31.7.03
I'm tired, but I had a Coke right before I went to bed. My bad. Definitely a mistake.

Plus there's thunder-a-rollin' and flashes of lightning that interrupt my way off to sleep.

So, I guess I shal blog for a bit. :D

//Blog begin//

Start. Here. Now.

Life is boring. Life is fun. Life is ... well ... life. It has its boring parts: sitting at a car wash, waiting to wash cars. It has its interesting parts: a guy at work gives a girl he has had a crush on for 3 years flowers and she is shocked (dumbfounded).

Life is ...

Love is...

Love is complicated. Love is something I don't allow myself to feel or to give. I feel love, I push it away. I want love; yet, I search for it in all the wrong places. Love is something that I _cannot_ have with a straight man. (If he's truly straight.)

Blue eyes just _get_ me. Too bad I find blue eyes on straight men to be delicacies. :P

Love is so complex, lust is so simple. Is lust what I want, need, crave?

Yes probably that's it.

I just want a body there to hold on to.

So why do I set standards so high? For the mind, for the soul, for the body?

Do I really want to love? to lust? Or is it something else I want?

What is going on here? Do I know? Do I really care?
27.7.03
Ok, so I'm just gonna assume that it'll be a week (while I'm working) that I update this thingy. Though, I only work for a week more.

//Life//
Life has been life. Here's my sched':

Monday-Work & Frisbee
Tuesday-Work & Hockey
Wednesday-Work & ? (usually sleep)
Thursday-Work & Hockey/SGI Meeting
Friday-Work & ?
Saturday-Work or Hockey
Sunday-Usually a rest day

I do say, I usually only work 5 days a week, so somewhere in there I don't work for a day and am able to 'break' from work.

This week I will be working Sunday (today) through Wednesday, and Saturday. Saturday is my projected last day of work.

Ok, so now the technical stuff is over...I can focus on the selfish 'me, me, me' parts.

//weird dream(s)//
Right before I awoke to start blogging.

Involves my brother. At a Kosen Rufu Gongyo (monthly buddhist prayer meeting), preparing for a skit or something of the sort.

He goes to the bathroom to put on his costume. Of course, it's a rabbit costume. Socks and whiteness abound.

I go out to the parking lot in front of my work place (a car wash), a Subway, and a Bagel shop. Where there are no people at all, maybe me and a couple of other SGI people. There is a huge space for performers and we can barely see anything. We all hear that my brother and his friends are coming on stage and that they will be doing some sort of dance. Whereafter, people behind me, whom I cannot see, start clapping cheering and the general "whoohoo"s start. Then my brothers and his friends (I think Matt, Ken, and some other people) come out of the doors of my work place's waiting area and start kicking and high-fiving and doing some amazing weird stuff. Of course they're all dressed in some sort of animal costumes, and there's general hilarity. I, however, am mortified. I'm scared as shit for my brother. The general chaos-hilarity is now starting to die down and as it does I become more afraid for my brother. Soon there's no cheering or clapping. Just my brother and his friends making clowns out of themselves before a crowd.

I don't know what this dream means, but I do have some clues.
(1) My brother has changed a lot since I moved to Cali. For better or worse he has more confidence (or "confidence").
(2) I still think that my brother's self-image is kinda screwed-up (in the anorexic/bullemic kinda way of being screwed-up). Though I don't know if he has either anorexia or bullemia. I doubt it, he eats a lot. It's more of the perfect body search.
(3) My brother and one of his bandmates (Ken) played at a KRG last month. They did well, but up until then I had a very bad vibe about the meeting. It ended fine, but still, the first few people/performances were kinda "meh" to what I'm used to being a KRG.
(4) I work with one of my brother's "friends"--I don't know how close the two are--and she seems more like the person who would influence my brother in (what I think) is a self-destructive behaviour towards his own body.
(5) At work, I think that I work with a lot of people that need some new-found belief system.
(6) I'm afraid at work to come-out, be myself, or be buddhist.

//feelings//
At the moment, I feel "unloved". I need physical contact with another being. Not just hugging, not just the daily stuff that you can do with a friend. I want someone else that'll listen to my bullshit, help me along with it, who'll give my physical contact in the way that only lovers can hold each other or touch each other. But yet, I am deathly afraid to come-out to my parents and my family about the real me. Or at least a part of the real me. The parts that I've found. Who knows. I feel unloved. I crave attention and love. Yet, I'm afraid to deal with the issues I have that separate me from a major source of love in my circle of living beings.

Who knows. I feel fucked-up at the moment. Not a good state to be in. Especially after doing 30 minutes of chanting. I should feel more energized or something, at least I should feel better.

I feel my world is collapsing down around me. OR that my world is slowly contracting. I feel that I'm becoming more and more self-centered. Maybe that's what this summer has been about for me. Me. a thoughtperchance that's what my life was like before I went to soka? I didn't have to worry 'bout my gayness and other things I 'had' to hide. But now that I'm back, I feel that my world is very small, consisting of only my family, co-workers, and my small group of friends here.

//friends//
I just wanted to thank my friends in colorado and out at SUA who deal with my bullshit, my lies, and my overwhelming sense of mental dramatization. I thank you. You guys mean much to me. I feel must I have the best of luck and fortune to find such friends.

I try to pray for y'all, but since school is out, and I don't know what's happening in many of your lives at the moment, I haven't been able to do any focused prayers for y'all. That's more my fault.

I'm sure there's something I can do to expand my life here and now. I'm sure I've heard soemthing in the last few weeks that I could focus on, but I haven't. Sigh.

//goals//
Update on my goals. Those things in the left corner.
All of those three goals have gone to crap in the last week. Gongyo>> I have been doing morning and night, for the most part, every day through the summer; however, I don't think I have done a full hour of chanting for about two weeks. Tonight I did 30 minutes chanting, and this morning I think I did 15, so I'm getting back on track. Life would be a lot easier, I bet, if I had a consistent practice and kept challenging myself in it. Readings>> heh heh heh. None at all really. And don't even get me to introduction>> just once during this summer have I really talked to anyone about buddhism.

//sport//
Field hockey. I hate playing on grass. I feel that once the group decided to use Harris on Thursdays, my playing has gone up. However, my playing on grass has gone to crap. Ugh.

Oh well, except for that one complaint. I do have to say that I'm so glad to be playing field hockey again. It's something that gets me out of the house and actually doing something productive. Body work, yay!

//gnight//
20.7.03
woot woot woot...nada para hacer manyana. espero que haya algo...
19.7.03
D/l: Mousse-T's remix of "I'm Horny"
bwaaahahaha.

I'm evil-e.

G'night.

Really.

I mean it this time.

I have to go to Saratoga WY tomorrow morn'!!!

g'night!

Brain...shut-off!
not again!
should I even think about it?
Wow who'da thunk:
According to the SelectSmart.com Belief System Selector, my #1 belief match is Mahayana Buddhism.
What do you believe?
Visit SelectSmart.com/RELIGION
Oh, and thank you to Gigi. She is a great person to talk to...via the net, this time 'round. I think I need someone around to help me figure out ideas.

You know, two heads are better than one, right? :D

G'night.
Uyen...is...amazingly...smart. She hit something like I was thinking, dead-on!!!

:D...
Love all y'all soka-kins.

The Windstars and the Japanese folk.
The tall ones, the short ones.
Blasian, Latin, American.
World Citizens.
Smart. Fun. Late-nights.
No coffee.
QAF. Labrynth.
On-crack. Dead-on.
Love. Passion.
Serenity. Surreal.
Ice cream. Smoothies.
High-tech. One-to-one talks.
Fire. Heat. Zephyrs. Ocean.
Time.
Flying. Stopping. Zig-zagging.

.
.
.

Leaving. Missing.
Just a semester.
Adventures.
Home.
Adventuring.
Far from home.
Politics. Visas.
Passports.

Doors opening.
Paths a-blazing.
People a-going.
Time.

Together. In mind.
In heart.
In mission.
----------
At the moment, feeling: dead tired. Too much shit running around my head at work today.
At the moment, listenting to: Open House Party on KSME 96.1FM Fort Collins. current song: OHP Satelite Mix
At the moment, it is a pleasant temp. Unlike the last 3-4 days.
----------

I had a lot of shite running around in my head today. You could say that I felt like shit until about an hour b4 i had to leave. And then I was extremely bored because it was a slow day at work.

I hate being attracted to white males, who turn out to be straight as an arrow. Ugh.

That sux way too much. And not in the good way. :P

Oh well, back to this whole shit running through my head imagry. Very pretty, ain't it?

Well, let's just say I begrudged at least 3 people for being straight and white...and of course unattainably straight.

Goddamnit!

Ugh.

This is all 'caused' by my inability to come-out to anyone except friends. At work. I'd rather be 'out' than 'in'. T'would make things much easier in my life, on the mental side of things. I don't know though. I work with a bunch of people who don't have college-degrees and are sometimes bass-ackwards. I do have to say that the HS kiddies probably wouldn't have a prob with it. I'm more worried about the fact that Loveland and FC are more conservative (socially) and that the people I work with aren't all 18 minuses and that the ones I really work with are usually mexicans. That's a can of worms I have no clue about. But what I hear doesn't sound good.

That's something I don't really have to worry about. It's just a momentary thing, that'll last only as long as I work there.

Other than the stress in my mind about the job. I like it a lot. It pays pretty well 6.50 per hour plus an extra dollar or so in tips per hour too. So about 7.50 per hour. But I use the tips as spending money mostly.

I've learnt vaccuming, windows, and Exit/Quality Control (Exit/QC)...so...i can do most of the 'important' jobs. It's nice.

I have a lot stress from the job cuz of the bass-ackwardsness of certain people. But I'm pretty much fine with most of the jobs I have to do.

I get a workout doing those jobs. It's not that bad, if I do have to comment on it. Not loosing many pounds though...i eat pertty damn horrible during the summer.

I probably gained fat...actually I KNOW i gained fat over the summer. Alas, I will have to get back into the workout mode once I'm back on campus.

But, I'll have a car then... YAY! I'll be able to play field hockey.

Ramblings. Ramblings. Ramblings.
Love. Amour. L'art.
Well 66 the 'art'.
No art here.
Just lines and
Dreams:

Me voy a dormir. Pero antes de dormirme, quiero decirte que te quiero, que te amo. Espero que me ame.
Je m'en vais dormir. Mais, avant de me coucher, je voudrais te dire que je te veux, que je t'aime. J'espère que tu m'aimes.


I know what my problem is...I just don't know how to fix it.

My problem is that I have a deep need to feel loved. I don't feel loved. I may be loved, but I don't know't. It's something that I wish I could find. Love, from someone, from friends, from family. I'm more sure about friends and family. But I don't even trust that for sure. I don't know why exactly. But, I don't feel like I'm loved all the time. Stupid brain gets in the way of feeling loved, appreciated, and valued.

Society don't help in this case. Homophobia, racism. All covert of course, no other way that those things would be accepted if they were overt. Some forms of overt racism and homophobia can be found, but they are in diminishing numbers. Me being Asian-American _and_ gay sucks majorly. I'm sure it's just as wonderful for those other gay asian-americans, as well. Ugh.

First, being asian in a largely caucasian and growing hispanic world, it leaves sooooooo much room for asian pride. Ugh. I don't remember seeing any worthy, non-stereotypical view of Asians. Better Luck Tomorrow was a hint at it, the not smarty, parent-coveting, socially-motivated, 4.0 asian student, but many people here still don't get it, especially here in Colorado. I love it here, I wouldn't trade my home for anywhere else, but still..godddamnit. Some people need to learn to not just pass over differences and appreciate those differences, not pretend that they aren't there.

Some insipid 'liberals' do that...you know...those 'enlightened-I-love-everybody liberals', then again it's still better than the 'you-non-american-American-citizen-get-outta-my-country conservatives'. Yes, We are all borg, Prepare to be assimilated, resistance is futile.

Umm...no. Not that...tolerance versus assimilation. Assimilation will happen, eventually. Tolerate, even accepting the culture, will avoid those damn culture wars, won't it? But, then again American's haven't ever been lovers, more like fighters, eh?

Oh wells...I guess that part's over.

Second, being gay

Do you really need an explanation?

Overt homophobia...you can find it perttty much everywhere, gay bashings prevalent. But becoming less prevalent.

Covert homophobia: do you ever see a happy _and_ functioning gay couple in media? In sitcoms? In drama? In documentaries? In the paper?

Do you ever see gay couples in general? Can gays walk down the street hand-in-hand anywhere the fucking damn well please?

No, no, no, no, no, no, and no. Ok, so maybe in Castro and a few other gay villages, to the last question. But, if I walked down the street here in FC or if any gay couple walked down the street in FC...would the not be stared at? Would some people not yell and heckle them? Wouldn't the couple fear for their life, in the possiblity of being gay bashed?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Unfortunately. I would be afraid and I'm sure that quite a few other people would.

All I seek is acceptance of who I am, to eventually be loved. Yet. It seems that I can only find it in few places.

Sigh.

Life sucks.

I only wish I could change it right now and never have to deal with this kind of bullshite again.

Unfortunately, the logical part of me tells me that that won't ever happen and that I really need to chant to have the courage to be a proud _and_ out man, with the spirit of "no matter what, without a doubt, I will be victorious."

Sigh.

If only it were easier to change the world.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. NMRK. NMRK.

"I will _shake up the universe_ and be victorious!!!"

I deserve to be happy in my life, with my life.

Now, it's just figuring out how.

Sigh. Whine whine whine. I'm going to bed...if i forgot to finish up writing about something, please forgive me. Like I said before, I have a lot of shite running around in my head.
chester: "Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life. Art teaches nothing. Really." (by way of michael korda)
10.7.03
------------
At the moment, feeling: tired. Not much feeling on the inside...just dead tired.

Music: what music?
------------

Today has been a decent day.

Worked hard, made some dough.

Played hard, made a fool out of myself, with a hockey stick.

Have a new car, plenty to be happy about.

I just wish I could be an out and proud citizen of this country. Work for instance: so many things to worry about: Mexicans, how will they treat me...you know they're catholics, and I haven't heard the best from Robbie. Whiteys: it's not like they're all going to be fine with it. Some of them even seem homophobes. But that's limiting myself.

I should be out and proud in all my life. Right?

My friends all know. They egg me here to come out to my parents.

I want to. But that voice in me, or that worry in me, keeps me from doing that.

This job I have, I'm happy with it. I burn a bit, and who knows if i'll get skin cancer, but you know what...I like the job. Hard and labourious it maybe, but it's money. Plus the tips. Plus the driving of the nice and fancy cars along with the crappy, and "is this going to make it through the wash machine" cars. Plus, the cute guys at work. One of them, I'm sure, isn't gay...but you know what...it's all about the eye-candy. :)

However, back to this out and proud thing.

Stupid societal pressure, stupid myself not standing up to it.

"I have the right to be proud of who I am. No matter who says what."

It's just the threat of loosing a job or physical abuse that stop me from being out and proud.

For some reason, it just angers people so much that they could resort to physical violence.

That's such an amazing idea, when we live in an age where I can email, call, IM, chat, or mobile phone someone pretty much anywhere, anytime. From any background, to any background. From gays to straights. From black to white, and everything in between. From a christian to a pagan. From a buddhist to a muslim. From Japan to Brazil. From North to south, east to west, and every corner inbetween. (AmISoundingLikeATelCoCommercial??)

Oh well.

Life still goes on, and it's just a month.

A month 'til I go back to my resting ground. My training ground, actually. :).

Train, train, train. Work, work, work. Study. Study. Study.

Ci vediamo, ragazzi.
7.7.03
---------------------------
At the moment, feeling: mixed-up. Not content. Not happy. Not sad. Not angry. Not alot of things.

Music: KTCL & Nek - Laura is Away simultaneously
---------------------------

Today, has been a better day than ones of recent.

So in the last 3-4 days or so, what's happened?

A lot. And yet so little.

So, to the most pressing matter. I now have a job at the Dazzle Car Wash down in Loveland; it's right by my dad's workplace. I think it's going to be the perfect summer job. I hope. It's pretty much just doing stuff in the sun, getting a tan, cleaning a car and driving cool cars. Yay! I wonder what kind of job this is going to turn out to be. I'm excited. BUT. (you know there's always a "but"). Now I have to go back to Tokyo Bowl tomorrow and tell them that I'm quitting. I guess I do have my reasons, but I feel bad for stringing them along for this long, they giving me about 2 weeks of work, well, in truth, about 12.5 hours in that 2 weeks. So, I guess it's fine. I just need to work it out in my head before I go in there at like 10AM to tell the guy who has the shop (Chon(g?)).

It's a high-stress job at Tokyo Bowl. I know the restaurant biz is high-stress. But I guess, working at this job down in Loveland will still get me the people skills usage too. It's something to mull over. While chanting tonight, I was also wondering how much value I could create at the tokyo bowl job. Maybe that's why I feel such a connection. I feel that it's a place where I could maybe grow or something. Perhaps, that's why. But then again, I do attach pretty much, to a lot of things, so it's something to take a grain of salt with.

Well, I'm set to start working at Dazzle from Wednesday the 9th, at 9h30 in the morning, or so.

I'm sure it'll be a chance to let my Spanish skills do their work. I'm looking forward to actually using these words and vocab and verbs i've been learning for a year now. It'll be nice, I hope. Bridging the gap even? Maybe, we'll see.

Now, to the goals I set earlier. I've been pretty much on top of at least the chanting goal. For the last two days I've been consistently doing at least 1hour a day. On Sat, after FH, I went to a teleconference for the Western Zone YMD, and the goal in the Zone is to shakubuku 2 people per district until August, and to do an hour of chanting everyday from now until the 12 October.

That last part surprised me. It's about the same time I decided I needed a change in my life, that this daily chanting goal came up. It's really queer.

Oh well, I guess I'm somehow in tune with the universe. :). That makes me feel better.

I also read a thing in the WT today about Perfectionism and how much it hurts one's life. I guess I'm a perfectionist. I can't let things be, very often, UNLESS I'm being lazy. :P. I guess, it's something I need to change. Ego. Perfectionism. Plenty, of stuff to change.

I want someone.
Just a summer fling even.
Just someone.
A person to hold on to.
To have a guy.
To live with someone else.
To actually express my love.

My love doesn't have borders.
Only I have set them up.
A dodgy look. A glare. A coup d'oeil.
All that can turn someone off.
Do I realize I do that?
I'm just beginning to.
Sigh. No confidence.

What to do? Build myself. Tear down walls. Do something. Something's gotta change.

What else has gone on in my life?

Oh, major news! We're getting a car.

A nice one, by my standards. I still can't belive that my dad wants me to have _this_ car!!!

2000 Nissan Altima SE (here)

I really like the car: CD player, Leather, Power Driver's Seat, all black. I think it looks cool. Just don't know how much this is gonna be during the school year. But i'm sure everything will work out.

A 2.4 L, I4 engine. Means, not much power, but just enough. 21/28 MPG City/Hwy. good enough on gas. Rather safe car. Now I can be a SokaTaxi.

Well that's it for now.

I'm in a self-destructive Funk, yet again, so I'm gonna keep this short before hurt, rage, anger, and pain all let it self out here. I might post something later for that sh*t. I think I've made it pretty far since the last funk, so I guess it's time again for that kinda stuff.
3.7.03
Ok, so Let's see.

I feel at peace, maybe at stagnation, in my life again.

Today, another day of goals unfulfilled. But, still, I feel better than b4.

However, I think that I'll just nod off to sleep now...because I don't feel much like writing much. This is a good sign, i hope y'all take it as one.
More top 10s to come...

Update:

My life is flying higher.

I completed a fully 9.5 hours of work yesterday...now two days ago. It was actually fun, once I got into it. I do have to say that all the guys at that place are really 'guys'. Dunno how that's going to be, but either way, they're all great and I had a good time, even if I over analyze and think too much.

Goals: I'm still 'batting' 500. I've been able to do Gongyo AND an hour of chanting for about 2 of the last 4 (now 5) days, so I'm good.

Studying, eh...still haven't cracked open a book or a LB. Hmm...I did read the WT near all way through, so mabye, once I'm set in 1 hour daimoku, I'll be fine.

Other stuff, eh...well...suffice to say, I should speak-up more.

Affirmations of the hour:
"I have a right to have an opinion and to have it heard."
"I have a duty to make sure that all opinions are heard."
"I want to live my life."

Now off to bed,

g'night.
1.7.03
Top 10 Hottest Men:
(1) Chris Carrieri (Soccer: MLS Rapids Player)
(2) Peter Forsberg (It's the eyes damn it like ice, cold fire.)
(3) Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko (Boxers: yes, technically 2, but still)
(4) Nek (Again, the eyes, it's the eyes!)
(5) Ricky Martin (something about him...)
(6) Chris Meloni (OZ on HBO, Law & Order, NBC)
(7) Robert Gant (Ben (Michael's Boyfriend) on QAF)
(8) Dan Hinote (NHL Avs Hockey Player)
(9) Jason Sehorn (Probably an ass, but still...that don't mean he don't look good:D)
(10) Tommy Robredo (Tennis Player)

Mentions:
(11) Bloom, Jeremy (The skiier, CU Footballer)
(12) Ed McCaffry (Football (US): Denver Broncos)
(13) Christian Vieri (football (Italy))
(14) Enrique de Lucas (Football (Spain))
(15) Viggo Mortensen (LOTR)
(16) Colin Farell (The Recruit)
(17) Michael Vartan
(18) Sean Williams Scott
(19) Alex Solowitz (you know that 1 guy from Never Been Kissed and that spoof MTV Boyband)
and the list goes on....