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naruto_k
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Name: Kellen
Birthday: 12/17/1982
Gender: Male
Interests: cheering for the Houston Rockets, watching Naruto, taking walks at the beach ... (yea right) SLEEPING!! reading the WORD
Expertise: sweating through slippery situations
Occupation: Retired
Industry: Entertainment
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  mcshystee
Member Since:
12/3/2003
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| Traveling to Shanghai this time around, I had a partner in crime, Mr. Darren "show-stopper" Chan. It's definitely more fun traveling with someone. There's double the trouble =p So we began our journey by heading to Chicago for a pointless stop. We tarried through a 20 hr. layover and slept over at the airport. But all was not lost in this waiting game, we got a chance to see Sears tower, the ABC headquarters, the Chicago music theatre, and witness a drunk man cuss us out for being Chinese. Yep, that's how it goes down in Chi-town, but one thing I did like about Chicago is their efficient and affordable subway system, something we in the Bay Area can learn from. And another thing ... soul food ... the portions are huge!!! So back at the airport, we waited ... and waited ... and waited. The airport became our home and its benches our bed. It was like a scene from The Terminal. Finally after waiting it out, our flight came. When we touched down in Shanghai, we were very excited to say the least. As we arrived, we were greeted by pouring rain. It was good seeing my teammates Emily and Mary again as they picked us up from the airport. Our first order of business was to flag down a taxi to drive us to our hotel. Now the taxi drivers in China are absolutely amazing. They can thread their car through the tightest spaces and weave in and out of traffic seamlessly. It's truly an artform. Also, their happy fingers never shy away from using the horn to let their fellow brethrens know who's got the right of way. In Shanghai, the taxi always has the right of way. But once we got hold of a cab, it became a wild goose chase because the taxi driver didn't know where our hotel was. Well we sure as heck didn't. So my teammates tried to communicate in their broken Chinese. Hmm ... Pretty strange sight for a taxi driver, two white girls interpreting for two Chinese guys. Nonetheless, we succeeded in finding our one-star hotel. It wasn't ritzy, but it was cozy. On our first night there, my pal Leon joined us for hot pot and Dar got his first taste of Shanghainese cuisine. Yum !!! The next few days, we hit up most of the touristy areas and met up with people. Perry, Allen, and Gnitsy introduced us to some swanky lounges where if you want to go to the bathroom, you need to meander through a maze surrounded by mirrors. (I feel bad for the guy who really has to go) Bobby took us out for bowling and snooker. Will and Leon showed us some packed-out clubs. And Vivian, Xenia, and May guided us through Nanjing Road. Still, the highlight of the trip was our one-day excursion to Suzhou. Accompanied by students, we set out to see this ancient water town. Suzhou is renowned for its gardens, pagodas, and silk factories. It's a very very interesting place. At night, Dar and I decided to treat everyone there for dinner. I think it was to appease our conscience for what happened earlier in the day when we left one student on the bus and forgot to tell her to get off. Ooops. Anyways, the price for accomodating 9 people came out to be a whopping $5 US dollars. What a steal. Why can't the US be like this??? And we also had the opportunity to ride the new bullet train !!! Now for me, the one week jaunt to Shanghai was very nostalgic. I was back in a familiar setting, yet it was still somewhat foreign. So much has changed. New skyscrapers have been erected. New restaurants established along our school. And new looks for many of my former students. Weird. Everything changes with the passage of time. Then again, I know I've changed. The one comment I kept receiving was how much weight I had gained. Yea I know, I've tacked on a little bit of weight. To use an euphemism, everyone there referred to me as "strong." Code-word for fat. Ok I'll lay off the carbs. The entire trip was a ton of fun, though I'm not sure when I'll return as this may be my swan song to Shanghai.Who knows? But seeing everyone again was very special. Students and friends over there really go out of their way to help. I remember one instance where Dar and I were about to take a taxi to our hotel and a few students debated relentlessly for an hour to find us the cheapest and most efficient bus route back instead. Hilarious. People there are a big part of my life. I will definitely miss my teammates, students, and friends all over again. Thank you everyone for showing us a good time. It was fun hanging out with y'all !!! On the flip side, the trip was also bitter sweet. I received grave news that one of my students had passed away. It was very sad and caught everyone off guard. Yet there's a saying, "to every dark cloud there is a silver lining." So something bright will shine through this. RIP Lee. 
The studly Dar and Leon in front of Yu Gardens 
Chilling at the Marriot with our entourage Allen, Gnitsy, Rainbow, Perry, and Leon 
The fine ladies Cici, Angela, and Mary at Guli Park 
Dining with Lisa, Sherry, Vivian, Xenia, May, and Leon 
our scheduled men's retreat in Shanghai ... j/k ... random encounter with PATIN 
Excursion to Suzhou: Will, Leon, Yolanda, Lisa, Apple, Sherry, Emily and Dar 
at the Humble Ambassadors's Garden ... one of the largest gardens in China 
Leon you Casanova 
The boys 
Hercules ... Hercules 
We will fight in the shade ... yea right ...we will rest in the shade 
Canal town of Suzhou - the venice of China 
House boat party - Suzhou style 
Rickshaws ... back-breaking work 
At a swanky lounge called People 7 
KTV - AKA - KARAOKE | | |
| First update of the year !!! My apologies ... I've been bogged down by work and biding my time until I could update with pictures =p Some promising news in any case: Warriors are rounding into form and on the cusp of making playoffs for the first time in 12 years. If they do, that's like winning the championship for us. The fallacies of past GMs will be water under the bridge. My other team Houston, is making some headway and has a shot of making it out of the first round - a feat never achieved by either Yao or T-Mac. And finally, with more than a few days to go, I'll be back in Shanghai for a week !!! More traveling ! Hey ... a rolling stone gathers no moss ! 
See the 5000 cc of Guiness ... that's how Koreans get down in LA !!! 
Not exactly Pirates of the Carribbean ... 
Third Wheel ... (play Music and Lyrics song ...awkward ...) 
First in line for 300 !!! Absolutely the best movie I ever slept through !!! ... I was tired ... 
Two Gorillas at City Walk 
At the grove ... and Joey ... what do you want for Christmas ???  
What happens to losers when we play hold'em. Moral of the story ... don't be a loser. 
First taste of boarding after a two year drought 
And first snow storm ... behind Antho is my car covered with a blanket of snow 
Tahoe - Aren't you a sight for sore eyes !!! 
Doesn't the background look like a painting???  Thanks Ben, Jeff, and Kristine for keeping us alive with catch phrase during our 11 hour drive home !!! | | |
| In keeping with tradition, here's another late post. So last week, our
family went down to Irvine to
celebrate Thanksgiving with my sister. On our way there, we spent a chunk of our drive stuck in traffic ... gridlocked all
along the grapevine. I guess that's the price you pay for traveling on
one of the busiest days of the year, but it was worth it, cause Thanksgiving
brings the family together. I seriously
love this holiday. It's one of my favorite times during the year. I
love the food, I love hanging out with my family, I love not having to
work, and I love black
friday ... if you beat the crowds. (hmm I use the word
"love" too loosely) Anyways, there's nothing better than a
home-cooked meal with
"loved" ones (there I go again) .... but I remember as a kid, my parents would cook up a storm
while my sister and I relaxed. Now though it seems the
table has turned and we're the ones laboring in the kitchen while they
lay outstretched on the couch.
This year my sister and I prepared the feast from start to finish ...
beginning with chicken parmigiana, thai clear noodles, bruchetta, lemon
basil pasta salad, and shrimp
scampi to staples like candied yams and jello. It's a sign that we're
getting older, more responsibilites, at least in regards to cooking, but I don't mind. Food
tops the holidays off.
So I'm trying to think of a few things that I'm thankful for this year and here they are ... in no particular order ...
- Foodnetwork : Tyler Florence, Giada, and Alton Brown ... they form a star-studded team.
- Houston Rockets: They're off to a blistering start ... they won 10
games in Nov. and they're in contention to win the division title ...
well if the season ended now ... but hey ... can't a guy dream.
- The Office: I can't think of a better show on TV ... with Michael at
the helm and his lackey Dwight by his side, they never miss a beat to
make me laugh.
Plus, Pam is cute =p and so is Karen ... b/c her father's a GI. I think
anyone who works in an office setting will appreciates its humor.
-
Family: for my mom packing my lunch everyday for work, for my
grandmother preparing dinner everynight, for my sister keeping an eye out for my weight problems and
noticing every lb that I gain, and for my dad for revamping our home entertainment system. Ya I know, I'm pretty shallow.
- Team/friends/students in Shanghai: for all the good memories this past year ... and I'll be seeing you guys soon.
-
Friends here: I think this is the best time to be alive ... when we're
hovering around the quarter century mark ... not too much pressure or
worries besides deciding how we're going to party it up for the
weekend =p
Side note: Hmmm I think I've been hanging out with Joey a bit much ...
my
mom
is beginning to think I have a gender preference for the opposite sex
... and if you ask me ... heading over to his place for dinner during
the
middle of the week, going to the movies, and shopping together is a
little
suspect. Thank God Joey's got a gf. But it's still unnerving. For you
canto speakers out there ... my mom constantly says "Yeow hiy Joey" ...
meaning
Joey again??? And btw .. why are designer jeans for girls so
expensive??? I think girls splurge on designer jeans a lot more than
guys do ... well I'm somewhat of a penny pincher ... so I would never shell
out more than 100 dollars for those exorbitant pair of jeans. So I was wondering, what
would the male equivalent be that guys splurge on ???
Celebrating Thanksgiving in Irvine - that hits the spot
Yeung family 2006 - the only group where I'm considered tall
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| I'm
updating this a tad bit late, but here's my little number on
Hawaii. Much ado has been made about these Polynesian islands and all
the hoopla that has captured people the world over. For
decades, it has served as an escape for honey-mooners
and tourists alike while offering a plethora of activities.
Well I finally got the chance to steal away from work and join 6 other buddies in perusing this
remarkable getaway. Let me say, the hype lived up to its
billing. Just walking along its pristine waters and enjoying
the peformances of a luau were enough to leave an indelible mark.
Add-in world class beaches, friendly people, scrumptious foods,
and a rich culture ... and Hawaii is enough to satisfy the most
insatiable of hearts. With
our group of 7 guys, we braved the oceans and headed across thousands of miles to reach Oahu for
an unforgettable and entertainment laden weekend. Upon arrival,
we were greeted by our college friend Leilani, who
proved to be a gracious and hospitable host. She also had the feat
of entertaining and accomodating 7 messy boys. Thank you Leilani
!!! When we reached Honolulu, I was baffled by the urbanized layout
that sharply resembled So Cal, but I would later be comforted by
the rustic vibe of North Shore. The northern and southern parts of
Oahu are worlds apart. I
appreciated the hustle and bustle in the southern parts like Waikiki,
but loved the rural feel found in the north ... now this feels like
Hawaii.
So
wanting to make the most out of every minute, we spent the weekend
snorkeling, deep sea fishing, partying it up at a luau, visiting
Pearl Harbor, going clubbing, and enjoying the sites around
us. One interesting side track was definitely Pearl Harbor, where
ghetto Jon was refused passage to the U.S.S. Arizona for wearing a
wife-beater, but to the officer's chagrin, Jon filed a two-page
complaint to combat racial
discrimination. (sigh) even in this day and age ... I bet that
officer will think twice before implementing his own rules. And while
we're on the subject of Hawaiian officers, an interesting tidbit is
that Hawaiian cops can drive whatever vehicle
they want as their cop car. So we spotted cops driving
corvettes and mustangs. How cool is that !!! Anyways, most of our meals were spent
feasting at buffets and a bulk of our time was given over to relaxing
on the beaches. All in all,
there's nothing better than hanging out with a good circle of
friends in a place that's miles away from ordinary. Yea
I know ... I've only been working for a little over a
month and I'm already taking a break ... but hey ... this was one
trip that I couldn't pass up on, especially with a round-trip airfare
totalling $260 after taxes. Can't beat this one. Yet one weekend was
too short, we've only scratced the surface ... we'll need another go
around next year. Maholo Ernest for planning everything !!!
Me and Ra near the shores of
Honolulu .... Aloha Hawaii !!!
Bird's eye view of
Hanauma Bay
The guys and Leilani before the Luau
festivities
Leilani with the officer Cheng and officer Chen
Me, Jimmy, and Ra
Eating at yet another buffet ... a bevy of
good food
A night out .... hmmm ben ... what's that on
your shirt??? 
Kodak moment with the lead luau dancer
Waking up
at 4:00 am for deep sea fishing ... unfortunately the marlins eluded us
A picturesque view of
the sky
Jimmy finding his long lost twin working at Todai's - an uncanny
resemblence
Snorkeling at Shark's Cove
What some would call Paradise
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