Monday, January 31, 2005

Californian Sunrise...

Californian Sunrise...

After a long and crazy weekend, my brother and I woke up at 5am today because we crashed so early last night. Well one thing led to another and he suggested that we walk down to the beach and go watch the sunrise. What a great idea. We were actually out there for about an hour, examining a part of the day that neither one of us knows much about. It was so cool listening to the earth -wake up-. I mentioned to him that it was kind of an out of body experience…stepping back and taking a look at the system Im apart of---the seagulls, the noisy cars on their morning commute, the slow moving ships, the bikers and joggers, the stream of exhaust from the jets..etc ….I remember looking at my cell and seeing the time imaging my normal routine of dragging my sorry ass out of bed and standing half asleep in the scolding hot shower.

We always try and imagine what this place must have been like before people settled it. How peaceful it must have been.

Jack Johnsons -Traffic In The Sky- complimented the morning commute and surnrise perfectly.

Anyway, I arrived to work refreshed and ready to get down to business (hence this blog;). I highly suggest a sunrise viewing to everyone!

puzzle pieces in the ground

but no one ever seems to be digging

instead they're looking up towards the heavens

with their eyes on the heavens

there are shadows on the way to the heaven

its enough to make me cry

but that dont seem like it would make it feel better

The answers could be found

we could learn from digging down

but no one ever seems to be digging

instead theyll say...”


Saturday, January 29, 2005

Pick a Pony...

Pick a Pony...
yo, wicked!

Santa Anita

Santa Anita
Today was one of those rare super clear days in LA...you could see the Hollywood sign from Long Beach! The smog disappears after a rain. Go Fig! Anyway, we headed over to the Santa Anita Track for some horse-racing and boozin'! Dave's buddy Kim got us VIP and I got the drinks;-) RESPEK.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Mission Beach

Mission Beach
Mission Beach, San Diego. I promised Tugba I'd post a picture of Dana (with Smiles and I) in tribute to her beloved D-trainees of 2002. It was great meeting up with Dana after 2 years, and it was especially cool that it was her birthday. We didn't have so much time to catch-up actually, but instead spent it doing what we did best in Turkiye: "make party"!

Monday, January 24, 2005

Survival Tip

From Joel, haha I miss da hell outta that kid!

Today's Alcoholic Survival Tip:
Next time you are too drunk to drive, walk to the nearest pizza shop
place an order, and when they go to deliver it, catch a ride home with
them.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Americana...

Americana...Flicka, Flicka! Your little piece of Americana for the day...


Saturday, January 22, 2005

Bros

Bros
yo, 3 drakes in da LBC. I know what everybody's thinking, "But you don't look alike". Yo, milkman fo' real:)

WTF

From the "WTF" files..Bigups to my bud Hud for finding this one..

http://www.boreme.com/bm/JAN05/a/vw-suicide-bomber/fr.htm

Yeah, not expecting to see this one on the tele anytime soon..

Friday, January 21, 2005

Whaddaya Know...

So, for those of you who don't know..I'm currently stationed by the VA Hospital in Long Beach. I was talking to one of my colleagues who was complaining that she didn't get to meet Tom Cruise when he was here a few years ago..I was like, "WTF"??

Apparently they shoot movies and shows here a lot: Jerry McGuire, Six Feet Under, Collateral Damage, and who could forget "Gigli"..I guess this hospital is one of the only ones that allows a fliming crew into their morgue so basically anytime you see one, they're filming here. DIOS MIO.


Tortilla Flats

Tortilla Flats
Picture of the week: Some Brazilians and I at Tortilla Flats in West Village, Manhattan circa March 2004. This past spring Mahbod and his friends and I did a 14 hour pub-crawl throughout Manhattan..only to end up at a funky little joint called Tortilla Flats..a well known "establishment" to the East Coast AIESECer breed. I'm happy and a little bit scared that some are entering through those doors for the first time (MelT)...HAHA! Happy Hour Tequila Shots 1-4am...Need I say more?

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Ah Yeah!

Ah Yeah!
These billboards are starting to ring truer and truer by the day!

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Roof, Beaches, and Rum...

is all you need...as my bro's friend pointed out.

For those of you who say the "American Dream" is no longer true...you know the thought that generation after generation gets better and better...I say "nay". At least for siblings at least. I remember when I was unemployed after college. Drinking and stumbling around the snow..staring out the window into the endless grey...boredom. My little brother? Typical day: wakes up when I do (630am)..it's cool cause Cali is sunny and beautiful even at that ungodly hour. He rides my bike on the beach for a few hours, watching the sun rise over the Pacific. Then he hits the gym for a hour or two. Next, he heads over to the beach and does NADA except laugh it up with friends..but that has to come to an end to make it for happy hour at the bars...by the time he gets back to my apartment I've already had a drink or two and then he proceeds to go the bars while I admit defeat and the fact that I have to be productive the next day...haha...I'm serious folks, I live out here without a job, to have a roof, the beach in January, and a wee bit of rum...you can't wrong..it seems to me most are trying to figure it out...its the vicious circle: when you are working you are trying to find ways to get out if it, and when you are unemployed you are trying to find work..unless you're my brother:) He's livin the American Dream..godspeed lil Drake..even though I'm supporting him..I don't want him to get a job..how screwy is that ?? I almost love that he is defying everything that America says to do..BE AMBITIOUS..GET A JOB, SIR..WORK HARD..buy things you don't need!! Well..he'll soon be caught in the trap like the rest of us..so I guess that plays a factor somewhat...HE BETTER AT LEAST..im gettin' way tooo jealous..

Well, I can't upload pictures for some reason which is horrible. I hate updates without pictures. I've had such a crazy time lately.....First off Andreea MARINESCU, the craziest (and smartest) Romanian I know came out for the weekend, and we soon met up with TURKIYE's FINEST FEMALE TRAINEE FROM 2002..Dana! We celebrated her 22nd birthday in some coolass Czech Bar in San Diego with live freestyling and all that blackout jazz...

That day we woke up, I swear each day out here is more beautiful than the last, and my buddy Frank said, "why not?", and cracked a few more brewskis while my older bro flew into San Diego with a couple of my friends for work..Image all of these kids getting drunk laying on the sidewalk while couples walk to the church which is like 500 ft away..Surya even got a DD ..happy birthday buddy! Can't wait to see you in Austin! Gaigi is coming, too..we're gonna do it up right! Anyway, all three Drake brothers ended up drinking on the beach..surrounded by the coolest cats around...a far cry from the normal January routine of binge drinking vodka and listening to Eminem! I'll have to post a picture when I can, cause quite honestly I don't remember a lot of the beach. I just remember my lil brother walking into a restaurant with no shoes and steel reserve..he was served properly.

Anyway, I wish I had pictures, cause I'm even boring myself with this entry...really...there's always so much I want to write, but for some reason I always hold back the crazy stuff...I just feel like it always comes and bites me in the ass. Ah well. The bottom line is, its really nice out here. I keep waiting for the awe to wear off, but it doesn't. God today was nice. I think there was an AIESEC girl trainees in Poland who once blogged "I worship the sun". Amen. I guess freezing your ass off for 24 years will allow you appreciate the simpler things in life:

Quote of the week from the Channel 7 weatherman "folks, that wraps it up for the 5 day forecast, enjoy it out there, people would kill to have our lows for their highs, we're the envy of the hemisphere". HAHA. Hemisphere? Riiiggght. But you have to tell us Americans something! He certainly isn't far from the truth..Nation perhaps. God LA has such an ego it cracks me up. Come se dice "Brazil" in Portuguese por favor!? Booyakasha, bitches! 2 weeks. Now that's an envy of the hemisphere!

I guess Bush is gonna be sworn in tomorrow. It's amazing how apolitical I've become here. SoCal (at least in this little beach community) really seems to be in its own world..so much that people can't be bothered with some crook being sworn in in the snow:) Maybe there's still a little tension..another rum and coke, please! 4 more years, 4 more drinks!

Friday, January 14, 2005

Bumper Cars

Bumper Cars
picture of the week comes from good ole gloomy Michigan..from an expressway anyone from the area knows quite well (MSU). Quote of the week: "I like the change of seasons" OVERRATED.
http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/tenday.html?locid=USCA0632. 10 days of golden sun and temps in the 70s!? Woooo! I'll take 2, please!

Although I must confess things aren't as peachy as they appear right now. Dave is down at the beach as we speak, drinking beer with friends in jobless bliss. Meanwhile, I'm hungover in an office under flourescent lights listening to a jackhammer (the office is under construction) Dios Mio! What's wrong with this picture? So tempted to call in the rest of the day...

Give me the long weekend!!

Thursday, January 13, 2005

I LIKE...I HOPE...YOU LIKEEEE

Booyakasha! Bigupyerself, Tondar, for keeping tabs on our main man BORAT!

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/38069.htm

"TINA YOU FAT LARD COME GET SOME DINNER!!"

Been watchin' a lot of "Napoleon Dynamite" lately...GOSHHHHH that movie cracks me up...anyone who's familiar and or interested in smalltown USA should def. check out this flick!

Little Chocolates With Booze In Them...

As if the US Government needs more excuses to bog it down in illogical bureaucracy and convoluted confusion...a contractor brings these in...their holiday leftovers....Yipppppppeeeeeeeeeeeee

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

And So....Congratulations!

And So....Congratulations!
I just wanted to be the first to congratulate Tugba for being selected to the Austrialian MC! Her hard work and dedication (not to mention her ability to pound Raki in Taksim) in the Turkish MC has paid off yet again! Tugba, I'm so happy for you and I hope everything works out!! Rim of Fire, Babe!!!

Friday, January 07, 2005

From the LBC to Osaka..

From the LBC to Osaka..
picture of the week: Peter's last night in the LBC. I also wanted to wish everyone over near E. Europe a very Merry (Julian) Christmas!!

WTF

WTF
I just heard on the Weather Channel that Southern California has gotten as much rain since Christmas as it normally does during ANNUALLY. WTF. It's raining cats and dogs out there. Yesterday, I got a postcard from Digs from Malaysia saying "the sun shines even on a dog's face" (referring to me moving to Cali)..and all I can say is: DOES IT?!?!

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Pimp Your Bro's Apartment..

haha! i'm tellin ya, i think I'm onto something!! Or on something.. My bro and his friend RJ drove all the way across the country, and then proceeded to completely change my apartment around all within the first 2 hours of being in Long Beach...I actually left the apartment and went for a jog to come back shocked..i was jumping up and down..screaming hysterically ...uncontrollable tears, I'm gonna be soooo popular with my friends now..Xibit would have been proud!

Highlight of seeing my brother? Watching him and his buddy light up cigarettes in a bar in California...whoops a daisy..culture shock for these boys...

How Not To Do My Job...

We used to talk about this woman a lot in my contracting classes....

From the "60 Minutes" website for tonight (Wednesday, January 5) 8:00 PM ET

"Correspondent Scott Pelley has the story of a woman who cost taxpayers
billions in the biggest Pentagon scandal in years."
This story relates to the Darleen Druyan, who recently began a nine month
prison sentence for violating federal conflict-of-interest laws for
negotiating a job with Boeing while still working on Boeing's contracts for
the Air Force.

Worse Than War..

http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050105/2005-01-05T154044Z_01_L04500531_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-QUAKE-DC.html

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Cedric!

Cedric!

It was "Chocolate Sunday" at the Laugh Factory Sunday night. Mack snapped this photo of Cedric the Entertainer, who walked on Sunday...

You Say Goodbye, I say Hello!

You Say Goodbye, I say Hello!

This entry is dedicated to none other than Mackenzie "Mack" and her brother who were also in town for this weekend. We had a great time hitting up the scenes in the LBC, Hollywood, chillin out in my apartment, and of course her Aunt's boat in the Long Beach harbor! I can't wait to see you guys again! Mack, have a blast in Swaziland, and Peter, I'll be over in Osaka soon, just you wait and see;) It's really so random that we met in Guelph through a little crazy Belizean named Lu, but I'm so glad we did!

Little bro has arrived in the LBC...Champagne time, baby!
THE WHISTLES WOOOOOOOOO!

Hook 'Em!!

  • Hook 'Em!!
    My buddy Tondar from Atlanta and Brent (not pictured) from Salt Lake Citah joined Frank the Tank and I at the 91st Rose Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and my old alma-mater, the Michigan Wolverines. Even though we lost by a point in the last second of the game, it was still a great time. I was certainly "hooked" in this picture! I must say everyone we met from Austin was supercool, and I wouldnt mind visiting that campus!..Ah, what a fun time in Pasadena, albeit a little crazy;)