Photo of the Week (May 18, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, May 17, 2008.

At the year’s start I mentioned an event with the intent of telling more at a later date. Fast forward four months and I am finally writing about it. The Relay for Life (aka Relay or RFL) is an annual signature event of the American Cancer Society. Many elements make the Relay go from being just a charity fundraiser to a unique experience. Individuals and teams still collect donations and the Kick Off event in January started that fundraising effort. But the big stuff happened last weekend.

RFL is not a one-day, global event. Instead literally thousands of Relays occur throughout the year in communities around the world. I participated in the one for Newport Beach on May 17-18, 2008, while the neighboring city of Costa Mesa had its own a day earlier. Also the event spans two days but it actually lasts 24 hours, which is meant to represent that cancer never stops and we won’t stop fighting back either.

While a traditional charity event is a formal dinner at a hotel ballroom, RFL takes place outdoors at a school track field typically. Teams camp overnight and teammates take turns to walk or run around the track continuously - the ‘relay’ part. The event organizers provide participants with entertainment and activities on and off the track – music, movies, contests, etc. Various restaurants and other businesses donated food for breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks, dinner, even more snacks and late-night cravings.

Relays are done differently from city to city, but a common and best part of any RFL is the luminaria ceremony. In the evening hours, the track’s inner perimeter is lined with small white paper bags decorated with writing and art to recognize people who have had cancer. Inside them candles are lit. Other luminaria are arranged in the surrounding stadium to form special words. “CURE” and “HOPE” are perennials but this year another word was added. My photo of the week shows the luminaria lining the track and spelling out “LOVE” in the stands.

Newport Beach Relay made over $223,000, well beyond its goal of $175,000. I was not at the event the entire 24 hours but came and went four times. I stopped by, walked a few laps for my team, left to do some errands, stopped by again and walked more laps, then went to a party, stopped by yet again and walked even more laps until 1:00 AM, going home to sleep in my own bed. I’m too pampered to camp out and snooze in a sleeping bag. I came back one last time at 8:00 AM, stayed for the closing ceremony and helped pack up my team’s campsite. I came home exhausted but if you asked me right then and there if I would do it again next year, I’d say yes immediately.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 11, 2008)

Greetings from Laguna Niguel, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Happy Mother’s Day! Over the past several years I have seen trends among family and friends. First came a wave of weddings happening practically every weekend. Next came a flurry of feathers as the stork worked overtime delivering a blur of pink and blue bundles of joy. Then black balloons bobbed by as friends tease you for hitting 40. This was followed by more weddings and then more babies, some born but others adopted.

In less than a year, I know three couples who have all adopted babies. Circa August last year the first couple went to the husband’s (and my) homeland, the Philippines, in Asia and brought back a son. In March another couple went to Africa and brought back a daughter. So far the tally is one boy and one girl.

Breaking the tie, another couple stayed within national borders and brought home their adopted son from St. Louis, Missouri. The new parents presented their prodigy, this week’s photo, at a little party, which doubled as a belated 40th birthday for the proud papa too. While father and son share attention on Saturday, mother surely got her shot in the spotlight the very next day, enjoying her first of many Mother’s Days to come.

Of course I visited my own mother (and father) that Sunday and gave her a simple gift of flowers. My mom has pretty much everything that she needs. In fact she literally has closets full of unused presents received over the years. I see no point adding to the pile. Some presents are regifted while a few have made their way into my hands for use. Also forget about going to a restaurant. My mom does not see much value in eating out nor care for the larger crowds and longer waits as everyone else dines out on Mother’s Day.

After consecutive 13 weeks my run of photos in different cities ends as I already know that the next picture will be from a previously and frequently used city. Nonetheless I impressed myself in this small accomplishment. Lastly I started a short-term job. A friend runs his own small company, which has less than a dozen employees. He recently lost a few workers and asked me to help find replacements while also working on a couple of special projects. The open positions did not fit my career interest but I could not turn down the temporary job. Maybe next week I’ll ask for a raise or is that too soon?

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 27 & May 4, 2008) Part 2 of 2

Greetings from Orange, California, USA!
Photo taken on Monday, April 28, 2008.

What topic deserved a momentary change to my weekly email format as mentioned in my last message? First here’s a bit more suspense with a quick detour. The weekly photo is a shot of the walkway leading to the movie theatre at the Block of Orange shopping center where I had a cheap dinner with friends. Okay, enough suspense. The topic is Men’s College Volleyball. After recounting matches since January, how could I not write about the regional and national championships? At least I am combining the competitions in one email instead of spreading them over two. Count your blessings.

In Week 1 the regional championships were held at the Walter Pyramid on the nearby California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State) campus. I passed on attending and simply checked the web for Thursday’s semifinals results and watched Saturday’s finals via internet video.

The 2nd-seated Cougars of Brigham Young University (BYU) did a 3-0 sweep of the 3rd-seated Matadors of California State University, Northridge. In the other semifinals match, 5th-seated Waves of Pepperdine University, having already defeated 4th-seated UCLA in the quarterfinals, rebounded from a two-game deficit, winning 3-2 over the 1st-seated 49ers of Long Beach State. Against BYU in the finals, Pepperdine continued its victory streak, winning 3-2 games (28-30, 28-30, 32-30, 30-27, 15-8). Perhaps the Waves should be renamed the Tsunamis.

In Week 2 the national championships were held at the Bren Event Center on the UC Irvine campus. The three regional champions - the Mountain/Pacific’s Pepperdine Waves, the Midwest’s Ohio State Buckeyes and Eastern’s Penn State Nittany Lions were joined by the Long Beach State 49ers, the “at-large” competitor, typically the highest ranking team not already competing.

With the Anteaters hosting but not competing in the competition, I was on the fence on attending. My indecision was resolved by a friend’s free ticket to Thursday’s semifinals. Just a week after their last face off in the regionals, the Waves repeated victory over the 49ers with a 3-0 sweep. Meanwhile Penn State triumphed 3-1 over Ohio State. ESPN2 broadcasted Saturday’s final and I watched the Waves winning streak end with a 1-3 loss (30-27, 31-33, 25-30, 23-30). In Men’s College Volleyball National Championships’ 38 years, Mountain/Pacific region teams have won all but two titles, both times by Penn State. Congrats to the Nittany Lions.

No more volleyball talk until January except for the Olympics in August. But that lasts only two weeks. Count your blessings (again).

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 27 & May 4, 2008) Part 1 of 2

Greetings from Fountain Valley, California, USA!
Photo taken on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

I’m back. Life has a way of distracting you. Yet this email is all about life - the times alone or shared, big and small, unique or routine, happy or sad. A perfect example is this week’s photo of two friends’ son taking his daily bath. It was a classic slice-of-life moment guaranteed to make people crack a smile. I was at their house at bath time and just couldn’t pass up taking a few shots as “Boo”, his nickname, splashed in the tub. The glass doors spared me from getting my own bath.

In other news, I attended a film festival. Park City (Utah) has Sundance, New York City has Tribeca and Newport Beach has, well, the Newport Beach Film Festival. A friend had four extra passes but I only took two as the festival ended the next day. I could only go that night, having plans already for the following evening. I picked two movies, was delayed and arrived far too late to watch the first one but did see the second.

The movie was “Osso Bucco”, an Italian dish loved by one character. Except for the opening and closing scenes, the movie takes place entirely in a Chicago restaurant on a stormy winter evening. As you may have already guessed, various people are snowed in without electricity overnight. Despite the clichéd situation, the actors and their roles made the story enjoyable. The characters and plot involved two cops trying to arrest two mobsters, one of whom has a crushed on the food server who is in a rocky relationship with the restaurant manager. Typically at film festivals, members of the movie’s cast and crew had a question & answer session after the screening, providing insight into the moviemaking process. Overall I give the movie and that evening two thumbs up.

By the way you may have noticed the two dates in the header. I had a topic that encompassed both weeks and decided not to break it up. But you have to wait until my next email to read all about it. Sorry. A little suspense won’t kill you, right?

One weekly email down and just how many more until I am caught up (again)? I’ll forgo counting. The number may discourage and delay me even more. Then I’ll get further behind and this vicious cycle continues. But Boo has the right idea. Soaking in a warm bath is one of life’s simple joys. Just don’t use your laptop while in the tub. The water damage is irreversible and, no, that is not the “distraction” that delayed my weekly emails. I’m just saying…

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 20, 2008)

Greetings from West Covina, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, April 20, 2008.

Tax Day 4/15 was this week. I always use my previous tax return when doing the current one and something odd showed up. I worked nearly all of 2006 but barely half of 2007. Yet my total income for 2007 exceeded that for 2006. I checked and saw why but will skip the explanation. Nonetheless it is all legitimate and accurate. Now I am inspired to figure out how to not work at all and have more income.

College men’s volleyball began its playoffs. My two alma maters UCI and USC met twice during the regular season with the Trojans losing both times. Wednesday night was the third face off. A friend could not attend and asked me to text the score every five points as the game was not broadcast via television, radio or internet. My texting skills are beginner level and I would have spent the entire match typing. Instead I updated him every 10 points and the experience proved to be a great crash course in texting shorthand. The UCI Anteaters won 3 games to 2 (24-30, 30-26, 21-30, 30-25, 15-9).

The next match was on Saturday in Provo, Utah, against the formidable Cougars of Brigham Young University (BYU). Team UCI had also faced them twice during the regular season, including one exciting match that I recounted back in February, and the Cougars defeated the Anteaters both times. My experiences in new technology continued. Earlier this month I listened to an internet radio feed of one match, then I mastered texting and now I watched the game through an internet video feed. The Anteaters started badly but improved with each game. Nevertheless the Cougars ultimately won 3 games to 1 (30-20, 30-22, 28-30, 30-28).

Season over for Team UCI but the regional and national championships are still to come and both are being held locally. With my favored team out, I am less inclined to go but still interested to see who wins the two titles.

Finally this is my 10th straight photo of the week without repeating a city. The pressure is on. How long can I keep this going? I recently mentioned that my parents were expanding their house’s guest bedroom. The work began two weeks ago with the tearing down of the enclosed patio. The foundation has been laid and the framework is going up as shown in the photo. Since I’m not working I could stay there and take daily shots of the work but my parents have no internet connection (or cable!). After my recent experiences in technology, how could I ever live so primitively again?

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 13, 2008)

Greetings from Beverly Hills, California, USA!
Photo taken on Monday, April 7, 2008.

On Monday I trekked to Los Angeles to meet with yet another headhunter in my never-ending job search. Although the appointment was for 10 AM after the morning work rush, I still added time for possible traffic but it was not enough. I hit a slow patch and ultimately got off the freeway and braved the streets, which actually slowed me more. I was a half-hour late but did call earlier to tell my contact of the delay.

Having already driven this far, I had planned to spend the rest of the day in the City of Angels. I tentatively scheduled to meet a friend for a late breakfast but my earlier delay made it lunch instead. We ate at Farmers Market where the vendors offer a world of choices – Chinese, French, Cajun, to name just three. I chose Mexican. Then I went to the neighboring shopping center The Grove for a quick browse before going to my next destination.

Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive needs no introduction. But I will mention that the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the setting of the movie Pretty Woman, is located at the Wilshire Boulevard intersection and its lobby is my photo of the week. While I did not see “Vivian”, a celebrity was “walking down the street”. The woman caught my attention only because of the half-dozen photographers trailing her. Who she is, I do not know and the paparazzi definitely looked and behaved unruly.

Final stop was Museum Mile, the stretch of Wilshire Blvd. containing the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Page Natural History Museum. The Petersen is closed on Mondays but I have been to it before so not a disappointment. I had also been to the Page before but revisited it, awed again by the fossils, all from the neighboring La Brea Tar Pits. I also saw the Japanese Art Pavilion at LACMA before finally heading home.

After that packed day, I did not go out again until Friday evening to watch friends play in a softball league. Then for nearly three hours on Saturday afternoon, I played beach volleyball, the first time this year. The construction work last month eliminated much of the sore muscles that I could have had later. We played in Huntington Beach and finding a street parking spot was a challenge. In fact I drove around so much that I had trouble finding my car later because every street looked familiar. Lastly I went to a three-year-old’s birthday party on Sunday. I missed the water balloon fight but later I was able to appease my inner child by playing with one of the gifts. I have now added a super-soaker to my wish list and my birthday is next month (hint, hint).

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 6, 2008)

Greetings from Laguna Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, April 6, 2008.

I declare March 2008 as permanently missing. Of the 25 days from Monday 3/2 to Thursday 3/27, I worked on 23 of them. A few were half-days but most were easily full days and then some, painting walls and hammering nails and cutting wood. Meanwhile the rest of my life suffered. Laundry piled up. Job search sputtered. Even these weekly emails were delayed. I am amazed at what my body endured and what it needed to recover. When the job was done, I spent the following day sleeping. In fact I slept a lot over the next several days. I’d wake up after a full night’s rest, eat a meal, watch TV and fall asleep again for several more hours. Now my batteries are fully recharged again.

A sign that life is back to normal is watching a UCI Men’s Volleyball competition. I missed every home game in March but on Tuesday night, April 1st, no fooling - I went to another match, this one against the nationally ranked #2 team, the Matadors of California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In a close first game, CSUN won 30-28 and UCI took the second game 30-24. Game 3 was one for the record books. The 2-point lead needed to win made the game lasted well past the 30-point minimum. The final score was an impressive 42-40, UCI winning. For the CSUN Matadors, the defeat severely dampened their energy as game 4 ended with a humbling 30-18 loss, giving the UCI Anteaters the match, 3 games to 1.

I later read an article that stated Game 3 was the UCI team’s longest ever and the 42-40 score was the third highest in conference history. The two highest scores were 45-43 and 43-41 and coincidentally also involved CSUN. But the article did not mention the other opponents or the winners of those games. The UCI team is on the road for its final three matches of the regular season. They competed and won again on Saturday night against the Gauchos of sister university UC Santa Barbara. That victory clinched a spot for the Anteaters in the playoffs.

Lastly here is the weekly photo. Despite the many hours and days spent on work, I was able to squeeze in some photography. Yet ironically this week was completely open and I didn’t take a single picture until Sunday afternoon. Also I had not repeated a city in the photos for several weeks. I went to Laguna Beach to continuing that trend, ignoring my recent practice to avoid unnecessary driving due to high fuel prices and no income. The picture is of the landmark lifeguard building of the city’s Main Beach. The shot is a bit blurry but the last light in the evening sky exuded layers of blue hues possessing a calming quality, the perfect way to end any day. Thank You and Good Night.

Angelo