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.

breakfast

it was a normal sunday morning. the alarm clock went off at 7:30 am to wake us up for yoga class. as usual, i pondered the reason for waking so early on a day when most people on planet earth in the western united states are still motionless in bed. well i eventually awoke, got all the gear on for yoga and headed over to santa monica for the stretching-till-your-eyes-pop-out class. that was a joke by the way - see my post below on my real feelings on yoga.

well, after all of the sweating and stretching and mental cleansing, we headed to breakfast at a quaint french style bakery/eatery near 3rd street - le pain quotiden (http://www.lepainquotidien.com). very non-descript from the outside, the place had a very french europrean feel and it was nice to experience after a very tough yoga class.

over the past few years, i have been partaking in breakfast. after staring my professional carrer...and even during college, i didn't believe in or have any time to eat breakfest. well times change and i feel breakfast is vital to the outcome of the rest of your day.  anyway, here is a quick photo of what rie and i got to consume after a 'hard morning' of work.

today's specials

garden quiche

the beginning of my political life

tomorrow will mark the beginning of my political life - the day i will cast my vote for a man who i hope will have a lasting and inspiring affect on my future. i know right now that he is still in his infancy of his world stage political life. in paraphrasing bill clinton, "he is not a great man...in time we will see." it is indeed this inexperience many fear in adopting him as our next president.

i see this moment as an ideal time for him to go through the struggles he has endured throughout his life. as if his on the job training in the white house will forge and galvanize his sensibilities and urge him to find better ways for the people of the usa. he has unlimited hope - a trait few possess. he certainly does not know the defintive answer to all issues. however, his uncanny ability to inspire transgresses to all of us and this is all it takes to get people to be prideful.

be heard and vote!

16 gb apple iPod touch

well, as a result of passing the exam (see post below), my company will furnish a free 16gb apple iPod touch.  they were offering it to the employees as an incentive to take and pass the examination. i'll be honest in that i had been planning to take the examination since the summer of 2007 (last year). but as things drag on in daily excursions, somehow my feeling of urgency to take the test dwindled. that brings us to october 2008 - one day our company president sent an e-mail indicating such an incentive. i thought, wow what a great time to register!!! (: so i registered, studied, and passed.  *this doesn't describe the 3 weeks of 'hell' preparing for it but i'm happy*

the iPod is somewhat symbolic in that our company owners are very technology oriented. they gave every employee a 4gb apple iPod nano last year for their appreciation of our hard work. another key note that ties into the story is that the manufacturing of the iPod has incorporated many green features for environmental responsibility. so there you have it!

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iPod touch embodies Apple’s
continuing environmental progress.
It is designed with the following
features to reduce environmental impact:

• Arsenic-free glass
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• Mercury-free
• PVC-free
• Highly recyclable stainless steel enclosure
  
  

LEED Accredited Professional

i became yet another member of the USGBC's list of accredited professionals yesterday after taking and successfully passing the 2 hour exam. it now gives me the opportunity to assist in the development and materialization of buildings to adopt 'green building' standards. the certificaton process involves many parties of the design and construction team to implement various categories of responsible features to the building. energy savings, water conservation, material resources, environmental site selection, indoor environmental aspects, and innovation are the key categories the LEED AP is to follow during the process.

the examination was a true test of the requirements held by the USGBC.  i studied very religiously and am proud to have become a member of the growing list. i find myself now critically responsible for promoting the practices of this organiation - that someday, the efforts put forth by many of these architects, contractors, designers, suppliers, engineers, etc. will help keep our planet earth in a state of 'ecological-healthiness' (for lack of a better word) for the future generations.

koi pond

here's a picture of some koi at the Dole Plantation on O'ahu. i got a few of them trying to show their teeth. a little boy and his father were feeding them and i found an opportune time to take a few shots durng their lunch.

hawaiian sunset

it's been two days since arriving back from HI. my home state.  my home...away from home. it is just about to click over to tuesday, the 30th of september. it will be the last day of the month - the month hawaiian people call kepakemapa or september.  i will never forget this month for reasons i feel i don't need to share through words.  rather, i will chose to share the month through images.  i only find it appropriate that i post a photo of a sunset captured while enjoying my favorite company in waikiki.  the clock just tipped over to tuesday, another day that passes and another day to come when the sun rises for a new day.

enjoy this beautiful sunset.  it was the closing of a great day.  so says mr. christopher cross; "sailing...takes me away...to where i've always heard it could be."

hele on to hawai'i

tomorrow we will be going to hawai'i to take a much needed break from the everyday world of work. it's been over a year since heading back to my home, yet it seems like an eternity. my last visit was to attend kelly and myles' wedding. funny how time seems to move in non-linear fashion - especially when you get older.  some days seem to move by so quickly while others never seem to end. sometime years follow suit. but i'm so excited to go back...and bring back someone who is so special to me.

we'll be heading over to the garden isle known as maui after a few days on o'ahu. family, friends, beach, sand, and most of all 'local grinds'. i've been trying to create a list of must-eat-at-places. this year marks my 14th year living away from hawai'i since attending college at ucla. funny that i know so little about the local places to eat. i have to make a concerted effort to get in the know on where the good places are and do some catching up.

right now, i type this, when i really should be packing my things. rie's done with her packing and she's already fast asleep. i need to get better and non procrastinating. i can't remember one trip where i was not packing until the last second as i step out of the door to head to the airport. sigh...

anyway, i'm really looking foward to the trip. stay tuned for some major photo updates.

photo of rie's plant on her porch

yoga

doing yoga does wonders to your body...yet more importantly to your mind.

i've been participating in yoga for about 9 months now since rie has introduced it to me.  it was something i had never thought i would be doing ever in my life.  i've only had a snippet of an opinion on what it was about before doing it.  my impression of it was - stretch and breath and stand motionless.  i had laughed about it when she asked me if i would like to join her in going to a 2 hour class.   my thoughts were, "how fun and beneficial will it be to stand for 2 hours breathing and standing on one leg?"  however, i took two steps back and tried to bring an open mind to the notion.  i'll try and eat something i have never had before.  i'll listen to a political discussion and try to hear what both oppositions have to say.  and last but not least, i'll give yoga chance to let me in on what the benefits may be...in any.

well, all i can say is, before you form your own opinion on what it is before you have tried it...give it a try.  it's one of the best things you can do not only for your body, but for your mind as well.  it's not about stretching your self to death or standing on one toe to show that you can look like a gymnast.  it's about learning the limits of your body and mind and educating yourself on how to handle adruous situations while being completely calm and composed.  of course, you never are completely comfortable doing yogo.  there is pain and a major challenge.  it is however, the attempt and path we take to reach this calm and relaxed state of mind that makes it fun and worthwhile.  the teacher often reiterates, "it's the mind you need to focus...the physical benefits come secondary."  i am begining to delve into this thought process and am realizing that it is the mind that controls EVERYTHING in your life.  your body finds a way to naturally follow.

give it a shot if you've never done it.  you might like it.

nikon 50mm af f/1.4 d

fast, cheap (sort of), and steady.

mines nissan gt-r and spoon sports nsx-r gt

are you an automobile fanatic? yes!? well, you're about to see a photo of two cars that are in utter limited existence. one of them has yet to be released to the US market. nissan has had to delay it's debut due to some of its transmission problems. as of today, i hear that it will be released next year (circa summer time). but a few weeks ago, i was able to examine not only a car few people have yet to see, but a car that has been massaged and tuned by one of the premier japanese shops.

the second, and not the least bit less enticing, is a special and limited version of honda's nsx-r. it is known in the small circle of 'in the know car enthusiasts' as the nsx-r gt. rumor has it that only 5 of these cars have been built - each of them already owned and heavily modified. some people say that this car, though 'officially' press released from honda, does not exist. well, i had the chance to drive it and examine it. it is every bit the car i would have imagined from a visual aspect. the bumpers are identical to the ones in honda's press release photo. unfortunately, because the car is right hand drive, i did get to show masa how bad i am at shifting with my left hand. i would love to get to drive the car a on a real circuit and see its real purpose in life.

new wave of yogurt stores

remember when frozen yogurt was popular? yeah, that was back in our generation during the 90's. well, fast forward to today...and frozen yogurt has made it's way back to the trendy snackeries... we just went to yoku yoku, another 'pink berry' clone. what's funny is that although i slightly mock it, i actually love the stuff.

remembering septemeber 11th

i would just like to remember this day for the tragedy that took place 7 years ago. R.I.P. look for more posts from kepani.