Singing in the shower

LaLaLa, brmmp brmpp, Batata LaLa

I sang in the shower today.  It was fun. It was silly.  It was tremendously gratifying to express myself in a series of random sounds and humming.  Every time I came close to humming a recognizable tune, I veered sharply into another random melody.  I laughed at myself several times and that felt even better.  My eyes closed tightly against the shower spray and soapy foam, there were moments where I became so attune to the rapidly randomly developing tune that I found myself dancing a little, and then laughing at myself as soon as I noticed.

Try it.  It feels really good.

For some reason, it felt more powerful knowing someone might hear.  The walls in my apartment are thin.  I often hear my roomates, as well as my neighbors.  To blatantly be foolish in the presence of others.  Releasing a slight self-insecurity out into the world.  Try it.

Scientific Study backs me up:  Singing could reduce your pain and prolong your life

Kiss List

Check out the new Future Adventures Kiss List… and post your suggestions and insults.

BTW, I am spending my very-single Valentine’s Day at Bunny’s Bowling Birthday.  It should be fun, and I can’t help but hope to meet some new people.

Biltmore

That's not a house! It's a CASTLE!

Its 55 minutes past my midnight bedtime and I’m contemplating who I can recruit to come on a last-minute adventure to Asheville.  I have already figured out :

HOW (drive 3.5 hours north of ATL)

WHEN (3 day weekend, duh MLK)

HOW MUCH (hotel: $50-$70, food: $20, gas $20, Biltmore pass $40)

WHY ( The Biltmore estate is the largest private residence in the US, and it is pretty cool to visit even if you’re not a history lover like me.  The Vanderbilts were ridiculously rich and lavish that their crib still wows people today.  For instance, they had a heated swimming pool WITH underwater lighting at a time where no one for miles around them even had hot water.  Their home has a private gym, a bowling alley, you get the picture.  I was there a few months ago for the Christmas tour and it was really beautiful, all decorated.)

For the month of January, annual passes for the Biltmore are only $40 with amazing perks.  A typical one day admission is $33 for adults, and if I can make it up there before the end of the month, I can pick up 2 free guest tickets and go on buyone-getone free tours.

This is too good to be true.  I hafta call ‘em in the morning and see if its amazing of a deal as I hope it is.

Anyone up for an impromptu roadtrip?

2008

Despite all the heartache, there were some good things in 2008:

1. Watching the success of my one of my closest friends as a stand-up comedian.

2. Realizing that I don’t want to be an architect.  I want to be something more.

3.  Forming the Parido Family Foundation to benefit the people of Calbayog City, Phillipines.

4. Discovering my heart’s capacity to love someone so deeply. and then realizing I needed to love myself more.

5. Obama winning the election.

6. Watching 4 of my friends marry their Prince Charmings, and the proof that there is a perfect match for everyone.

7. Liza getting into her first choice med school and surviving the first semester.

Lipstick Jungle

I hope NBC decides to keep this show on.  I’m obsessed with it.  If you haven’t checked it out, you can watch free episodes from the start of the series.  The characters are smart, strong, sexy women with power and influence who have struggles similar to every woman, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.  It is a rare combination of reality and dreams that make this show work.

Lessons from the kissing booth

“You called to say that the weight of time hangs heavy on your shoulders, that in your quieter moments, when you put out a hand to still the whirring of your gyroscope, you feel prematurely old. I think that you think that I hold cupped in my hand the secret key to our sandy misspent youth. But all of my drawbridges are up and I’m not even waving to the crowds from the parapets. I have hit a wall and have nothing left to hand out, and I melted down all of those keys to make a helmet. Perhaps it pays to be prepared for the future by covering my head with the galvanized past. Anyway, it couldn’t hurt.” Lessons from the kissing booth

I have spent the evening reading this blog by my high school friend.  Her words have kept me intrigued, entertained, and enchanted on an evening otherwise inundated with feelings of emptiness.  Samantha has always had a way with words, always had a mind full of unique thoughts, always been one of the coolest people I’ve known, and I’m so glad to have reconnected with her after many years.  She has a way of describing ideas and feelings beyond anything I could ever imagine.  Her words are inspiring me to “up my game.”  Yet, I know that my blogs tend to be so emotionally charged that painterly words are often too much to expect.

Best Pizza in Atlanta?

Who has the best pizza in Atlanta? Add your comments!

I went to Fellini’s tonight, and it was one of the best slices they’ve served me in a long time. When I first moved to Atlanta 2 years ago, I liked Fellini’s because it was new and exciting, but also because it felt so comfortable and at home. I couldn’t wait to make this my usual hangout. I live halfway between 2 locations; I winter at Howell Mill and summer in Buckhead because the patio’s monumental fountain does a great job of gurgling away the sounds of peachtree street traffic.

Soon, I’ll live a block from the Fellini’s on Ponce, and then it really will be my late night snack shop. The great thing about Fellini’s is that its open late and open early. You can sleep in and start the day off with pizza or you can be out partying late and starving, and Fellini’s is there for you too (till 2am). Many a good time!

I bring almost everyone from out of town to Fellini’s, because the pizza is fresh and delicious and cheap! But also because Fellini’s caters to every slice of life there is in Atlanta. Sitting at a table, you can look around and see every demographic and clique Atlanta represents. There’s the hip-hop crowd, the emo-kids, the buckhead betties, power suits, muslim women donning headscarfs, GA Tech students, young professionals of every color, black kids with mohawks, white kids with grillz, large hispanic families, church groups… you name it. You’ll even see the occasional Atlanta bum passing on the sidewalk outside.

Fellini

At Fellini’s you can create your own pizza by choosing your toppings to cover either a flat crispy crust or a fluffy thick sicilian crust. Or, you can choose from 5 Fellini’s favorites:

Spinach & Mushroom, Veggie, White Pizza (Mozzarella Cheese, Fresh Garlic, Oregano, Ricotta Cheese) and the ‘Fellini’s Special’ (Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Italian Sausage, Onions, Meatballs, Green Peppers, Black Olives, Green Olives and Extra Cheese). They are all delicious. I rotate between favorites. Currently I’m stuck on the veggie. The veggies are so fresh and crisp, its great. The white pizza is very special. Its good on its own, but sometimes I add fresh tomatoes or broccoli. Menu

I’m not sure that its the BEST pizza place in Atlanta, but overall for quality of food, ambiance, and price, its my current favorite. My second favorite is Vespucci’s on Peachtree Street near the High Museum. They have fun slices, such as broccoli chicken, bbq chicken, meat lovers, etc. They’re mostly a lunch scene, though.

I still haven’t tried SLICE.

Its not often that I don’t enjoy a pizza, but Fritti at Inman Park served up a bland Neapolitan pizza. Of course, americanized pizza is more flavorfully robust than the subtle flavors of Italian pizza. But having sampled my own Neapolitan pizza in its city of origin, Naples, Italy, I have to give 2 thumbs down to the pizza I had a Fritti. Everyone else at my dinner party seemed to be okay with it, but the sausage and peppers pizza was so bland. I will give them credit for having unique toppings, but the calzones looked more appetizing. Fritti means something like “fried” in italian, and their fried appetizer croquets of cheese and rissotto are very good. But I don’t reccomend the pizza.

Triple Flash

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liadcohen/sets/72157594170819232/

This is amazing stuff. Check out the photos on this site. They’re amazing and inspiring, and each image tells a story deeper than just a thousand words. The layering and juxtaposition of imagery weaves stories that leave me speechless.

Here’s the photographer’s own description:

no photoshop is used to create these images (beyond cleaning a bit of dust off the scans)… my multiple-exposure shots are created on a lomo lc-a camera… first the roll is shot all the way through, then rewound, and shot on again, and for triple it’s done a third time… no planning is done… just the random world as it comes across my lens…

Sounds cool, huh? Can someone tell me how I can do this? At one point, he and a friend would shoot through a roll, and then mail it to each other to shoot a roll from their side of the world. Can you imagine the layering of images from NYC to TelAviv?

I believe in change.

“I’m asking you to believe.  Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours.” - Barack Obama

I believe in Obama.  I have finally made the effort to make a campaign contribution and own a piece of history by being apart of this campaign in such a tiny but effective way.  Its amazing that over a million people have donated to this mission, almost 90% have donated $100 or less.  Its amazing that regular people are fueling this power and presence, without the need for special interest money.  That’s something special.  Get inspired.

Check out:  http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

The wonder of Christmas

It is 2:46 AM on Christmas Day. My family and I just returned home from the annual Secret Santa get together with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Since our family has gotten so huge with my Dad’s side of the family immigrating from the Philippines, we initiated an exchange gift at midnight on Christmas Eve. When we were younger, the grandchildren watched until the clock struck midnight. These days, we’re much older, and the gift exchange starts as soon as the first great-grandchild arrives from her nap, even if its five past midnight. Paula Rochee’ Garcia is bigger than a princess. Chee-Chee, as we call her, is a superstar in terms of baby paparazzi. And she deserves every minute of adoration a 2 year old can manifest through her charm, beauty, perfect behavior, and sheer intelligence. Having been actively raised by her parents, grandparents, and a dozen “aunts and uncles,” she is so well adjusted to strangers and her mind is constantly stimulated by everyone trying to teach her new things. She makes me want to have babies. She is the only child I have met that has even slightly convinced me that having children can truly be a beautiful thing.

On a whole other level, I experienced a distinct heart melting feeling the moment she chose me (a stranger sitting on the floor) and sat in my lap. I was surprised, at first, that she chose me over the 50 other people in the room whom she knew on a daily basis.  Living 8 hours away in Atlanta, I see Chee-Chee only 3 times a year:  Xmas, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day.  There is no way she’d recognize me, which kinda makes me sad to think about how much of her amazing little life I am missing out on.  She sat on my lap for about 15 minutes total.  Sometimes, she’d get up and chase some fancy wrapped package being passed through the room, but then she’d come back.  That surprise of her return felt amazing too.  And when she sat in my lap… it felt natural for her to sit there, all comfortable like she knew what she was doing.  And instead of my usual freaking out, worrying that I’m not doing the right thing to support her, or worrying that she was going to spew/leak/blast some disgusting bodily fluid under my care….it somehow felt natural for her to be there in my lap.  There are no words to describe the connection I felt with her sitting close to me.  It was as if I could feel the vibration of her soul, against mine…. somewhat similar to the momentary tingling sensation I get in my soul when I feel emotionally connected to a man I love.