morning: munnar, india

im still trying to process this morning's view
it was unlike any ive ever seen. 

the misty clouds didnt seem to move much, they stayed put like a well trained mascot. down below they were all nestled together in the deepest part of the valley while pockets of them hid below the forrest right above the surrounding tree lines. 

sunrise was at 06:16 and with coffee in hand i had a cool 3 minutes to savor the moment. the birds kept arguing down below our balcony, they were at it for the past few hours but i didnt mind it much. some of the neighbors began chanting and singing something traditional that i can only assume is local munnar tunes. 

the sun finally rose but it wasnt strong enough to pierce through the clouds. nevertheless, the sun's rays did something to the forrest. the clouds that were motionless a few minutes ago began to sprawl up the valley like a giant octopus. something unseen was set into motion: the clouds knew it, the birds knew it and now i knew it. 

i still cant believe im in india. i remember the look my mother gave me when i told her that i was coming here and to a certain degree, rightfully so. ive seen alot of faces on my travels and now that theyve brought me here, i can see why alot of people have a certain impression of india. 

from how they approach customs & immigration or their driving with seemingly no rules of the road but a simple set of car honks. add the long and lingering looks of strangers and india to the western newcomer might seem like a frightening place. 

but if you wait a question through the long gazes might emerge with a "hi, where you from?" or "can i take picture with you?"
out of those loud and annoying honks a pattern will begin to emerge and will quickly realize that all those cars are communicating. 

and, if you wait just a bit longer, out of those long and unwavering stares a smile will peak through. 

this will be day 2 in munnar, india and i feel like ive seen and experienced alot already. ill end with some wise and uplifting words i read this morning from c.s. lewis' mere christianity.

"when a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. when a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less. a moderately bad man knows he is not a very good; a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. this is common sense, really. you understand sleep when you are awake, not while you are sleeping. you can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. you can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. good people know about both good and evil, bad people do not know about either."

God bless 

tokyo, japon: round dos

we woke at the crack of dawn and flew from kyoto to tokyo on peach airlines. its probably the cheapest way to travel and if you have solid plans peach is a good option. but my travel plans werent solid, they never really are so i booked a refundable fare but peach makes it a nightmare to make any changes to your reservation even if you book a refundable fare. you only get your cash back in points and the points arent automatially placed into an account. it takes a few days for the points to appear, which come in the form of an email where you are given a voucher number. none of this is explained on the website, its all very obscure and you're left in the dark not knowing what the hell is going on.

"why not give them call?" you might say. 

i did, several times, at different times of the day, and all i got was a pre-recorded peach message. luckily i cancelled my leg in advance and got the points voucher a few days before i needed to fly but if i was truly in a bind id be screwed.

ok, so back to tokyo.

tokyo was fun, tokyo was intense, tokyo was tokyo. 

we stayed a few blocks from machiya station with some co-workers from our seattle station. in total, there were 10 people, included us staying at this house and we were crammed. it was all good though, like all trips you never really intend to spend your time at the place youre staying at. we went out the same night and headed to the hirajuku area. the group wanted to shop, i just wanted to eat. we walked and walked, saw some interesting outfits and finally found some chow. it was a gyoza restaurant, nothing really fancy. we ordered 4 fried rounds and 2 steamed and it was heaven. the rest of the night we walked, hopped on trains, and walked some more. we had some drinks but all i really wanted was some sleep. 

the next day we really didnt have anything planned. it was our sole day in tokyo, the following days would be spent in tokyo disney and tokyo disney sea. brianne had never been to tokyo, aron and i had. we were hungry so we looked up a sushi joint that had great reviews and off we were. after some wrong turns and walkin aimlessly through subway tunnels, we finally found our spot. it was one of those conveyor type sushi joints where the plates are priced depending on the color. the three of us went to town. the sushi was cheap and tasty, no waiting no hassle trying to translate; just look and grab. afterwards we headed to tokyo tower, then went to zojo-ji temple where they were having another yearly furniture burning. last time i was in tokyo they were having the same event, i should probably look into it. it looked cool though, there were munks humming, furniture burning, and it was just an odd sight to see.

we walked some more after that, stopped for some manaken waffles, then headed to shibuya to walk the five corner intersection. but not before having some bubble tea on the way. once we were done taking mandatory selfies and touristee videos of the shibuya crosswalk madness, we headed back to our hood and had some tempura. it was good

the next 2 days were spent in tokyo disney and sea and it was a fun time. if i had to choose a park id have to with disney sea. its bigger and they have journey to the center of the world. the food options arent the best but you will come to find massive lines for the popcorn. didnt get to try any but there was one that definitely got away, soy sauce and butter popcorn. there is also something to be said of the tokyo disney staff and that is that they are AWESOME! i hardly ever use all caps but they truly are. every single worker is giving 100% in something in as simple as hello and goodbye. i honestly think that was the most impressive thing about tokyo disney; not the rides, not the food (soy sauce & butter popcorn maybe), but the staff. makes you think twice about what you do and where your passions lie. 

from disney sea we went our seperate ways. aron flew back home to LA, and brianne and i continued on our travels. tokyo was fun but its such a massive city. it needs to be broken down in a manner that suits you, which takes planning. next time i might take some of that advice and plan a little more but judging from the little ive seen i know that tokyo wont dissapoint. 

but now im in the abu dhabu, uae waiting on a flight to india and something tells me the best is yet to come.

up next: kochi, india

kyoto, japon

in order to get to kyoto from osaka's kansai airport we needed to hop on a train; easier said than done. once you narrow down all of your options and decide which rail pass makes the most sense, you quickly realize that none of the train ticket kioks take credit cards. i brought some american cash and converted to yen and we were on our way. a little under 2 hours later and we were in kyoto.

it was overcast, a bit chilly, and the train station was crowded AF. it didnt take long to get oriented and we quickly found our way to our airbnb. the place was tiny but comfy. all i wanted to do was nap, which would've been a wrap on the day but i was also starving. brianne and aron weren't quite at the same crossroads as i so we began to walk towards kyoto's main rail station, which is also a massive underground shopping mall filled with delicious restaurants. we had something that i really cant recall, i was exhausted and hungry and everything was a blur. after dinner we kept walking through the mall then headed back to our place. sleep quickly settled in 

the following morning i felt like a new man. i was well rested and after surviving the tiniest shower in my life, i felt like i could take the world. aron on the other hand was not. aron stands at 6'3 and if the shower was too tiny for me, i could only imagine what kind of cirque de solei moves he had to bust in order to get things properly washed... 

also, i apparently have a snoring problem, which was never that bad but by the morning looks of my travel mates its taken a turn for the worse as...the trip would prove later on.

a cloudy, chilly and now rainy morning greeted us, you mix that with hunger and chemistry tells that you automatically get ramen for breakfast; you just cant disupute the science. and we just so happenned to find thee best ramen spot in kyoto: daiichi asahi.

totally unassuming and a few blocks away from the beehive of kyoto railstation.

we must've gotten there a few minutes after they opened. the patrons were mostly locals, the place was small and intimate with a rectangular kitchen in full view with one cook manning the dull pans sitting on the burners spewing steam like locomotives. put simply, it was the best damn ramen i've ever had. there were no pieces of paper to fill, the only choice to be made was the type of meat you wanted and then it was brought to you. ive never not finished my ramen, in fact i usually order extra but not this time. there was a point when i didnt know if the ramen would end. the broth had a great balance, not too thick and not too thin. the noodles were thin but hearty and had a fresh quality that i really cant describe.

the rest of my eats in kyoto can be described the same way. everything tasted fresh and there really wasnt anything i didnt like.  

after ramen we spent the next 2 days hopping from cab, bus and trains to the many temples and shrines all strewn across kyoto prefecture. brianne, being the planner that she is already had a list of the best temples we should hit like enko-ji, kinkaku-ji, tenryu-ji along with the bamboo forrest, and fushimi inari-taisha just to name a few. every single temple was beautiful in its own respect (my favorite being fushimi-iinari), some more grandiesque than others, but each one had its one serene and tranquil vibe that everyone needs from time to time.  

one thing that you will find yourself doing alot in kyoto, besides the eating of course, is walking. unless you're a baller and have money to spend on cabs from shrine to shrine, temple to temple, it would be wise to buy a local kyoto bus day pass. its not that expensive and they go pretty much everywhere in the city. the local subway does not as we later found out. also, if you're american or if you're using an american debit card, the only places that you'll be able to take out cash will be in two spots: 7-eleven and the japanese post office. 

in short, my stay in kyoto was great. it was sad leaving all of that serenity behind but something tells me that ill be back.  

japan, lets try this again

we're on the last leg of a 48 hour journey across the pacific. in a perfect world brianne, aron and i wouldve been in kyoto having already enjoyed late night sushi over some hot & rich sake. instead, we spent a night in marina del rey at aron's, and the following night in seoul, south korea.

regardless, we're on a flight out to osaka, japan and that's all that matters at this moment. the last time i was in japan things really didn't go according to plan and what was supposed to be a week long trip ultimately became just one night. id like to think of myself a bit wiser this time around with friends that continue to help me grow.

japan: day in t-minus 30 minutes   

monday was a pretty crazy day

my alarm went off at 4:00am but i snoozed a few times; i rolled my eyes, i didn't want to start the day. my flight to jfk was scheduled at 6:59am and there were two airport shuttles from downtown montreal that i could take: 5:01am or 5:31am. i knew it'd be risky but i went with the 5:31am not truly knowing how much of a risk it'd actually be.  

along the way these were some of the challenges that i encountered:

the shuttle was 10 minutes late 

my metro card for some reason wasn't reading but by thee grace of God the driver let me on

by the time i got to the american airlines counter, i was late for international check-in

the check-in lady must've felt sorry for me because the next thing i know she hands me a boarding pass and tells me "give it a shot, but we will not wait for you" that was all i needed. i thanked her and bolted towards the gates. i thought i had things in the bag but i quickly realized that it wasn't going to be that easy.

US customs and immigration is done at montreal airport so when i got to security the line was out of control. i was about to throw the cards and give it up but then i realized that there must be a global entry line somewhere! or not. 

i frantically looked but nothing, no signage, nada. i approached a security agent and asked him if there was a global entry line, he paused, my sphincter tightened, and then he slowly pointed. directly behind me, a few yards away, right next to the crew-member & airport employee line there was a sign that read global entry

my heart lepped. and yet again global entry saves the day. i've had global entry for a little over a year now and its probably one of the best $100 dollars i've ever spent. seriously. seriously seriously.

it was 6:25am when i got my customs slip from the kiosk and it was 6:35am when i got past the CBP officer. i was greeted by the pre-boarding announcement when i reached my gate. it was a sweet sound. there were so many variables in play that had to go my way in order to get where i was at. not just at the boarding gate but in general. a few minutes later i was given my seat and a moments later i was sitting in 18a waiting for push back.

i wish i could say that that was it but my day had only just begun. from new york i flew to san francisco and from there finally to seattle. it was long long day but thats the kind of job and life i signed up for. wouldn't have it any other way. God bless!

montreal: leisure or work?

i've answered this question many times before but this time was different; still, i checked the box that said leisure and went with it. as we got through the customs line the agent looked at my sketchy and battered passport and asked why i was in montreal.

i didnt freeze but i will say that she caught me taking an extra second to answer, which then prompted her to send me to secondary questioning. i walked inside this office that kind of resembled a clean DMV - if there was ever one - and standing in front of the line there was this huge black guy. he didnt seem all that happy, which was cool because he caused a scene and began demanding an explanation of "why am i in this damn line for?!" the customs agent was having none of it and quickly put him in his place "sir, you can go back if you want." he changed his tone and then i was called.

the agent, a young dude, hipster looking, asked me why i was in montreal and i said primarily for work. he suspiciously looked at my customs form and asked for who and for how long. i answered and he flipped through my passport a few more times. i flipped my shit a few times being that i didnt have anymore room in my passport. he didnt seem to care though and stamped right on top of another country and said welcome to montreal.

michelle was waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator and she couldnt have looked more beautiful. maybe it was the possibility being detained or deported back to the states, but it felt so great to see a good friend on the other side. we quickly figured out how to get into the city and found our hostel in minutes. the next 2 days were crammed with walking, climbing, laughing and eating. we had a great time exploring montreal and its definitely a city worth coming back to.

the sound of rubble & ash

its been a month since i woke up in the city of chicago. for some odd reason i was up way before my alarm went off. aron and brianne were still sleeping so i quietly packed my gear and stepped into the calm and breezy morning. it wouldve been a nice walk to the L but i hopped on an uber instead. halfway to o'hare was when it hit me that it was august 1st.

a day before chicago i was in the city of denver packing my gear and saying goodbye to the crew of the untitled denver project. we shot for nearly a month and through the course of some strange and unorthodox storytelling, i feel like we all made something very beautiful together. the wrap party really got going around midnight and after some tense moments and hearty goodbyes, i took off, picked up my gear, and went straight to the airport. it was 6am, i was exhausted but somehow managed to make it sort of on-time. tsa was crazy but after a few minutes in i completely zoned out. the next thing i remember is sitting in 12E getting ready to take off. as we climbed through the clouds i began to think of the last 12 months. 

a year ago i was in a similar situation. it was morning and i was headed to the airport. but instead of a calm breeze, i walked into the busy and sweltering morning of singapore.

i was a complete and utter mess. 

id just broken things off with my gf in the worst imaginable way. i paced back and forth outside her condo a few times torn at what i was about to do. as i made my way through the swarms of singaporeans riding the MRT, i began to feel invisible; kind of like marty in back to the future, you know, the part where he almost doesnt get his parents to kiss?

august 1st, 2014 mustve been the longest and most agonizing day of my life. longest because id spent that day in both changi and hong kong airports for almost 24 hours over some freaky weather delays. when i actually landed in lax it was morning and august 1st had just begun! it all felt like one huge cosmic joke. through the course of that long long day i also had to live with the fact that i just ended things with someone i loved, the girl i was going to marry and have bi-racial babies with.

i ultimately chose my career over amerie and even though she roams the halls of my heart, i knew i had to take care of myself first. there were and still are many aspects of who i am that need work and amerie pointed alot of this out to me. i owe her alot and for that i will always be indebted to her. during these 12 months ive given myself completely to my craft, which has challenged me in many ways to say the least. ive also become closer to my family, which was something that was lacking for a while. more importantly though my faith has been strengthened and the realization of how infinitely short i fall has renewed my spirit and strengthened my resolve to be better. 

my twenties were mostly all about experiencing and seeing new places, things i read about in my social studies class and it was all fun. but fun only got me so far and if thats all youre looking for then youre probably going to hurt someone you love and live a lonely life looking at your instagram pictures. im looking forward to changing gears and seeing were these thirties lead me to. God bless!