Talk about an all out classical weekend. That's pretty much what I had this weekend. On Friday, I drove up to Ames to the Joshua Bell concert. In case you're wondering, he's this classical violinist who is not that old but he's been performing (with a $4 million dollar violin!) for quite some time now. I've listened to a number of his cds and have been impressed by his playing style. I figured nothing will beat listening to him live. Needless to say, I was not disappointed at all. Joshua played a Shumann, Beethoven and Meyer piece. Instead of a whole orchestra, he toured with a pianist named Jeremy Denk who can hold his own. What struck me the most about the both of them is that they complement each other extremely well. There was no showboating and it was just gorgeous hearing them play together - the word symbiosis comes to mind. After the intermission, they played a piece composed specifically for them by Edgar Meyer who is a pretty young composer. The music had a more modern tone to it yet it was very pleasing. The only other time I heard Meyer was on a cd. He composed a piece for a young violinist names Hillary Hahn. For the encore, Joshua played two pieces from his most recent album, Voices of the Violin. The drive home to DM was a very pleasing drive to say the least.
On Saturday evening, John and I went to a classical concert by the Borealis Quartet from Canada. There were two violinist, a violist and a cellist. They played pieces from Mozart, Ravel and Beethoven. For some reason or another, people who attend concerts at Levitt Hall in the Des Moines Art Center which is an intimate venue do not like sitting up front. John and I have not problem sitting right up front. We really got to appreciate them up close and personal. The most difficult piece was the Beethoven piece and they did a magnificent job. It'll be interesting to see how far this quartet will go in the coming years since they are rather young. Talk about a great way to end the weekend.
After Mass today, Kristi, Brian and I went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant for some pho. The weather was frigid to say the least so there's nothing better than a nice bowl of pho to warm one's stomach! It's been some time since I spent time with the both of them. They'll be going on a cruise to Europe in the middle of April, and I've volunteered to drive them to the airport in Kansas City. That way, I'll be able to spend some time with Sarah Skidmore and Darren. Charlene told me that this weekend, they moved Sarah to an apartment and it'll be nice just to spend time with Sarah. Hanging out with Darren will be an added bonus. During lunch, one of the things we talked about was the role of young adults at St. Catherine and we all agreed that we need to step up to the plate and be more active in the church. Since St. Catherine is a unique parish, we do not have a large number of young adults, but we can most certainly start something and see where we go. A number of other area Catholic churches already have a young adult groups and there's no reason why we won't be able to do something with some of these groups once we get started and organized. I'm excited to say the least.
This coming Thursday, I'll be going to "Phantom of the Opera" at the Civic Center. The other time I went to a Phantom performance was in Minneapolis almost eight years ago. I have an amazing seat and am definitely looking forward to the performance. I've always loved the music of Phantom and it'll be fun to see it again since it's been so long. Are you jealous? I bet you are!
That's it from me on a frigid Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Costco Experience.
This is just going to be a fun blog. At least once a week, a group of colleagues and I go to Costco. For the unitiated, Costco is pretty much a hypermarket kind of like Carrefour and Giant Hypermarket in Malaysia. You pretty much go there and buy in bulk. It's a whole heck a lot of fun going on the Costco experience because we normally have dinner before we shop. Most of the time, we don't get a lot of stuff but it's just the company and hanging out with colleagues that make it all worthwhile. This evening for example, I got myself some cans of soup since it's still winter and nothing beats a nice bowl of soup (there's not like a nice, hot bowl of soup when the weather is frigid outside!), some lamb shanks, salmon tilapia, sushi etc. The best part about buying in bulk is that you don't have to shop for at least a month!
One thing that makes me keep going back to Costco is the fact that the people who work there are paid decent wages and truly enjoy working there. I downright refuse to step foot into Walmart or Sam's Club for a number of reasons. Most importantly, are its human rights abuse - there's no bigger brute when it comes to paying people pittance and closing mom and pop shops. I'll get off my soap box now. There's been a plethora of former Walmart workers who are now working at Costco and to hear them and to see their faces, you can tell it's leaps and bounds better. Believe it or not, it's not about paying the lowest price. You can pay the lowest price, but at what cost? I call it social consciousness on my part.
That's all from me for a Wednesday evening. It's a pretty laid back evening to say the least.
One thing that makes me keep going back to Costco is the fact that the people who work there are paid decent wages and truly enjoy working there. I downright refuse to step foot into Walmart or Sam's Club for a number of reasons. Most importantly, are its human rights abuse - there's no bigger brute when it comes to paying people pittance and closing mom and pop shops. I'll get off my soap box now. There's been a plethora of former Walmart workers who are now working at Costco and to hear them and to see their faces, you can tell it's leaps and bounds better. Believe it or not, it's not about paying the lowest price. You can pay the lowest price, but at what cost? I call it social consciousness on my part.
That's all from me for a Wednesday evening. It's a pretty laid back evening to say the least.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Blown Away.
No, I'm not talking about the weather although it's been snowing the past two days. I truly love the snow and there's nothing more spectacular than watching the snow fall gently outside my apartment. It's about the simple pleasure of life! I did drive in the snow kind of early this morning because the 2nd Sunday group sang at John's church in Norwalk. It took me 25 minuntes to get there when normally it would take 15 minutes. Driving in the snow can be and is fun as long as there's no ice underneath it.
When I said blown away, I was talking more about being blown away by the DM Symphony performance yesterday evening. There were two parts to the symphony performance, and the first part featured this 20 year old lady who is the student of the legendary Itzhak Perlman for the past six years. She played a wonderful piece by Bruch. Talk about being mesmerized by her violin playing. It was magnificent to say the very least. Before the performance, John and I attended the talk about the music that would be played later in the evening. The lady did a very good job explaining the piece and letting us know what to pay attention to. She mentioned that Mahler's 6th Symphony which would be played after the intermission was a long piece. I learned quite a lot about Mahler and his compositions. Needless to say, I was looking forward to it.
The Mahler piece lasted close to 90 minutes broken up into four movements. I was downright in a trance when listening to the second and third movement. The best word to describe the piece would be robust and a little haywire at times, but all in a very good way. The conductor, when he spoke to us said you'll either like it or you won't. I liked it lots. John on the other hand did not like it and thought the piece went on forever. A difference in opinion I guess! I'm planning on borrowing a cd of this piece from the libarary in the not too distant future to listen to it again. Wow, what a great way to end a Saturday night. By the time we got out (which was close to 10:30PM), snow had already started falling and it was one of those light snow that you can very easily brush off the car. I've said it before and will say it again, there's nothing like listening to any classical piece live. Granted, listening to a cd of any piece would be good, but if the opportunity ever presents itself, go to a live performance. I have a much deeper appreciation for classical music now than ever before and there's still so much more to learn and listen.
Later this evening, the RE group will be meeting and I'll be showing them the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" which in my books is one of the best movies ever. I have probably seen it no less than five times, but I still love it and am mesmerized by it each time I see it. Talk about another great way to end the evening. Life is good ... actually life is very, very good!
When I said blown away, I was talking more about being blown away by the DM Symphony performance yesterday evening. There were two parts to the symphony performance, and the first part featured this 20 year old lady who is the student of the legendary Itzhak Perlman for the past six years. She played a wonderful piece by Bruch. Talk about being mesmerized by her violin playing. It was magnificent to say the very least. Before the performance, John and I attended the talk about the music that would be played later in the evening. The lady did a very good job explaining the piece and letting us know what to pay attention to. She mentioned that Mahler's 6th Symphony which would be played after the intermission was a long piece. I learned quite a lot about Mahler and his compositions. Needless to say, I was looking forward to it.
The Mahler piece lasted close to 90 minutes broken up into four movements. I was downright in a trance when listening to the second and third movement. The best word to describe the piece would be robust and a little haywire at times, but all in a very good way. The conductor, when he spoke to us said you'll either like it or you won't. I liked it lots. John on the other hand did not like it and thought the piece went on forever. A difference in opinion I guess! I'm planning on borrowing a cd of this piece from the libarary in the not too distant future to listen to it again. Wow, what a great way to end a Saturday night. By the time we got out (which was close to 10:30PM), snow had already started falling and it was one of those light snow that you can very easily brush off the car. I've said it before and will say it again, there's nothing like listening to any classical piece live. Granted, listening to a cd of any piece would be good, but if the opportunity ever presents itself, go to a live performance. I have a much deeper appreciation for classical music now than ever before and there's still so much more to learn and listen.
Later this evening, the RE group will be meeting and I'll be showing them the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" which in my books is one of the best movies ever. I have probably seen it no less than five times, but I still love it and am mesmerized by it each time I see it. Talk about another great way to end the evening. Life is good ... actually life is very, very good!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A reflective mood.
Today was a somewhat interesting/weird day. When I got up, I was in a funk. Funk would probably be the best way to describe my mood. It wasn't a depressed mood or a happy mood - a "funk" mood is what I'm calling it. Anyhow, by the time I made my way to work and once the work day got started, I got out of my funk. Having Maria come into the office and working with her made things go much faster. She's such a wonderful person to work with and I'm glad she's working with me. Heck, she even baked me dates cookies! Talk about a nice, wonderful person.
After work, I got back to the apartment and worked out. There's something to be said about feeling much better after a workout. Psychologists came to the conclusion long ago that working out helps one feel better overall. I most certainly would not disagree. After a good sweat, it was time to get some dinner cooked. I had a lamb shank with soup since the weather is still quite nippy outside. It was a marvelous dinner to say the least.
Wednesdays tend to be a slow evening for me - there's not a whole lot going on the television (although my Lakers will be playing in slightly more than an hour and I'll be watching the game). So, I figured it was a good opportunity to reply some e mails. My dear and one of the oldest (literally) friends, Adele sent me an e mail that I've been meaning to reply which I did. Adele too has a blog (http://adeleaili.blogspot.com/) and after replying her e mail, I read it. Her most recent entry struck me as a deeply personal reflection and it got me thinking about things.
Her comments regarding the art of "shift" was most interesting to say the very least. She talked about times spent with family and how she misses it. It's true that those times do occur once in a blue moon for me, but like she said, a lot of it has to do with one's thought process. I've been living here in the US almost ten years now and I do believe I've kind of compartmentalized my feelings. For example, as much as I miss my family (which I do), I still love it here and have no real desire to move back to Malaysia. This is where I've chosen to spend my life and hopefully my future. I have the blessings of my parents which means a lot because I know they support my decision. Yet at the same time, I do miss them especially during the holiday times. It sounds kind of funny because the three main holiday celebrations that mean the most to me would be Chinese New Year (which by the way is coming up!), Easter and Christmas. Those were the times when we really spent it together as family. The rest of the year, I can pretty much get along not really thinking of them. However, I do try to call them when I realize that I've not spoken to them in a while. The phone calls for me have more to do with just hearing what's been happening in their lives and them updating with news from back home. Once the phone call is done, I don't think about things for some time. It's interesting, downright interesting to say the very least. Going back to Adele's art of "shift", I find it a most poignant concept for people who have been through what Adele and I have been through. The rest of you are probably scratching your head wondering what in the world I'm talking about. Those of us who know, know. The rest of you can continue scratching your heads!
OK, enough reflective mood for the time being. My Lakers will be playing pretty soon!
After work, I got back to the apartment and worked out. There's something to be said about feeling much better after a workout. Psychologists came to the conclusion long ago that working out helps one feel better overall. I most certainly would not disagree. After a good sweat, it was time to get some dinner cooked. I had a lamb shank with soup since the weather is still quite nippy outside. It was a marvelous dinner to say the least.
Wednesdays tend to be a slow evening for me - there's not a whole lot going on the television (although my Lakers will be playing in slightly more than an hour and I'll be watching the game). So, I figured it was a good opportunity to reply some e mails. My dear and one of the oldest (literally) friends, Adele sent me an e mail that I've been meaning to reply which I did. Adele too has a blog (http://adeleaili.blogspot.com/) and after replying her e mail, I read it. Her most recent entry struck me as a deeply personal reflection and it got me thinking about things.
Her comments regarding the art of "shift" was most interesting to say the very least. She talked about times spent with family and how she misses it. It's true that those times do occur once in a blue moon for me, but like she said, a lot of it has to do with one's thought process. I've been living here in the US almost ten years now and I do believe I've kind of compartmentalized my feelings. For example, as much as I miss my family (which I do), I still love it here and have no real desire to move back to Malaysia. This is where I've chosen to spend my life and hopefully my future. I have the blessings of my parents which means a lot because I know they support my decision. Yet at the same time, I do miss them especially during the holiday times. It sounds kind of funny because the three main holiday celebrations that mean the most to me would be Chinese New Year (which by the way is coming up!), Easter and Christmas. Those were the times when we really spent it together as family. The rest of the year, I can pretty much get along not really thinking of them. However, I do try to call them when I realize that I've not spoken to them in a while. The phone calls for me have more to do with just hearing what's been happening in their lives and them updating with news from back home. Once the phone call is done, I don't think about things for some time. It's interesting, downright interesting to say the very least. Going back to Adele's art of "shift", I find it a most poignant concept for people who have been through what Adele and I have been through. The rest of you are probably scratching your head wondering what in the world I'm talking about. Those of us who know, know. The rest of you can continue scratching your heads!
OK, enough reflective mood for the time being. My Lakers will be playing pretty soon!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Snow and Ice.
Well, the snow finally arrived today. We're kind of lucky because it could have been much worse compared to other states where ice storms are predicted. I limited the amount of the driving today to a bare mininum. The accumulation of snow is nothing major, but it's supposed to really snow tomorrow. I've nothing going on tomorrow but going to Mass. Once Mass is over, I'll be spending the rest of the day in my apartment hopefully watching the snow fall.
For dinner tonight, John and I went to the the Indian/Pakistani restaurant called "Tandoor". I've not been there in some time, and I had a buy one get one free coupon. The owner is this really cool guy named Faraz and I like how he remembers me even though I've not been there for a while. I had beef curry for dinner which was done in a typical Indian style. Granted, Hindus do not eat beef, but the curry was very authentic and I mentioned that to Faraz. Before leaving, he told me that if I ever want to order anything off the menu, to let him know in advance and he'll let the cooks know. It seems that his cooks have a repertoire of almost 250 dishes they can cook up. That's might impressive even in my books! I won't be surprised if I take Faraz up on his offer.
The big news this week is mum's upcoming retirement. She sent me an e mail letting me know that she submitted her letter to her boss and I believe her last day will be either the end of February or March depending on how long they want her to stay. Personally, I think it's for the best that she's retiring. When one loses all motivation to work and it's causing stress, that says something. It'll be interesting to see what she and dad will do once she's retired. Dad already mentioned that he's going to whip her into physical shape by getting her to go on walks with him. That should be most interesting to say the very least! I definitely see mum involved in different activities to keep her active. Who knows, she might go back to cooking/baking once again with all the time she has on her hands.
For dinner tonight, John and I went to the the Indian/Pakistani restaurant called "Tandoor". I've not been there in some time, and I had a buy one get one free coupon. The owner is this really cool guy named Faraz and I like how he remembers me even though I've not been there for a while. I had beef curry for dinner which was done in a typical Indian style. Granted, Hindus do not eat beef, but the curry was very authentic and I mentioned that to Faraz. Before leaving, he told me that if I ever want to order anything off the menu, to let him know in advance and he'll let the cooks know. It seems that his cooks have a repertoire of almost 250 dishes they can cook up. That's might impressive even in my books! I won't be surprised if I take Faraz up on his offer.
The big news this week is mum's upcoming retirement. She sent me an e mail letting me know that she submitted her letter to her boss and I believe her last day will be either the end of February or March depending on how long they want her to stay. Personally, I think it's for the best that she's retiring. When one loses all motivation to work and it's causing stress, that says something. It'll be interesting to see what she and dad will do once she's retired. Dad already mentioned that he's going to whip her into physical shape by getting her to go on walks with him. That should be most interesting to say the very least! I definitely see mum involved in different activities to keep her active. Who knows, she might go back to cooking/baking once again with all the time she has on her hands.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Malaysians are taking over!
Well, not quite. Drake begins its spring semester on Tuesday, and out of close to thirty new students arriving, twenty of them are Malaysians. That’s a pretty amazing percentage when you think about it. Yesterday was the day I picked some of them up from the airport.
The flight was scheduled to arrive at 8PM and I had checked the arrival schedule to see if that plane would be on time. It was not. After some back and forth between me and the International Center coordinator, we figured that the flight was arriving at 11:30PM. One flight was cancelled so instead of two Malaysians, five Malaysians ended up arriving. We figured there was no way all of them and their luggage would fit in my Corolla so two guys from the group got a ride with a cab. I had three ladies in my car.
Out of the five, three of them were from Johor which was interesting since I had in my mind that most of them would be from KL, Selangor or Penang. All but one of them is Actuarial Science majors. Drake put them up at the Holiday Inn Express which is pretty much right across from campus for the night. By the time they got situated, it was close to 1AM.
One of them was hungry so I drove him to the 24-hour McD to get something to eat. The others were content to stay at the hotel. I finally made it back to my apartment close to 1:30AM which was a little later than I had planned, but that’s the thing with flights.
Meeting them at the airport brought back memories of me nine and a half years ago arriving in DM. Boy, time sure flies when you’re having fun! I kind of chuckled when a number of them commented how cold it was. The weather was probably 29 Fahrenheit, but it really was a nice winter evening. I told them that it’s definitely going to get colder. In fact, snow has been forecasted for this weekend and I advised them to get a nice heavy/thick/warm winter jacket before the weekend. I can only imagine how they will feel without a proper winter jacket over the weekend. Orientation begins on Thursday and I do believe that part of orientation involves a shopping trip. Hopefully they’ll be able to get their winter clothing then.
With this new arrival, there are close to seventy Malaysians at Drake which is a very significant number. My only wish and hope for them is that they be part of the Drake community and not hang out amongst themselves. That would be such a shame. I’m sure my “spies” at Drake will let me know how they are doing.
The flight was scheduled to arrive at 8PM and I had checked the arrival schedule to see if that plane would be on time. It was not. After some back and forth between me and the International Center coordinator, we figured that the flight was arriving at 11:30PM. One flight was cancelled so instead of two Malaysians, five Malaysians ended up arriving. We figured there was no way all of them and their luggage would fit in my Corolla so two guys from the group got a ride with a cab. I had three ladies in my car.
Out of the five, three of them were from Johor which was interesting since I had in my mind that most of them would be from KL, Selangor or Penang. All but one of them is Actuarial Science majors. Drake put them up at the Holiday Inn Express which is pretty much right across from campus for the night. By the time they got situated, it was close to 1AM.
One of them was hungry so I drove him to the 24-hour McD to get something to eat. The others were content to stay at the hotel. I finally made it back to my apartment close to 1:30AM which was a little later than I had planned, but that’s the thing with flights.
Meeting them at the airport brought back memories of me nine and a half years ago arriving in DM. Boy, time sure flies when you’re having fun! I kind of chuckled when a number of them commented how cold it was. The weather was probably 29 Fahrenheit, but it really was a nice winter evening. I told them that it’s definitely going to get colder. In fact, snow has been forecasted for this weekend and I advised them to get a nice heavy/thick/warm winter jacket before the weekend. I can only imagine how they will feel without a proper winter jacket over the weekend. Orientation begins on Thursday and I do believe that part of orientation involves a shopping trip. Hopefully they’ll be able to get their winter clothing then.
With this new arrival, there are close to seventy Malaysians at Drake which is a very significant number. My only wish and hope for them is that they be part of the Drake community and not hang out amongst themselves. That would be such a shame. I’m sure my “spies” at Drake will let me know how they are doing.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Another Malaysian.
This morning, I had breakfast with a Malaysian who has spent a good eight years in the US. The International Center at Drake connected us. Fabian got in touch with Gretchen who is the Director of the International Center at Drake. Gretchen said that Fabian reminded her a lot of me which in many ways is true. He went to the University of Iowa majoring in Communication and English. Presently he's working for the zoo as an educator. It was unbelievably refreshing to speak to Fabian. There's a lot we share in common - he's Catholic, loves it here in Iowa and is planning on staying as long as he can, is an introvert who does not mind being alone, and most importantly feels a strong desire to give back to the community that has embraced him.
His work visa will be expiring in February 2008 and he's mulling different options that will enable him to stay here in Iowa for good. Chances are he'll probably go back to school and get a Master's degree from Drake. That way, he'll be able to hopefully apply for a job with a company that is willing to sponsor his green card.
The thing that aches me so much is why in the world does the US government make it so difficult for people like Fabian and I to stay in this country? I've mentioned this before, but it's as if the immigration process is meant to "weed" out the weak who either financially are unable to afford the process or those who are so frustrated by the process that they just give up. Sad, it's very, very sad.
I told Fabian to give me a call if I can be of any assistance to him and I most certainly wish him nothing but the very best. He's a really neat guy.
On an entirely different note, I will be picking up a number of new, incoming Malaysian transfer students on Tuesday. Gretchen had asked me if I was willing, and I said most certainly. I hear there are close to twenty new Malaysians arriving for the spring semester and almost all of them are majoring in Actuarial Science which is not a surprise at all. Drake and the International Center did so much for me during my time at Drake that it's only right that I start giving back. At the very least, I can have a brief "Malaysian Experience" with these students!
His work visa will be expiring in February 2008 and he's mulling different options that will enable him to stay here in Iowa for good. Chances are he'll probably go back to school and get a Master's degree from Drake. That way, he'll be able to hopefully apply for a job with a company that is willing to sponsor his green card.
The thing that aches me so much is why in the world does the US government make it so difficult for people like Fabian and I to stay in this country? I've mentioned this before, but it's as if the immigration process is meant to "weed" out the weak who either financially are unable to afford the process or those who are so frustrated by the process that they just give up. Sad, it's very, very sad.
I told Fabian to give me a call if I can be of any assistance to him and I most certainly wish him nothing but the very best. He's a really neat guy.
On an entirely different note, I will be picking up a number of new, incoming Malaysian transfer students on Tuesday. Gretchen had asked me if I was willing, and I said most certainly. I hear there are close to twenty new Malaysians arriving for the spring semester and almost all of them are majoring in Actuarial Science which is not a surprise at all. Drake and the International Center did so much for me during my time at Drake that it's only right that I start giving back. At the very least, I can have a brief "Malaysian Experience" with these students!
Monday, January 1, 2007
Happy New Year!
Wow, talk about an eventful New Year for me! The day started innocent enough with Mass. Then I caught up with friends over the phone. It was nice to talk to everyone before the year ended. I had reservations for dinner at 5:30PM and was at the restaurant a little early. I spent the entire afternoon in my apartment and had no idea that it started snowing slightly which was nice.
Dinner was at Lucca which is an Italian restaurant near my apartment. I was introduced to the owner through Fr. John and he's a very nice guy who runs an amazing restaurant. Dinner was a prix-fixe 6 course menu which was very good. One of the things I love about Lucca is the fact that the serving is just right - not too big or small. I've never left there feeling hungry. John joined me later for dinner after Mass at his parish.
After dinner it was off to the DM Symphony at the Civic Center featuring the "Three Phantoms". Three baritones sang songs from different Broadway musicals, but the program after the intermission was downright amazing. One of my all-time favorite songs from any Broadway musical would be "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz. It's a very intimate song that in many ways is a prayer. One of the baritones who played the lead role in Les Miz did a spectacular job singing the song. A number of people gave him a standing ovation. I had goose bumps when he sang the song. As a finale, all three of them sang the infamous "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera. They definitely brought the house down with their performance. What better way to end or begin the new year?
Joel and Kathy invited me over to their house to ring in the new year which has been a tradition for a number of years. It was a nice and low key new year celebration. John joined me there and I left at around 12:30AM to make it to a new year party at Kristi's house. It's been quite some time since I hung out with Kristi and Brian. Nowadays, I'm not able to stay awake past midnight so my salvation came in the form of a cup of regular coffee during the DM Symphony intermission. That cup of coffee truly helped me! There were roughly ten people at the house and most of them were pretty liquored up. I did not have anything to drink as I had enough to drink over dinner and at Joel's house. By the time I left, it was close to 2:40AM. I left at that time because Liverpool were playing live on tv at 6:45AM and there was no way I was missing that game. By the time I went to bed, it was close to 3:30AM. I got up at 5:30AM to watch the English Premier League highlights right before the game. Liverpool dominated Bolton and ended up winning 3-0 which was a very good score. Talk about a good way to get the new year started for Liverpool.
I went to bed at roughly 8:45AM and got up at around 2:30PM to work out before the Rose Bowl game. One of my new year resolutions is to work out at least five times a week. There's something to be said about working out. It's just so refreshing and makes for a wonderful day ahead. Right now, the 2nd half of the Rose Bowl game just got underway so I better get going.
Cheers to an amazing 2007 for all!
Dinner was at Lucca which is an Italian restaurant near my apartment. I was introduced to the owner through Fr. John and he's a very nice guy who runs an amazing restaurant. Dinner was a prix-fixe 6 course menu which was very good. One of the things I love about Lucca is the fact that the serving is just right - not too big or small. I've never left there feeling hungry. John joined me later for dinner after Mass at his parish.
After dinner it was off to the DM Symphony at the Civic Center featuring the "Three Phantoms". Three baritones sang songs from different Broadway musicals, but the program after the intermission was downright amazing. One of my all-time favorite songs from any Broadway musical would be "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz. It's a very intimate song that in many ways is a prayer. One of the baritones who played the lead role in Les Miz did a spectacular job singing the song. A number of people gave him a standing ovation. I had goose bumps when he sang the song. As a finale, all three of them sang the infamous "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera. They definitely brought the house down with their performance. What better way to end or begin the new year?
Joel and Kathy invited me over to their house to ring in the new year which has been a tradition for a number of years. It was a nice and low key new year celebration. John joined me there and I left at around 12:30AM to make it to a new year party at Kristi's house. It's been quite some time since I hung out with Kristi and Brian. Nowadays, I'm not able to stay awake past midnight so my salvation came in the form of a cup of regular coffee during the DM Symphony intermission. That cup of coffee truly helped me! There were roughly ten people at the house and most of them were pretty liquored up. I did not have anything to drink as I had enough to drink over dinner and at Joel's house. By the time I left, it was close to 2:40AM. I left at that time because Liverpool were playing live on tv at 6:45AM and there was no way I was missing that game. By the time I went to bed, it was close to 3:30AM. I got up at 5:30AM to watch the English Premier League highlights right before the game. Liverpool dominated Bolton and ended up winning 3-0 which was a very good score. Talk about a good way to get the new year started for Liverpool.
I went to bed at roughly 8:45AM and got up at around 2:30PM to work out before the Rose Bowl game. One of my new year resolutions is to work out at least five times a week. There's something to be said about working out. It's just so refreshing and makes for a wonderful day ahead. Right now, the 2nd half of the Rose Bowl game just got underway so I better get going.
Cheers to an amazing 2007 for all!
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