scribbles

Cafe Kung-fu

I love working at the cafe. I end up meeting so many folks from the store, not to mention the employees from the rest of the complex. I often get offered free meals from my man Marlex at Pasta Pomodoro. Folks from the AMC right next-door come over often to chat, and people from Pottery Barn and Banana Republic (sup, Sharon!) drop by often. It's just great seeing these folks around.

And tonight, our store had a customer appreciation night with free food and games/prizes for people. It was loads of fun! I didn't even feel like I was working: just goofin' off and trying to get customers to take the free coffee instead of ordering it from us (less work for me!).

It's also interesting observing people. For instance, tonight there was a couple that came in and the girl ordered something and the guy didn't get a thing, and yet he pulls out a 20 to pay. That freakin' cracks-me-up. I couldn't help but to grin while getting the AFC's change. And this happens pretty often. It always gives me a good chuckle.

On that note, I've got some unpleasant information for some people. Go watch Fight Club.

Winter Truckee Trip '03

The Premise: three days of vacation.

The Plan: head to Truckee and carve tracks in snow with fat boards. Mayhem and malady.

The People: William, Kevin, and the guy holding the camera who only got an occasional photo of himself. Dumbasses.

The Plot: Upon arrival in Truckee (North Tahoe, near Reno), they find Charles' awesome cabin and head immediately for some twilight boarding at Boreal. William preps himself up, and Kevin keeps himself mellow with a few hits before hits on his ass. The other guy is notedly more excited than the others. That night on the hill proves to be excellent: the weather is comfortably lacking in extreme cold, and the lifts are line-less coupled with a sparsely populated and lightly-powdered hill. The group is giddy.

This rowdy bunch follows the evening's Boreal boarding butt-bashing with a search for an open pizza parlor until finally coming upon Round Table. They head back to the cabin. There, they settle their tensed bodies, gracious for chairs under their war-torn seats. A hearty, solemn-faced meal follows. Afterwards, the mandatory guzzling of beer is accompanied by chips/salsa and E.L. Fudge cookies while surfing through the unentertaining channels.

The first day ends.

The next day, one of them gets up and takes a few silly stretches (while looking like a dead man on the floor!). William gets up to do his own morning workout on the BowFlex. Then, it's time for coffee at a little award-winning cafe/bakery with a certified master baker.

After noon hits, they head to Donner without Kevin who lies in bed and has either gone too long without a hit or has fallen ill to some rare tropical disease. They down energy drinks
while bumpin' to Chemical Brothers. They do an exceptionally bad thing grinding down the One Mile Run and then searching for Hans Run which leads them to (1) a stupendously steep black diamond and (2) a stupendously powdered, ungroomed hill. After a recharge, the dumbasses take it to the top again. William lets the mountain know that he only wants peace. The other one demonstrates the art of falling.

When riding on the lift, one must always be a gentleman, crossing one's legs, and asking the chair behind you: "Pardon me, would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?"

And then, a great shadow comes across the land, enveloping all in its reaches, bringing our adventurers back into the safe confines of the cabin, where they would mend their wounded muscles. Food, beer, hot tub, and a showing of A Simple Plan with Gitane follows. And then, there is more general lounging around.

The next morning, there is yet even more general lounging around. What incredible sloths these folk be. And yet, they manage to clean up the bedroom and finish drinking their precious cran-tangerine juice.

And, after this simple fun and relaxing (and muscle-mending!) trip, they head up and out!

Thanks to Charles for letting us chill at his cabin! ROX!

Berkeley Once More

Not un-like the soft rustling of tangerined leaves whistling through autumn's hazy lights, I venture back to one of my various homes: Berkeley. There, in the stereotypically PC, liberally infested, and student rampaged town, I spring once more to the only cafe that I can call my own: Espresso Experience. At times when I decide to journey on to other venues, I dare not commit caffeinated adultery by ordering the same drink that I always do here. Blasphemy!

Here, snuggled comfortably about the usual chair at the window, observing pedestrians and pathetic parallel parkers when occasionally veering up from the current reading material (today, it's Yukio Mishima's horrendously bleak Confessions of a Mask), I take a touch of drink and sporadically lose my place.

I talk to the bus boy who I'm surprised is still there since last I saw him; he's always in a cheery mood wearing a backwards cap and cleaning the place in his half-rugged half-gentle manner.

A piece of postage from Janet came for me today. It's a late New Years card. What a funny gal! And just the other day, I received a postcard from Nonaka-san from Japan that's completely written in Japanese, and I can read it all. I'm quite impressed with myself at my remarkable ability to comprehend extremely basic Japanese.

I still must stretch my vocabulary so that my Japanese will have incredible oosamu pawaa.

I will end on a sad note: Oolong has finally departed. It's quite sad.

Books, Booze, and B&N

Good ol' Grant (hi!) has inspired me to finally update. Wow! I once had a cameo on his blog!

So, kids, what have I been up to since my last update which was--what--a month ago? I haven't had much time, and I still don't have much time, so I'll make it short and simple for both you and I.

Finals were completed. I had trouble with Kanji. I am applying for study abroad programs to go to Waseda or Kyoto in the fall. I have been doing more reading--especially Japanese literature that's been recommended to me by Japanese friends.

I got a traffic ticket that I will bring to court and win.

I have been drinking quite a bit.

I watched Two Towers and Catch Me If You Can. On New Years, I hopped a couple of parties and ended up at my friend's place, inebriated and watching the Conan DVD with commentary from the director and Arnold; then we proceeded to view Big Trouble in Little China. Ah, there's nothing like David Lo Pan looking for a Chinese girl with green eyes. Last night, I finally got my hands on Bridget Jones's Diary.

I am the master barrista at my Barnes & Noble. In fact, I'm getting a pay raise soon. To think, I couldn't even make a single drink until last month.

In a few weeks, the plan is set to go to Lake Tahoe for a ski trip.

And afterwards, it's time for more rockin' Japanese learnin' action! Hiya!

And now, I am being unlike other blogs and saying what I am currently listening to, which is The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 1. You go Yoshimi.