It's about time I do one of these again...

During Ajarn Susan Kepner's retirement party, Ajarn shared one of her "How to Lead a Happy Life" tips: make a list of the things (concrete or abstract) you are grateful for and keep adding to it whenever you get the chance. This allows you to reflect on those simpler (or more complex, if you like) joys sa buhay mo. I did this a few times while I was in Southeast Asia and once last fall, and I think it's about time I take another crack at that list... Madison style. ::cue the "ooo"::

Things that perk up my spirits here in the Midwest:
- the thought of my hilarious family in Los Angeles
- my mga kamag-anak in the Philippines
- the fancy tea bags from Espresso Royale and Fair Trade Coffee
- Espresso Royale's vanilla tea
- the cafe discounts my cat tumbler accrues
- Ginang Alona's work as a sexual health educator in Quezon City
- a happy/chatty/comedic Bryan
- the thought of the next five and half months
- SEASSI Filipino folks' smiles and laughter
- the Dane County Farmers' Market [hot cheese bread, please]
- independence, motivation, passion
- my morning oatmeal, granola/yogurt
- "I live for these moments" moments

ah...

Because I love my kuya..

mabait: nice, kind
mapagmahal: loving
napakatamad: like Kamille :)

Ang aking buhay ay maganda. Salamat sa inyong lahat.

Pangalawang Check-In

I love big cities.

But I love other places, too.

I'm starting to think my five-month sabbatical this fall will be even longer if I continue to enjoy places outside of Berkeley. Therefore, my re-admit form is a must [promise!] so I don't run off to somewhere else and mark my territory with Kat pee.

I'm truly grateful for coming out here and learning new things about myself, other fantastically interesting people, and the limitless enjoyments I seek or that come my way. As I told Toria, I'm not "100% back" because there are memories of a time before that press deep into my shoulders. But with time being the salve it is, I'm certain I'll be one-zero-zero soon enough.

Pitchfork, Hipster Breeding Ground

They was poppin' outta thin air!

The main reason we made a trek out to Chicago was to attend the Friday and Saturday sets for the Pitchfork Music Festival. No doubt, this festival was quite different from Miami's UMF and considering I wasn't familiar with many of the bands, I thought of the festival as an "exploratory" one of sorts.

We took the L (is that what it's called?) over to Union Park. Abundant BART nostalgia followed.

Then people went all kinds of crazy.
To date, the healthiest music festival food I've ever had.
Most of the food vendors set up for Saturday and Sunday, but there was a happenin' Whole Foods stand on Friday that sold many malinamnam items. Ito ay guacamole at pita chips.

I just wanted a photo of Bertha.
Built to Spill, I theenk. [Friday]
Final Fantasy [Saturday]

Sa palagay ko, UMF > Pitchfork, but I'm in a different pool of water these days- a pool better suited for the happies.

A Personal Check-In

After being out in Madison for over a month now, I'm more keen to the idea of leaving California for other cities in the U.S. Of course, Madison is its own microcosm within a tornado-prone, Midwestern state, but I'm enjoying my pace of life out here and the yummy cafes that abound. I don't think the winter would be very forgiving of my thinned-out blood, but the summer is giving mostly positive returns. Also, starting out alone doesn't mean you end up the same way.

I'll hopefully come to a similar conclusion after some time in Quezon City. :)

A college town, indeed

I was able to set up my wireless internet account last evening and have been preoccupied trying to make my apartment a tad cozier. The weather so far has been uberly nice and since it's the summertime, I haven't encountered too many students just yet.

My first meal here: "Chunky Tuna" from Barriques Coffee Trader, which is about a block away from the Capitol building. I also had an Ethiopian blend to go along with mah sammich.
This is my kitchen. Look at the tiny oven and dishwasher pair! Cute, yes... User-friendly, ::grumble grumble::
My rations: granola, rice, lentils (green y red!), oatmeal (old fashioned at steel-cut), pasta, and flax seed chips. FIBER LOAD O_O
My first homemade dinner here. Well, sorta-homemade... but not like Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade! (Man, that show is odd). Brown rice and lentils can only go so far, so I got a container of orzo with spinach and feta from Whole Foods (to the left). It carried the entire plate to the finish line.

Now, for the rest of my apartment...
The counter-top turned desk! Yup, it's right by the fridge. I don't have a chair, so I've just been kneeling or sitting on my ultrasexykool leather couch:
HAH. It came with the apartment!
This is The Rainbow Room. Not to be confused with The Rubber Room (sigh), The Rainbow Room is a random part of my apartment that can't really fit anything and would be too awkward for a bed. Well-mannered dancing and jiving welcome.
My bathroomizzle. The toilet bowl, however, is far from salvation.
My bedroom is a little too plain for public viewing, so here's a photo of Dean's milk:
This is Dairy Valhalla (teehee) after all!