2013 Final Thoughts...

Another end to another year. I'm certainly not going to forget the events that played this year anytime soon... I don't know if it's superstition with 13 being an unlucky number but 2013 has definitely been full of highlights, parts that pretty much sucked, and areas that were so-so... This year, it felt like it has been one after another:

1.) School - I went back to school after a few years off. Going to college at the beginning of the year certainly was something else. I definitely felt like a headless chicken not really knowing what to do but thankfully I managed... and got through my Freshman year of college! And as a result, I got to meet new people and grew out of these experiences a little bit as well.

2.) Moments to remember those who have gone - This year, I lost three people who were dear to me. First went one of my uncles. Then a good friend (a former mission companion back when I was in Japan) who treated me like a brother was tragically killed in an accident. And then my grandmother died just before Thanksgiving this year... Without a doubt, having to say 'good-bye' to these three people who have left a positive impact on my life made this year difficult enough. But because of my beliefs, that sting associated with death has been lessened and this 'good-bye' is only temporal; I've made mention of that many times on my other blog...

3.) Work - I'm just glad I found work for four months after coming home from school this year. I don't care what politics are saying about how the economy and how it's recovering, or so they say; it still sucks as a job market out there! It was certainly nice to make money and have it ready for this upcoming year of school. Not only that, I have something to add to my résumé and work experiences. Sometimes it is nice to be independent and making bank.

4.) Doing what I love - Of course, that can range from anything. Certainly my highlights were the air shows and aviation events I went to. Then there's my various Church activities that kept me busy and in a sociable mood. All in all, in the balance of things, it has been quite a year...

Happy New Years Everyone!

Good Eatin' Reno Style!

I just realized something... I haven't gotten around to mentioning ANYTHING about my 2013 Reno trip yet! Better late than never I suppose... Nearly two months late to be exact! Well, if you know me well, you might have guessed I went for the Reno Air Races. It was the 50th anniversary of the air races and despite the government sequester that has kept the military jets (and their noise!) from much participation, it was worth attending; it didn't take away from the fact that the Reno Air Race Association celebrated 50 years in the making. Plus, there is only one 50th anniversary for pretty much anything!

And OMG! One of my heroes, R.A. Bob Hoover, an aviation legend (a.k.a. "The pilots' pilot"), former air show pilot and United States Air Force test pilot was in attendance for the 50th Annual National Championship Air Races:

Typical of Bob Hoover, dressed up in a suit and tie and wearing a straw hat!

Not bad for a man at 91.

Hoover also participated for years in the Reno Air Races as a pace pilot.

Aside from Bob Hoover, other modern aviators (like Sean Tucker) were in attendance:

But of course, I ate in hog heaven while in Reno and there are quite a few good places to eat. I mentioned some places last year and I went to some new places as well. I don't think I need to explain any further than the pictures below! Let's start with The Nugget:

The Awful Awful Burger is "Awful Big & Awful Good!"

Don't forget the fries!

Your choice of wings: Medium for the sissies, HOT for the men, or NITRO for the just plain crazy!!!

Wings and fries + nickel Keno = FUN!

And so long as you play nickle Keno, you get free drinks from the bar!

And my personal favorite, the pastrami Reuben sandwich!

Let's move onto the the Top Deck Restaurant, which is at the Hotel Cal Neva, where we stayed at:

Sure looks like a typical restaurant...

For breakfast...

Chicken & Waffles

Steak & Eggs

Chicken-fried Steak & Country Gravy

For dinner...

French Dip Sandwich & Steak Fries

And when you get sick of the usual (trust me when I say it!), go Asian! I love Pho noodles and downtown Reno's got a place known as Pho Country Reno:

Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut sauce.

Pho Tai noodle soup.

Mongolian Beef with Rice. Just watch out for those hot red peppers!

And now, my new personal favorite discovered by my Dad, the Sushi Saga inside the Siena Hotel:

Best part about this sushi place? Lunch buffet for a reasonable price! Just make sure to eat your money's worth of sushi!

Can't beat Maguro (red tuna)!

Also a personal favorite is Unagi (eel) and Inari (tofu skin).

Makes you hungry, doesn't it? And now for the miscellaneous stuff:

I love playing with the casinos' money in nickel Keno!
(With limits, of course!)

And finally, this year's funny t-shirt:

No comment necessary!

The Workin' Man I Am

Well, after filling out applications, asking and looking around, I FINALLY landed a job last month! Great news right? Funny thing is I didn't have to fill out an application for this job... So what I do for this job is cleaning air ducts and furnaces in peoples home as a technician's assistant. You know, a "gopher..."

"Go for this, go for that..."

It's a family-owned business and I actually know this family quite well so that's been a huge benefit. I actually got referred to this job opportunity because one of the family members (who worked for this business) was leaving for school and needed a replacement. And that replacement of course, happened to be me. Long story short, I am quite happy with this job. And yes, it's a dirty job from time to time, mostly depending on what condition the houses and the furnace/duct work is in. Other times, it could be the equipment such as the truck-mounted vacuum or the vacuum hoses but I enjoy the work nonetheless. What I enjoy about this job the most other than earning money is the places I go to, towns I've never been to, the sights I never expected to see...

View of Mt. Hood while driving out in the Oregon countryside BEFORE the actual rainy season.

Near Salem, crossing the river via river ferry.

Most times our work takes place mostly in the Portland-area, sometimes the Salem-area and there are other towns we go to; basically anyone who wants their air ducts, furnaces, and dryer vents clean in western Oregon, we work. There was one day this month we ended up working a big job over at Newport on the Oregon Coast... And this is what we ended up doing after we were done:

Fish 'n Chips cannot get any fresher than on the coast.

Oregon Dungeness Crab sold locally and most likely exported elsewhere...

Oh, where am I working you ask??? Well, click here and find out for yourself. And if you're thinking about getting your air ducts clean and you live in Oregon (sorry to the rest of you!) check us out! Trust me, you'll get your money's worth of quality service; check out the link I placed just above and read all about the company I work for.

My Ma Makes Good Yakisoba Too!

Something good to eat and is relatively easy to prepare is Japanese stir-fry noodles known as Yakisoba. My mother prepared some for dinner today and I gotta say, it always taste good!

You can keep your take-out Chinese or Panda Express; I got yakisoba!

My Ma Makes a Good, Mean Katsu!

It's good to know that I know a few cooking tricks and recipes so I can fend for myself. But then again, it's always nice to have my mother's home cooking every once in a while too! I came home from Church today and lo and behold my mother made tonkatsu, a Japanese dish:

Japanese breaded deep-fried pork cutlets are known as Tonkatsu

There is also chicken-katsu, obviously made with chicken using the same technique. Whether it's with pork or chicken, glazed with sauce and served with steamed white rice, katsu is a good meal. Having been in Japan up until last year, I ate at some pretty nice restaurants that served tonkatsu and chicken-katsu. And then there was the katsu dish I had at Da Pineapple Grill in Rexburg this year. You probably know what I'm going to say next, but I'm going to say it anyways:

Nothing beats my mom's home cooking!

August Is A Slow Month

"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." -William Jennings Bryan

I've been home from school for about a month now and without a doubt, it's been a slow month. The first two weeks after coming home have been pretty eventful, even somewhat chaotic! Maybe chaotic is the wrong word to use but events from weddings to air shows to siblings leaving home have happened. And then, everything just changed. My sisters (one leaving to serve Church a mission and the other having just left for college) have both left home and things at home have become noticeably quiet. I have to admit, it felt strange at first but that's all a part of growing up. My parents are pretty much empty-nesters since we all go do our own things and it's really official when I leave again for school in January... But I don't want think about THAT yet (I'm saying I don't want to think about school, not the leaving home part; I'm actually getting quite accustomed to leaving home for periods of time.).

Needless to say, this month of August has been a slow one. Normally, the month of August is when I have stuff to look forward to but things turned out differently. Normally, the Oregon International Air Show is held in the month of August but that ended up being held in the latter part of July. A local aviation event usually held right here in Salem this month wasn't happening either. And all that excitement usually carries over into the month of September (now that's around the corner!), when I take the annual trip with some of my relatives to Reno, Nevada. But it is what it is and now I've been having to deal with slight slump regarding the variety of activities that's supposed to keep my life a tad bit more interesting.

So what have I been doing? Well, I've been looking for a job.... And believe me, landing myself a job while being off from school has been in the back of my mind ever since the end started nearing for Spring term last semester. I know the value of good work; don't get me started with that! I've spent this last month going around town walking into businesses asking if they're hiring, picking up applications, filling out those applications, and turning them in. These days, it takes persistence to accomplish all that. But sometimes, I don't think my persistence is even enough. Being part-Japanese and having been in Japan recently (as of last year) has had an effect on me where I feel like I'm being rude (and annoying) when I get persistent in asking, especially to places I've already been talking to the same people. It's called "saving face" for those of you who study sociological concepts and the Japanese do it all the time as is custom in their culture.

Before I go further, I just want say that I don't regret my time spent in Japan as an LDS Missionary. I've seen this happen but these missions change the lives of every young man or woman who ever served. And sometimes, these LDS missions do weird things to people. Without going into too much detail, I think missions can really alter the mindset of a lot of young men and women who ever served; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst... Every time you knock on someones door to talk about religion in Japan and you get rejected (For example, when they say "Kekko desu," which roughly translates to mean, "I kindly reject"), that was the end of it, you don't press it on them any further. It's one of the reasons why it's hard to be a proselyting missionary in Japan sometimes...

Going back to my whole job-hunt situation, I'm trying my best. I've filled out and submitted quite a few applications. But with my luck with regards to finding work, I have to admit that it's been generally a discouraging month because of that. The way I see it, I still see less opportunities. I remember when this all became a factor a few years back and so many people in their careers got laid-off and had to find work where high school and college-aged people usually worked. That of course led to less opportunities for the the high school and college-aged student groups. I usually don't like to make political statements publicly, but the economy was disgusting back then. The current condition of the economy still disgusts me today, right now. And I have to blame my current situation partly on that. Opportunities are still more towards the scarce-side right now. But playing the blame game is not going to make things any better.

I have to keep pushing forward and continue to stay persistent; it's all I can do right now. But one way or another, I will prove myself and prove MY worth; I need to prove that I AM competent and capable of holding a job and being among the American workforce. I'm not giving easily, and no one's going to get in my way to discourage me further than how I'm feeling, even if it is from the people I'm close to, the people who I expect to receive the greatest encouragement from.

As William Jennings Bryan said:

(Heck! It's already above at the beginning of this blog post! No point in typing it again...)

Good Eatin' at 'The Brick'

Those of you who know me pretty well should know that I don't drink. But I think some of the best food (well, at least 'American' food) is usually served in sports bars. Downtown Salem has a decent variety of good places to eat and one my parents' favorites is a sports bar simply known as 'The Brick'. Do you happen to remember me bringing up a place known as "The Gay Bar" (a.k.a. Southside Speakeasy) and how this place serves the best Fish 'n Chips in town? No? I recall only slightly touching upon it but I'll have to do another blog post about it later... Well, I'm gonna have to take back what I said about the Southside Speakeasy being the place to get the best Fish 'n Chips in town because at 'The Brick', I think it's a lot better. Officially known as The Brick Bar & Broiler, they do a special on Fish 'n Chips on Thursday nights from 6PM to 9PM:

Steak fries and tarter sauce included.

Taste-wise, it's better at 'The Brick'. Like a lot of places known to do specials deals, it all depends on what day of the week it is. I hear they do a 'Wings Wednesday' so that's something to try out in lieu of a decent wings places. The place also has other pretty-decent menu items as well. Last time I was there, I got a Reuben sandwich:

Ever since I was at Reno last year, I really got turned on to Reuben sandwiches so I usually order those wherever they're served and then try to determine which tastes best. And to be honest, I haven't had a crappy Reuben sandwich yet! Now if only there was a good enough wings place... But there's always good eatin' (and sports to watch!) at 'The Brick'!

A Taste of Pho Noodles; Another way to my heart!

(Okay, so there are SEVERAL ways to my heart!)

When my family and I were living in Maryland, we enjoyed going to many great restaurants because living in the D.C. area, there were just lots to choose from. One of my personal favorites were the Pho noodles at two different restaurants called Pho 75 and later Pho Nam, a little closer to where we lived at the time but both had the same exact menu. A bowl of the Pho Tai soup & and noodle dish with some Hoisin sauce to flavor the soup was enough to satisfy! It was only about this time last year when we found this place simply known as Vietnam Restaurant. It's a little bit hidden but it's just off the intersection of Liberty Street NE and Center Street NE in downtown Salem. Their sign still displays "Vietnam Restaurant" but on Facebook, the place is known as Fresh Elements-Vietnam; sounds like the place is having a little identity crisis to me...

Being the Asian-food connoisseur, I love this place! I pretty much go for the Pho Tai soup and noodles:

It's quite a large bowl.

And yes, you eat them with chopsticks!

Thin-sliced beef, green onion and regular onions add to the flavor, plus Hoisin sauce.

When we first started eating at this place,  a bowl of Pho Tai went for $6.50 but the price got jacked up to $6.95 recently. But that's still not bad in terms of good-quality and quantity. Plus this place here in Salem is a little bit cheaper than what we enjoyed while living in Maryland. And without a doubt, I highly recommend this place if you love Asian and in particular, Vietnamese food.

Indian Curry in Downtown So-lame (Uh, I mean Salem!)

Well, now that I'm "home" I can take the opportunities to do stuff I normally can't do in Rexburg and so on. One of things I can do at home is eat at some of my favorite places! Now, I do rag on how lame Salem, Oregon can be a times (not to mention the entire state regarding the laws and politics!). However, I will admit that there are quite a few good places to eat out here. And while at home, I figure I can take some opportunities to go out and eat at some of my favorite places! And while I'm at it, why not do a blog post about some of these places? On the off-chance you happen to be coming through the state capital of Oregon, you can get the chance to try some of these restaurants instead of the usual boring ol' fast-food stuff that ALWAYS happens to be just off the Interstate; I think you'll thank me for it! Plus Rexburg NEVER did have an Indian-Curry place...

Turns out my family found this place while I was spending two years over in Japan. The place is called The India Palace and obviously, the place serves Indian food. Most notably and popular, Indian curry. Even better, they do lunch buffet specials! Typical of most Indian-Curry establishments, they serve a different kind of curry everyday depending on what day you go in. Our family (my personal) favorite is the Butter-Chicken curry (And pretty much everyone else's favorite!), served on Thursdays and Sundays.

Rice, Butter-Chicken Curry, and Nan! Three of my favorite things to enjoy at this place.

I certainly get a feeling of nostalgia when I dine at this place because it's just as good as the places I enjoyed while living in Japan. The only difference between here and Japan? Free refills on soft drinks!

Semester Done, Time to Go Home

Yep, I finished my second semester of college. And before you ask, yes, it did chew me up and spit me back out before I was done with it. I was technically supposed to have one final exam in the testing center (for my Business 101 class) but it got dropped from the class schedule due to time constraints (Woo hoo!). Basically my finals comprised of two online exams for American Foundations, one in-class comprehensive exam, an extemporaneous speech in Communications 175, and a classroom discussion in my religion class. Aside from the online and in-class exams, the overall load of all this felt slightly lighter compared to last semester. Part of it had to do with the fact that these classes seemed a lot more interactive so I found it easier to remember the concepts. I think I know what kind of style of classes I like now! So I was done with my finals as of last Thursday, ahead of schedule I might add. Final grades are basically in and I did A LOT better this semester compared to last. I'm going home with straight A's!

But the warmer weather really took its toll on me, that's for sure! That was by far the biggest challenge I had to deal with this semester because studying was really uncomfortable... But I managed. And I sure did have a lot of fun this semester with the activities and the involvement I played. And of course, the great friends:

They're like family to me... Well, almost!

And with the ladies!

Yep, a lot of fun.

So I spent the weekend doing... well, not a lot. Slight laziness slipped in since I was done with classes and the apartment was still hot. The nights on the other had have been cool and comfortable. But I did go up to Ashton for a day and went boating with my relatives; my cousin Matt and his wife Monica picked me as they drove up from Idaho Falls. Sorry, no pictures this time as I actually started feeling a little sick! Weird right?! That has never happened to me before... We went to Big Juds for dinner and THIS is what the sandwich looks like:

I can never for the life of me eat something like this! The thought of it actually makes me a little queasy...

I just had a fish 'n tots basket.

Other than that, it was relax and THEN clean! Yep, had to clean the apartment with my roommates before we terminated our housing contracts for the semester. The apartment complex I stayed at these last two semesters was alright, but I know there are better places to live in. Plus, it was evident that the lack of a/c in my first college apartment cost another one of my nine lives! We finished cleaning the apartment today and we checked out with the manager and it was time to leave Rexburg. Me and one other roommate utilized the Salt Lake Express to get us down to Salt Lake City; we both have flights to our respective destinations tomorrow. We were dropped off at the Salt Lake City International Airport. My aunt Loila, if you recall, lives in the area and was kind enough to let us spend the night at her place! Having relatives nearby and throughout the region really has been a HUGE benefit and I am absolutely grateful for them putting up with me and taking care of me! I really am a lucky guy to be close to so many members of the extended family because not all families are like mine. So my aunt picked us up from the airport and she took us to dinner at In-N-Out Burger:

TWO different kinds of burgers featured in one blog post! I figured In-N-Out is popular with a lot of friends so it was worthy of taking picture of the food!

I was also wearing an In-N-Out t-shirt today so I was dressed for the occasion! The cashier without missing a beat said to me, "Nice shirt!"

And I said, "Thanks! It is a nice shirt." And let me tell you, it's been a while since I ate an In-N-Out Burger and it tasted really good! And I'm planning on and eating at one again when I get down to Reno this upcoming September!

Well, it's been all great but it is MOST DEFINITELY time to go home and take a break from school and get a job and work for the rest of the year. Hard to believe I've been gone just for schooling purposes for nearly seven months. And without a doubt I've come a long way in these last seven months from starting Freshman year of college feeling like a chicken with its head cut off until today... But I still got a LONG way to go as far as education is concerned. Still undecided on what I want to major in...

Well, here's to safe travels for everyone and a productive remainder of the year!

Boating the Snake River

Well, here's something I haven't done in about four or five years. Not only does my uncle own a plane, but he's got a boat!

Yeah, I know some people.

Yep, this is what I call class!

Oh yeah, we also dragged some boating tubes (and knee boards later on)!

Considering that I haven't done much other than homework, making gyoza, and celebrating the Fourth of July, it was pretty nice to get out and play for a couple hours.

Friday is Gyoza Night

I don't think I have to explain anything here. I think the pictures are pretty self-explanatory. I'm just keeping up with traditions and tapping into my Japanese roots!

Probably overdid the meat this time...

One of like eight of these trays!

While everybody eats, I cook!

What my plate typically looks like while I multi-tasked.

Friday makes for a great gyoza night!

4th of July Ashton Style!

Happy 4th of July everybody! Last night's fun over in Wyoming kick started my holiday off to a good start. And it sure is great to be with my aunt and uncle and their family; it sure beats being stuck in an apartment lacking a/c. I'd say it's a well-deserved few days off. You gotta really appreciate the events these small towns like Ashton puts together. Today, we sat in front of my uncle's furniture store and watched the Ashton 4th of July Parade. Here are some of the more interesting photos from the event:

We simply cannot forget the origins of this great country and the sacrifices that were made for it.

Great turnout

This one was just disturbing!

Retro is good!

Local business participation is obviously evident in this one here.

Patriotic AND retro. The perfect combination!

The Legacy Flight Museum brought four of their planes over from Rexburg and did a few fly-overs during the parade as well. You can read about it and see pictures of those planes on my aviation blog.

As for the rest of the day, it was play, then work, then play again, followed by some more work. To pass the time, I've worked on a few school assignments due after the holiday weekend. But you wouldn't think I'd go without fireworks would you? Taking pictures of fireworks is just as interesting (if not cooler) than a bonfire. I didn't go to a fireworks show this time but I just watched some people in the neighborhood set some of theirs off:

Pretty rad when you take pictures of fireworks going off! Well, I'd say this was a decent Independence Day. Happy Independence Day everyone!