaken bye a giant rush of air and noise as the giant train surged past me. The day I conquered my fear was the day it elevated to a new level. Fast forward many moons. I was driving with my youngest brother one night and we were arguing about something. And like the stupid character in a b movie I was so distracted that I didn't notice that I was parked on a set of railroad tracks. Funny how those things actually do happen in real life. Suddenly this giant light was baring down on us and all the two of us could do was start screaming. It seemed so close and it seemed to take forever to smash into us. The train was parked on the side of the road and it merely turned it's light on. Our screaming turned into hysterical laughter. That was the day I finally conquered my fear. I always think of that night when I see a train or tracks.
Automobiles...
Have you ever bought something that wasn't exactly what you wanted, but it was so cheap that you bought it anyways, probably never using it and buying what you really wanted a few days later? Well I do that a lot. But blowing 50 bucks on green Puma's last Christmas in NY then forgetting to pack them for the trip home isn't really a big deal. But what if the thing you're looking for is really expensive and you're pretty much guaranteed to own and use it extensively for at least the next 5 years if not forever? I've been looking into buying another car. My brother has been tracking one down for me and in the meantime I test drove one that was the wrong colour and didn't have a few of the options I was looking for. It was in probably my least favorite colour but it did have some options that I really want but thought I could live without (It's a track model with more performance oriented options) So my bro calls me up, he's found the exact car I specified...but they're getting rid of the blue one at a price I can't refuse. Apperently I can't refuse so I suppose blue isn't such a bad colour after all...Rhoel.
Mr Nice guy.
This past week has been really hard. All week long I've had to be on my best behaviour, being witty and charming and shite when all I really want to do is slam back a beer and hit on the hot chinese chick that's totally outta my league scopeing me from across the bar beause chances are I'll never in my life see her again and nobody up here knows me so I don't really care if I get shot down like Daffy durring duck season...rabbit season...duck season... It's been really straining, it just feels like someone is always watching me and I can't relax even when I'm relaxing. And I suppose everyone I know knows I'm outta town so nobody's been calling me. And my normal methods of unwinding like...running...aren't available at my disposal. It looks like I finally got my shite straite and will be comeing home friday morning, essentially another day and a half. I gotta keep my shite together because my future depends on what I'm doing over here. When I was in Toronto, (the last time I felt like big brother was watching) staying in a hostel as I was, I had the opertunity to get lost on Young Street or lost in a book at chapters so it wasn't a constant bombardment. And I went drinking everynight, be it at a club or out on the patio of the hostel. Other than Saturday night I havn't touched a drop since Randys b-day at Celebs (which we so have to do again soon, Celebs not the b-day). I guess if I was a real alchohlic and not just a pretend one I would have gone bonkers by now. Don't get me wrong, the ppl here are outstanding and I love the city and want to come back real soon, but the blow off valve for my turbo charger is jammed and a little tweet would do wonders. Two days and the rest of my life.
So I finally got to watch the fabled Barungay dance troupe. Lets just say I was a little dissapointed. I was expecting Likha and I got childrens workshop. I remember Denis, Dean, Ron et al's friends from Barungay back when we toured up here and I remember them being hot (and of age). The majority of the dancers I saw must have been around 17 or 18. It was only a 5 dance (two of which were childrens workshop) show so perhaps their more senior dancers sat the show out. Well, I lent our latest DVD to one of their reps and the AD wants to take me out. I heard that they have a meeting tonight so taking me out may not be a coincedence. I've been asked a few times about bringing KP back up here and the Rep I met mentioned possible shows in Van and Vegas. At the very least I want to open some good lines of comunication and some much needed contacts. I was even thinking of testing the waters to see if they'd be interested in us running some sort of Tito Rudy esque workshops if they aren't able to bring up our whole groupe. I'll know more after tonight. Kooky.
Postcards from the Arctic circle.
The last time I was in frEdmonton I was woafully unprepared for the weather. I had to go the mall and buy a winter jacket that I'd never need in Van. I had to borrow one of those russian looking fur hats because apperently if I got trapped outside I could die. This time I brought my jacket and a toque...and it's sunny here and there's barely any snow. Still freakin cold thou. I'm bored. I did the mall thing, I went to a couple of clubs last night. Iron Horse was fun, lots of eye candy. The club at the mall was alright thou I was pretty drunk by the time I got there and was kinda tired. I woke up with a full bottle of brandy beside my bed, dang wasnt that a party? It was cool, I befriended these two brothers who are friends with our partner out here and I chilled at their performance car garage and talked cars all day while Shermel got his alarm instaled. Kinda cool. The older brother wants me to bring Del Sol by so he can hook it up. He was talkin about droppin in a Prelude engine in it, but 5 g's? dang, don't think so. I think I'll be retiring Tyra until I have the time and capital to fix'er back up. If all goes to plan I'll be getting a new car soon, and I already have a name for her. Btw fyi Tyra's my car, Tyra 'cause she's black and sexy (and getting kinda old, hehe).
Today was the first practice I've missed since I can remember. I'm pretty sure I missed a couple last year. Guys, it looks like I won't get back in time for Tito Rudy's workshop. I could probably make it to the Sunday. Sucks. Michelle, make sure you take some extensive coverage! Thanks.
Now back to the Iron Horse. There was so many hot white chicks there. It's on the U of A district so it was more of a college crowd. Even most of the ugly chicks had hot bods. It's CFR week here, I think it stands for Canadian Freakin Rodeo, and everyone was in cowboy hats. At one point a line dance broke out on the dance floor, so weird. The only problem from last night was that out of the 8 of us in the group there was only one girl, so it was a total sausage fest and the girls stayed away from us 'cause we reaked of booze and desperation. hehe. I got so hamered so I was pretty much a talking monkey for most of the night anyways. I must have drank aout 3 tequillas and probably another 3 shots of shite I didn't recognize all of which was washed down with Molson Dry. Anyways I anticipate a few more boreing days before I leave for Calgary on Weds so I'll most likely blog again. BTW, congrats to the Lions for advancing to the Grey Cup. Holy cow, what a game! ttfn. Rhoel.
-If a mime falls in the forrest does he make a sound?-
Does anyone else think it's sexy when girls talk to you in their sleepy voice? Or am I just a freak? Well, I know I'm a freak but that's beside the point. Robaby.
Post Halloween Freakyness.
And I'm not talking about the good kind of freaky deaky.
-Halloween night, driving everyone home in my brahdah's POS car. Think E ticket roller coaster with the actual possibility of dieing! Think Scream Machine without breaks. Guys, there's a reason I Skytrained it to practice even thou I had a 'car' at my disposal. Btw, hey Melissa and Jamille, what happened to all the screaming and singing in Cristina's car after we transfered to my brah's car? Why so quiet? hehe.
-My dad, along with my brah Rodrigo for that matter, is of the 'low talker' variety. It sounds like he's talking to himself most of the time rather than talking to you so you end up only like half listening and you end up asking himself to repeat himself most of the time. With my dad it's worse because around the house he comes up with this ridiculous flip accent (where the hell does that come from?). He walks right up to me one night and says, "Joanna's dead". WTF did you say? "I said, Joanna was there." Damn mofo you just scared me shiteless!
-Because of the newspaper I happen to go to a lot of funerals. I remember one summer I must have gone to like 6. Totally depressing even thou you don't know the ppl. If it's not funerals it's going to ppl's houses to pick up obituaries or pictures for obits. Yesterday I went to the Roque residence to pick up for Linda who suddenly died last week. Waiting in their living room while the brave and upbeat husband scrambled around looking for the stuff, I was looking at the picture collage that was set up in the living room. Linda Roque was one of the original group, along with Paquito, Tony Sol, Lenny Arbeleta, and Roger Cabrera who formed Vancouvers first cultural dance troupe in the 70's. The pic in the collage that caught my eye was of Linda dancing Sinkil Princess in her prime (some other pics of her in costume where much later). My first thought was 'her pose is all wrong, the way she was bending was reminiscent of rural and not very regal'. But the more I stared the more I got freaked out because at a quick glance that could be Michelle, or Iris, or Michelle M or almost anyone else I knew who ever danced Princess. I don't think I'm scared of dieing, I actually scared of someone I know dieing. Noticing me looking at the picture I got into this really nice discussion with the husband about the dance scene in the good old days. I really liked that. It was like me talking to some stranger about my good old days with KP way back when. Just another reason I cherish KP the way I do. I know I don't say it enough, but I love all you guys. One day it's gonna be me in that picture, and before that time comes I want you all to know how much I appreciate this time of my life how much it means to me that all of you are apart of it. Thanks guys. Rhoel.
Growing up Juatco.
Today I had a buisness breakfast for some buiness mission from some province back in the phils blah blah. There I was, once again stuck in a room full of suits tradeing cards I never read with ppl I'll never call. There I was, once again wearing jeans a button up shirt and a leather jacket. The other day my mom asked me in the nicest way possible why I dress like a dirt bomb when I do my usual daily things and only clean up when I talk to advertisers. Which got me into thinking I have to seriously rethink my wardrobe (and that I should probably shave every day hehe). When I was a kid ill fitting suits and dress pants along with wrinkled shirts could wash because I was a kid and didn't know any better or didn't care(honestly I didn't care). Personaly I don't give a flying (p)uck what ppl think of me, but when I'm representing my newspaper I really should start to care more. Damn it, what's happening to me? I'm even finding myself interested in world events and politics recently (thou we may be able to chalk this one up to the hockey lock out and outright boredem). I used to think it was funny when ppl would double take when they found out I was the Chronicle, but now I'm starting to realize that it wasn't really that funny and that I was the only one who got it. Ro da boat.
