I was enthralled with Shoney Hixson the first time I saw her. In October of 2002, she soloed Take 7's, Gonna Love You Right in full vampire regalia. As much as I loved that song, I was completely distracted by her blood red lips and sharp fangs. You try saying, Gonna Love You Right, and imagine how much sexier you'd be with fangs. I should know, I bought fang implants the next day and tried it out. haha. Okay, I really didn't. But I regret not trying...
Fast forward to this past Saturday and I'm watching Shoney glide down the aisle of First Presbytarian church in Oklahoma City. The rest of the wedding carried on quickly and my backup wife (if we're not married by 30, we're taking the plunge) and I drove to the reception excited to start celebrating. Highlights: Shoney's surprise musical number, being adopted by Shoney's Aunt Janet, racy pictures in the photo booth, open bar, amazing wedding cake.
As part of the wedding party, I could not deny the genuine love between Shoney, Ray and their loved ones. It was truly a pure union of two individuals and their families. Congrats again! I hope Shoney took my advice. I recommended her taking fang implants to Aruba for their honeymoon... hahaha.
Life P.A (Post Arrest...) has been a non-stop roller coaster ride - half tea cup ride from Disney and half Goliath from Six Flags. Good News: Cleared warrant (see last post regarding arrest) for only $50. Bad News: Canceling trip to India with friends, Tyrone and Vaman. We had planned this trip since February. I was most excited at waking up in Bangalore to the smell of curry and cinnamon, strolling past exotic street vendors or occasional snake charmer, and waiting for a Bollywood musical number to spontaneously evolve from the beat of a simple bongo drum.
Yeah yeah, I know. All Indian cliches... But I'd gladly join in on the 2nd 8-count of that Bollywood routine if it ever happened. haha.
At my church's Family Home Evening (weekly program designed to strengthen individual and communal relationships) on Monday night, we were split into four teams and forced to construct a tower using balloons and tape. The catch? Teams had to do this all while remaining completely silent. A representative from each team received the instructions/materials and attempted to mime directions to the team. As one of the moderators, I was to monitor my team and pop a balloon each time they made a noise. And of course, I took my job seriously. Sorry team, even sighing is a noise. POP. Saying sorry to me? POP. In total, I popped six balloons. And the completed tower looked more like a misshapen upright hook... But I was more intrigued with my group's behavior. Every balloon popped did not ever detract them from building the tower. Sure, they glared at me like they wanted to pop me. But they did not once turn on each other or the noise offender - what I had believed was inherent human behavior. They were more concerned with the larger picture regardless of minor setbacks.
With all that's happened in the last two weeks, it seems like I've only been hearing the sound of balloons popping. Phone lost? POP. Car Impounded? POP. Losing ticket to General Conference? POP. Extremely embarrassed at being arrested in front of coworkers and knowing it circuited the ranks, I took time off from work to lay low at home. Combined with other self-punishing behavior as a result of these setbacks, I'm relieved to learn that this behavior is really detrimental to my progress. My reaction to these mistakes is my own choice. It took popping balloons for this realization to surface. Here's to constant education and hoping I actually make it to India someday. Anyone want to meet me at Star of India for lunch in the meantime? My treat.
Exactly three hours ago, I ran out of Salt Lake County Jail thrilled with the falling snow, fresh air and bright moon. Freedom is amazing, I thought. For exactly 4.5 hours tonight, yours truly was locked up in jail. That's right, jail. But I'm getting ahead of myself. And like Julie Andrews sang in Sound of Music, Let's Start From the Very Beginning...
I was eating dinner with friends when we were interrupted by a colleague regarding an urgent matter. I followed him to two policemen, who notified me of an outstanding warrant from a year ago. As a result, they would be arresting and escorting me to the Salt Lake County Jail. While they continued talking about bail and possibly spending the night in jail, I was hit with the full realization that this wasn't some cheap punk'd practical joke. After promising to be discreet, they slapped handcuffs on me and marched me to their car in plain site of my coworkers, friends and random strangers staring at me like I was a national threat.
Fast forward to being handcuffed to a rail in a holding cell. Still in a shocked I-Can't-Believe-This-Is-Happening-To-Me state, I became aware of my five prison mates. There were two African American males, two Arab-looking males, and the fifth was a Caucasian female. In complete silence, we waited as the jail officials individually conducted a body search. I was wearing overalls at the time and panicked because I was only wearing boxer briefs beneath them. This led to a very nervous confession forcing the searcher to awkwardly pat me down without removing my overalls...
Led to the"Pit", I was directed to the wall of phones and realized that I had to let someone know I was in jail. Not having memorized too many phone numbers, I called my cousin, Pono and asked him to call friend, Tiffany for a ride. If I were released... After taking mugshots, fingerprints, and sitting in three different holding cells, I had my pretrial. Turns out, I had received a ticket a year ago for a broken tail light. Because I had not paid the ticket, I was charged for vehicle equipment requirement. Even my pretrial admin could not believe the silliness of my arrest. She immediately issued my release papers and I returned to my group excited to be leaving. Unfortunately, not everyone in my group was as lucky. One of the African Americans has 5 felony and 3 misdemeanor charges. The other had 5 different traffic warrants. Both would be spending 1-6 months in jail. In order to take my mind off their news, I began watching the news interested to see who got kicked off American Idol when mugshots of the 2 Arabs were shown. They were arrested by the FBI for a credit/debit card skimming scam in Richmond, Utah. Check it out!
To think that I was handcuffed and held in the same room as these criminals for a BROKEN TAIL LIGHT is CRAZY!
Lesson learned. After enjoying my freedom and slowly gaining closure on tonight, I realized that I need to be accountable. That night I was ticketed, I drove my car knowing full well that my lights were a lil shady. However, I thought it would be fine. After receiving the ticket, I promised to pay but forgot as I didn't think the consequences would be that severe. Especially after discovering that ticket was only a measly $50. Definitely a bargain compared to the embarrassment and jail time it eventually evolved into. To make a long story short, I either need to step it up or move out of Utah. I'm gunning for the former but the latter seems more appealing.
Shout out to my fellow Pit/jailmates - Robert, Lavon, Steve, Scott and (especially) Amber. You all made my first (and hopefully last!) experience truly unforgettable.
And I'm hoping this jail time ups my street cred. Maybe I should release an album based on my time in the joint... hahaha.
strug·gle v. strug·gled, strug·gling, strug·gles 1. To exert muscular energy, as against a material force or mass. 2. To be strenuously engaged with a problem, task, or undertaking. 3. To make a strenuous effort; strive: struggled to be polite. 4. To contend or compete. 5. To progress with difficulty.
I have STRUGGLED writing this week's blog. Not sure if it's a result of the crappy weather or that I've been insanely busy with work and neglected my other responsibilities. I almost posted a blog about feeling uninspired and totally overwhelmed at the same time. Does that make sense? Instead, I decided that the 26-year old 2010 version of me wasn't going to cry over spoiled milk. Instead, I'm making cheese! (haha... lame, I know!) Despite my distaste for Salt Lake City and it's lack of anything really fun, I researched 5 amazingly fun things that I can do here in the valley.
And now you might be asking, "Pray tell, what more does SLC have to offer that I don't already know?"
Well... creatively-challenged friend, my (5) answers are below:
1) Trappist Monastery Retreat - Located about 20 minutes north of Salt Lake City are monks maintaining over 4000 years of Roman Catholic teachings. More interesting are the retreats held at the Monastery from which retreatants can fast, reflect and participate in chants without a planner, cell phone or computer. Think Karate Kid meets the Real World. And could you see me chanting with Monks??? Cost: FREE!
2) Sweet Candy Factory Tour - As a devoted Willy Wonka fan (although not so much of the oompah loompahs), what could be better than a 45-minute tour of the Sweet Candy Factory? Free candy samples included. Hopefully I don't turn into a giant blueberry... Cost: FREE!
3) Gay Bingo - Alright, I am open-minded and comfortable enough to try this out. And bingo is one of my favorite gambling games... Referred by my cousin Ui, Gay Bingo occurs every third friday and hosted by over-the-top drag queens Ruby Ridge and Friends. Probably the most un-SLC activity here. Plus, imagine me competing again someone named Ruby Ridge... Cost: $5
4) Utah Olympic Oval - Eight years after hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Oval is home to indoor skating/hocking/soccer. But more importantly, it has crazy extreme rides compensating for the lack of rollercoasters. I'm planning on riding the world's steepest zipline and 80 MPH bobsled (reminiscent of Cool Runnings!) Cost: $150
5) MUSS - Since there isn't a professional sports team in SLC, joining the University of Utah's football student section (ranked top 10 by ESPN) is the best way to enjoy football while cheering for the home team. And I get to heckle BYU? Sign me up! Now to find a U student willing to let me use their ID... Cost: $30
Considering how fun it was researching these events, SLC definitely seems more hip. Hit me up if you're interested in joining in. I intend to complete all 5 this year so that my frown stays upside down. Now's who STRUGGLING? Not I. Wish me luck!
Ladies and Gentleman, I am finally done traveling. At least for now... I've just returned from two weeks in Hawaii, American Samoa and Samoa. My favorite place??? SAMOA! I absolutely loved it. Although I've been to Samoa numerous times (visit every 2 -3 years), this trip allowed me to appreciate my family and the experience of being surrounded by my own people.
When I first got back from Samoa, the first (American) thing I did was watch the new Tim Burton remake of Alice of Wonderland (in 3D) starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (Amazing!). Having read both Alice in Wonderland and it's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, in high school, I was genuinely excited to revisit this fantasy that inevitably fueled my zany personality range. (Having a personality range is definitely NOT the same as having multiple personalities... haha...) Anyways, Alice is in the middle of a crucial decision but bombarded with advice from everyone else when she falls down a rabbit hole into Wonderland -- currently ruled by the tyrannical Red Queen. The Wonderland is completely different from Alice's reality. Creative and eccentric compared to her family's white-collar society, Alice finds solace in the oddities (Mad tea parties/talking animals) and challenges of Wonderland that allow her to develop into... well, the Alice everyone expects her to be. Vibrant. Fearless. Compassionate.
What I loved most about Samoa was meeting and enjoying the diverse types of Samoans. I met and befriended a business owner, barista, marketing director, United Nations health official, and cameraman to name a few. Others were unemployed and/or earned a living cutting trees or shaping lawns. Sure, not everyone enjoyed an amazing career but I could never tell whether that fact was bothersome to them. Everyone was unbelievably happy and carefree regardless of their income, choosing to focus instead on family and other relationships. At the same time, many were entrepreneurial, planning new businesses and various ways of earning a living without it totally consuming their lives.
While I don't want to bore you all with more of my observations, I honestly left Samoa wanting to move there. Having readjusted into life here in Salt Lake City, I feel like my time in Samoa was surreal. Like I fell down the rabbit hole into my own personal Wonderland. And just like Alice couldn't remain in Wonderland, I can only apply my experiences with me in Utah. But here's to hoping that I actually live in Samoa someday.
It's finally happened, folks. I've mixed for the first time. For my non-polynesian readers, Kava or Ava is a plant found in the Pacific. It's root (grounded and strained with water) is used historically for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. Today, Kava is the premium beverage for various social gatherings of all ages. Of course, I have my own opinion regarding it's use by Mormon Islanders as a moral substitute and loophole for alcohol. Won't go into that... haha.
But back to my story, I agreed to meet up with friends I haven't seen in 10 years. What I didn't know was that they had arranged a kava ceremony celebrating me as the guest of honor. Honestly, I would rather they had thrown me a party/bbq/even money... Nonetheless, I have been proud to say that I've never tasted kava before. It's definitely been a line I've refused to cross throughout high school and these last two years in Utah. Until last night. But could you blame me? Despite my negative association of kava drinking equating it to adultery (haha... a bit dramatic, I know...), I couldn't believe I was faced with the dilemma of deciding between mixing or disrespecting this reunion party.
5 cups of later, my tongue was lethargic and my taste buds seemed swollen. But I've realized that I had a great time creating new memories with old friends. And while I don't plan on mixing again anytime soon (seriously, I wanted to throw up after every cup), I'll definitely be more conscientious when determining what is black and white. After all, something's are gray after all... Taki Taki??? haha...
After spending the last two days at home recovering from a weekend in Vegas, I'm realizing the extent of my mortality. I slept a grand total of 11 hours. This mirrors another Vegas weekend five years ago. My sister, Dionne and I celebrated her 30th birthday partying with cousins in true Vegas (club-till-you-drop) fashion. Five years ago, I didn't need much sleep to function properly. This time around, I struggled to even stay awake yesterday and wasn't at all productive.
Last week, Dionne was on her way to an anthropology conference in DC but couldn't attend as both DC airports were closed due to inclement weather. Fortunately for me, I re-routed her to stay with me in SLC. Prob not ideal for her since she dislikes Utah (yes, the entire state...).
As I haven't seen Dionne in exactly a year, I was MUY (Selena anyone?) excited to catch up with her. I cooked dinner (pork ribs! redic good btw...), showed her some SLC eating spots and even watched lots of tv while talking about everything that's happened this past year. Last Thursday, Dionne was invited to speak at an Ethics class at the University of Utah highlighting a documentary she made in 2007. I was so beyond proud at how she easily navigated questions from the class into a forum discussing cinematic perception of Pacific Islanders through the lens of a Samoan filmmaker.
That next morning, I flew out to Vegas for the Rugby 7s tournament. I invited Dionne to join me but she declined opting instead to rest and work on personal entrepreneurial projects. While I had a great (read: AMAZING) time in Vegas, I realized just how much more mature Dionne is. Not to say she wasn't mature before. But she was willing to sacrifice some Vegas-fun to focus on more important long-term goals. Combined with her performance in the ethics class and our general conversations, I couldn't be more impressed with the amount of growth and development within one year. Not to mention being able to literally feel her excitement and passion for films-- her true niche in this world.
Next week, Dionne turns 35! (Sorry for putting you on blast! hahaha). She definitely embodies the type of passion and resilience that I hope to gain in my own life. Here's to you, sis! Preemptive Happy Birthday and to many more years of cheering you on from your corner.
