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.