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.