kepani's blog has moved

as of earlier this month, kepani's blog has moved to:

http://kepani.wordpress.com

kindly update your link.  happy holidays!

ethiopian wedding

sunday had rie and i heading to los angeles to us attend an ethiopian wedding. it was the first time attending an african wedding. it was held at an ethiopian christian church near downtown los angeles.

it was a very festive wedding with a lot of singing and clapping and dancing during both the wedding ceremony and the reception. it was not your typical american style wedding with huge introductions of the wedding party, canned disco music, picture slideshows, and very cheesy toasts to the bride and groom. it was a 'roots' type wedding with a lot of prayer (this was a christian wedding) and homage to the lord for allowing such happenings to take place for the couple to meet. rie and i were one of two non-ethiopian couples at the ceremonies. everyone else was from ethiopia or of ethiopian background; estimates of the wedding numbers were around 500 people. yet i did not feel the least bit out of place as everyone who we met or encountered, were very kind spirited. it was also very refreshing to see one of the little girls running around to each table, introduce herself, and give each one of us a little candy from the little gift bags at the tables.

this was also the first time i was able to eat ethiopian cuisine. again, the wedding reception was not catered - stemming back to the 'roots' type flavor - so the food was made by the members of the church. we got to discussing the style of food with rie's friend tsion and apparently, making their type of food takes a long long time. the dishes are very similar to indian cuisine in that they have a lot of stewed type dishes ranging from chicken, beef, and lamb. the food is very 'homestyle' and is warm and comforting. no extravagant displays or colorful arrays of ingredients. as soon as i get the chance, i will post a photo of my humongous plate of food. it was very good by the way - something i don't think i'll get to taste very often, especially due to the fact that the food was all made by members of the church who were in support for the wedding of their members and not for business.

each day i see another side of other cultures, i begin to understand that people are all in for the good of life. it's just that the cultural diffences between people, often times, make it difficult to understand where people are coming from. people come in all different sizes, shapes, colors, etc. i'm glad to have the chance to see so much diversity in the world. amen.

4 months until the japan trip

i write this in anticipation of my trip to japan in march. it will be my second trip outside of the USA. the first trip will be to canada with a manufacturer's rep (vertical systems) to visit the haakon factory. they make custom air handling unit equipment for HVAC applications. they're located in vancouver. this is another highly anticipated trip as we will be going to whistler! *stay tuned on this in january*

my main point in writing this is that my need to improve my nihongo is dire. i have learned quite a bit of the basics from rie. though she seems to get a little frustrated when i keep bugging her about how to say something over and over. (;

i don't know what to expect really. i feel like I need to do so much while i'm there to make the trip worth it. it will be a very takai trip (notice my slow integration of japanese words?). the flight will be a big expense. i even tried applying for another chase credit card hoping my new account would have me eligible for an additional 25,000 united miles. apparently, a japan roundtrip from LA to narita is 60,000 united miles. unfortunately, i was denied since i had been awarded a chase card only some 2 months ago. oh well, you can only be so chang and get away with things.

power support

i discovered this company from japan called power support who makes really nice and smart products for the apple ipod. my brother got me the 1st generation ipod nano (black face and silver back) back in december 2005. for it, i got the black silicone jacket which comes with a thin anti scratch film for the screen and the touch wheel and a silicone covering. two years later, our company thanked us for our efforts by giving us a 3rd generation ipod nano. for it, i got the clear protective case along with the screen and touch wheel film. as i await arrival of the 2nd generation ipod touch, i immediately hopped onto the web and ordered myself the clear silicone jacket - coming with anti scratch film, this time for the front and back, along with the silicone case.

overall i am really impressed with the company's products. they are VERY WELL MADE and fit the ipods very well. i notice with some other products the lack of fit and finish. these products on the other hand have great apperance and enhance the usefulness of the ipods while also protecting them from everyday wear and tear.

USA website - http://www.powersupportusa.com

Japan website - http://www.pawasapo.co.jp

i highly recommend products from this company. if i ever get myself a macbook (am i slowly converting?), i will look into getting the screen, keyboard, trackpad, and wrist protection. very nifty products!

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silicone jacket set for the 2nd generation iPod Touch - link

crystal jacket set for the 3rd generation iPod Nano - link

silicone jacket set for the 1st generation iPod Nano - link

ahi and tako poke

tomorrow is my company's thanksgiving potluck and i'm bringing some poke along to share. ahi poke and tako poke. here are some pictures before they get devoured.

ahi poke (ahi is maguro is tuna)

tako poke (tako is octopus)

photos taken with a nikon d70 via nikkor 50mm af-d 1.4 lens - f1.8 @ 1/60s

nike+ iPod

i just got the nike+ iPod kit for my 3rd generation iPod nano. it comes with the chip that you insert in your nike+ compatible running shoe. you simply lift the sole and remove the foam insert and replace it with the chip.  next you plug the reciever into the iPod nano. after a few calibration sessions (walk and run), you're set to go and begin your running workouts!

i did 3 running sessions today.  on the way to the local highschool, i did a light jog to the track. the second session was a 5k. the third, a brisk 1 mile run. i did notice the system is a little conservative in that it will seem to indicate you haven't run far enough even though you know precisely how far you've run (i was on a track). but that's ok - i'm finding out it's a great tool for tracking your time and distance.

rie and i have a goal set to run the 2009 honolulu marathon and this little gadget will definitely help in getting us motivated to get off of our butts and on the road. ever since doing the honolulu marathon in 2006, my running motivation has slowed. i hope this will be a boost for inspiriation. 

just do it...or as a kama'aina may say...jus' do 'um brah!

my first passport

january 2009 will be the first time i ever set foot out of the united states. and then once again in march. but before doing so, i need to apply for a passport. i have my 2x2 photos, the application, a copy of my birth certificate, and now need to make an appointment.