BTW...

  I deserve a round of applause. Go on, I'll wait.

  Thank you, thank you. What are you clapping for? Oh, you know...the fact that I went to dance on Tuesday and took 2 classes. Wait, don't stop clapping...I also ran and worked out on Wednesday without Coach Jermaine. That's right, I went with Seychelle and I played Coach. Yep, we had a good workout. Like I was limping around all day-kind of workout.

  And then I got sick. I was sneezing and my throat was sore, I was tired, my ears we plugged and my nose was runnig like a faucet. Cute. So that ruined my exercise streak. Instead my sister and I did a Safeway run and we made dinner together on Thursday. It was a sausage, bacon and tons of veggie-tomato sauce pasta. Pilsbury also helped out tonight and we had biscuits and sugar cookies. It was delicious.

  So I haven't worked out since Wednesday. Mainly because I've been sick. I did get a pedicure yesterday. I also went to Neiman Marcus because they have a Beauty Event so I obviously had to be there. Come on, they were giving me samples and stuff. I also randomly ran into Vicki and her friend (pictured, Vicki to the right) chilling in the Neiman Marcus bathroom and signing cards. It was very random so I took a picture and told Vicki that she needs to find time to hang out with me.

  Okay, fine, I'll get back on topic: my workout. Does it count if I live vicariously through the America's Best Dance Crew show? Like pretend that I'm actually on that stage getting judged....ok, fine, I'll stop.  I just hope that I can do some sort of workout tomorrow...I'm not trying to ruin my workout, just trying to stay healthy.

 

Sunset: view from my house

righ on, popcorn.

  At 430am, a few hours after I had taken a Tylenol Cold PM (sleeping pill), Brent called to let me know that an eathquake has hit Chile and that we were now under a tsunami warning and we should be going to the stores to stock up on emergency-things now. My first thought was why are you up at 430am? My second thought was, I can't move, I'm too sleepy. After forcing myself out of bed, I went to wake up my mom, tell her the news to which she responsed, "Why is Brent up right now?" and then she went back to sleep.

  At around 9am, she tried to wake me up but what I finally got me up an hour later was her warning me that they were planning to shut off the water.  That would mean no shower, no bathroom, no cooking until further notice...yeah, I got up pretty quickly after that. And then I began to watch the news. I saw a beautiful and clear day and images of no traffic because the police had blocked off all of the roads. Anchors had their news-face on and the weather man was the star of the show, pointing out what we should look out for. They predicted the tsunami to hit at around 11ish on the Big Island but nothing happened until noon when suddenly, the water level in Hilo Bay changed dramatically.  All of a sudden, the clear water turned a murky brown and you could see the water getting sucked out of the bay. Just as we were not sure what to expect next, water calmed again....and that was our tsunami. Had I made plans to be out today, I wouldn't be a happy camper but I'm relieved about the anti-climatic event in Hawaii and my heart goes out to the people who have been affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile.

 

The calm...

 

The drama.

  Now that I see that nothing has happened in Hawaii, I can safely say "Right on, popcorn."

"He Ate 50 Lambs!"

  This week, Brent got off of work a lot earlier than usual so I wasn't home too much. I almost went to dance on Tuesday but went shoe shopping at Nine West instead and bought 3 pairs of shoes. I was a happy camper. Wednesday Brent was in town so picked me up; Thursday, was my sister's 6th birthday but since I didn't realize we'd be doing anything (I thought that we were going to do a party over the weekend), I went to dinner at Brent's grandparents' place. Salena's birthday party is tomorrow though, so I stil have time to get her present and a card. Yesterday, I took Brent's dance class but made that decision on a whim and had to scramble to put together something to wear. We ended up buying socks and sweat pants at Wal-mart, and then managed to borrow Sey's running shoes and an extra tank top she had in her car.

  After dance, Brent, Jermaine and I went to Camelia's, a Korean BBQ buffet where you select what you what to BBQ and then you grill it at your table. Yes, it's magical and delicious and yes, I over ate.  Jermaine ate alot of shrimp and chicken while Brent and I ate just able everything else. Brent and Jermaine even managed to find space for soft-served ice cream. I mean, I ate about a spoonful of it as well, but they were actually smiling while they ate. However, the winner of the Camelia buffet was clearly Brent. After going back to the buffet 3 times, he also got 2 heaping bowls of soft-serve. Jermaine said, "He makes me feel like half the man he is...where does it all go? I mean he ate, like, 50 lambs!" No, the buffet did not serve lamb, allow me to explain: Jermaine has never seen kalbi before and had mistaken the Korean-style ribs as lambs.

  I ate so much yesterday, that I hardly ate anything today. Well, that's a lie: I ate a chocolate pancake (that my momma made) with chocolate ganauche and strawberries to go with it. Around 2:30p, Jermaine and I went to a beach clean-up (Brent had work) in Laie at Kokololio Beach.  The place was so beautiful, you wouldn't think that it needed any cleaning but the organization we went with was called B.E.A.C.H. and they specialize in marine-life and enviornmental awareness. It was an interesting experience and I feel like I learned a lot more about the environment today. After the clean-up, we were starved so we ate at Cholo's Homestyle Mexican in Haleiwa Town. I had their grilled ahi taco and a mojito. The taco was delicious, the mojito was strong and I wished I had ordered a margarita...oh well, there's always a next time.

  Ken-san (my running guru, remember?) was out here for the Great Aloha Run and asked me pointedly what my running time had been....oops, I didn't do it.  He said that he planned to come out next month so I had better start my training again. *Shiver* I'm scared. If that wasn't motivation, then I don't know what is. I think maybe I should go running tomorrow...

Kokololio Beach in Laie.

Soy Latte Crackhead

  Hello! I didn't forget you,  I promise. It's just that I got a little busy last week. Let's see, quick re-cap:

-Wednesday: Freaked out about what to do for Valentine's Day. 
-Thursday: Brainstormed ideas about Valentine's Day...failed.
-Friday: Forced Jermaine and Sey to go to the mall with me and help me think of a Valentine's Day idea...and failed. Actually, no. I started to form an idea.
-Saturday: Looked more into my idea and came up with a genius plan.

  Basically, I was too busy freaking out about what to do this year so I had no time to write...especially since I would have asked you about ideas and that wouldn't have worked out because Brent and my mom would have seen your suggestions (hi babe! hi mommy!) .  Anyway, I think I started to feel the pressure even more when Brent started asking, "Can I give you your present now?" on Thursday. It didn't help either that the flowers (pictured) that he ordered for me came a day early. Needless to say, by Saturday, I buckled down and actually took notes on what I was going to do.

 Come Sunday, I woke up at 10am (which is early for me on a weekend because I'm extremely capable of sleeping in till way past 1pm) and ran out of the house with my full paged grocery list. I was crack-out on soy latte and literally did not stop doing anything all day. I ran out of the house about three times and kicked my family out after coming back the second time.  I told them not to bother coming home until 7pm. Although I didn't get to rearrange everything, I did manage to turn the dining room into a cozy and romantic setting for the family. I had fun listening to Lisa Ono's Bossanova music and prepping the food and table. When they got home, I was pleasantly surprised to hear my mom say, "Kawaii! (cute!)" I kept them out of the kitchen as I started off their meal with French bread, Brie cheese and an olive oil/Balsamic vinegar dip.  I also served up strawberries and champagne (well, apple cider for my sister) for a drink. The main course was grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms and slow-roasted green beans and potatoes. After everyone had their fill, I served up dessert--phyllo pastry cups with one of two fillings: cheesecake-custard and strawberries or hazelnut chocolate ganauche with strawberries. I think the crowd favorite was the cheesecake-custard but they seemed to like both just the same. It made me really happy to hear that my dinner was a success...my soy-latte crack day was definitely worth it.

  By the way, Brent's gift to me was this super-kawaii HK wallet. I know, be jealous.

  Harada's Valentine's Day.

I Just Want to Dance, Ok.

Aloha! I'm back. Yes, I missed you, too. So what have I been up to you say?  Let's see, Sunday didn't work out and Monday didn't workout so really, you didn't miss much. Although, I go to a hula show at the Hawaii Theatre in Downtown on Sunday. It was called LOL and it was very entertaining. They sang and dances and made everyone laugh.  I went because my mom's coworker, Toshie (pictured) performed in the show in a pretty white muumuu and a flower in her hair.  She even made goodie bags for everyone who came to support her and by everyone I mean all of my moms, of course.  Almost immediately after the show, Brent called to tell me that he was outside waiting for me so I jumped in and we went to dinner at his grandparents' house.

  Yesterday, I came home and did nothing. That's a lie. I came home then went to the mall to go shopping. It was my workout for the day and believe me since GAP was having a super sale, I'll have you know that I was doing some major leg lifts and arm curls and posing (in front of the mirror). I would have bought everything but luckily, Brent called and found out what I was up to and convinced me that I should only get one item. Surprisingly, I did. I got a cardigan.  But don't worry fellow shopaholics, I think I'll go back for more before the week's end (shhh...don't tell on me!)

  Today, I went to a dance class for the first time in a long while and it felt good (I told you that I was inspired by the concert).  It was nice to see more people in the dance world and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up with everyone. I mean it's not that I was gone from dance for forever long but it's been long enough to make me rusty, I think. Anyway, my legs are already starting to burn and I know I'll be sore tomorrow. Oh well, it was worth it.

 

She's pointing to her sweet tooth.

 

This is what my sweet tooth craved today after dance. Chubbins-mode. Oh so worth it.

Dance Dance Renaissance

  I went to Brent's dance concert tonight for Hypersquad.  the show was called Renaissance and I have to admit, it was refreshing since I haven't been around very much dance recently. It also made me want to really get back into dance again. So much so, that I decided that it's time to take a class next week and possibly participate in a dance concert myself. I wish I could have taken a picture (this was their bow) or recorded the concert but we weren't allowed to do that so...sorry folks.

  It was also nice to see all the people I used to dance with before both on stage and in the audience (pictured are Jen, Chontille and I--all Rainbow Dancer Alumni). I dragged Seychelle, Jen, my mom and sister to come (Jermaine had lost his ticket and couldn't make it).  I know I'm side-tracking here, but you have to get the full explaination as to why this concert was important and made me cry,  a lot. It was my former dance director's last show. Jason also known as Newkon is now the new art director of the brand Kallusive.  Due to this sudden change in career, Jason can no longer live in Hawaii and run his dance studio; he must now move to Los Angeles where the company is based so that he could produce his art and share it with the world.  At the same time, his younger brother, Josh, who will now take over the studio as director, has recently entered the America's Best Dance Crew's fifth season nationally televised competition. Josh and six other Hypersquad members are currently in L.A. and will compete again dance crews from across the country. The exciting part of all of this is that Hype 5-0 is the first Hawaii crew to make it into this competition so of course, everyone is cheering for them. The show was fittingly called Renaissance. Overall, there's a lot that the Hypersquad family has to be proud of and I know that they will continue to grow in this spotlight of good fortune.  In the mean time, Brent will be teaching one of Josh's classes for a while so I'll be checking that out as well.

  Ok, back on course. Did I workout today like I promised? No. But I did continue my Target binge and go back for the third day in a row. Today I shopped for my dress-up doll also known as my baby sister. It worked out since she likes to go shopping. I made sure we spent quality time trying on a cart full of clothes. She walked out of the store with a new pair of shoes, leggings and a top. I walked out of there $40 poorer. I got a good taste of my own medicine since I'm highly aware of the fact that my mother often times ended up on the same boat as I did today when she would take me shopping. She's probably very happy and relieved that she no longer feels it's neccessary to do that with me. On the flip side, she's probably also thinking "not again..." now that she's got another princess for a daughter. 

 

Brent got a balloon from Salena, his #1 fan at the dance concert.  By the way, that shirt Brent's wearing is one of Jay's designs.

Don't Judge Me.

  Is it a bad reflection on my character if I go on a date to Target on a Friday night?  We looked at everything--soaps, kitchenware, home deco, shower curtains, DVDs...I don't mean to look like that couple but we were both tired and Brent has to get up early tomorrow so...we hung out at Target. It made sense to me.  I even asked Brent if it was a bad thing and bless his heart, he said, "no, it's awesome." It's why I love him; he thinks it awesome.

  Today we went to Curry House for dinner and I had their shrimp katsu (cutlet) and stewed shrimp curry. I was having a hard time deciding on that or their cream-corn croquette curry and for some reason, I had to find out what shrimp katsu tasted like. It was alright. Pretty good actually, but I don't exactly have a set favorite at the Curry House so it's hard to compare it with anything else on their menu. All I know is that the reason why we went to get some curry was because Brent said he felt like curry. And then we immediately headed over to Target where I ended up buying Love Actually and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. For some reason or other, I didn't own those and I've been wanting to specifically watch Love Actually since Christmas so....don't judge me.

  Today's workout progress = 0. I was I little surprised when I felt some muscle pain today from my workout last night. Since I skipped today's exercising, I was thinking of making up for it tomorrow instead. The wii workout calendar that I had set up said that I should workout today and rest tomorrow but I don't see anything wrong in a little switcharoo.

 

Harada looks like an awesomely bad painting you saw in every home in 1992. His portrait would have been called "Eye of the Tiger" or something cheesy like that.

You Should Be Proud

  I did it. I finally did it, I went to Target! It was so beautiful, I wanted to run to the staff and hug them and tell them that I missed them, but then I would have probably gotten kicked out so I restrained myself and went shopping quietly. I bought a new dress (it's reversible...oooh...) and a cardigan (ahh...) and a Wii Active (finally!).

  So guess what I did when I got home? Oh, you know, just worked out and burned about 200 calories. Let me tell you, my wii trainer is not very nice and she tells me to "keep workin' it!" so she didn't make the cut and I switched to the guy trainer for my next workout. Maybe he'll be cooler. By the way, please feel free to clap and cheer for me at anytime because I started a workout diary where I keep track of any exercise that I do (outside of wii world) as well as my calorie intake.  And since the workout will be at home, I can't use weather as an excuse...I think.

  Speaking of calorie intake, I went to Los Chaparros on Beretania St. for dinner today. In case you were wondering, it's Mexican food and as much as I swear by Azteca in Kaimuki, I might have converted to a "Chaparrosita" (I make up my own words). I had their Chille Relleno and although I wasn't much of a pepper fan, I can safely say that this is one pepper dish that I will never grow tired of, ever. Oh, and their strawberry margarita = heaven in a tall sugar-rimmed glass with lime. I'm not kidding.  And their other hevenly dish is the dessert: Banana Flautas..basically a banana spring roll with cinnamon, sugar and caramel all over everything and then you eat it with ice cream and then you cry (mainly because you're so full at this point but you just want to keep eating till it's all gone). It's that good.

  What can I say, it's a Thursday and the best way to end the week is by chubbin' it,  go shopping and then workout for the first time in 3 weeks. Sweet.

 

My new amigos.

Blame the weather.

  Just in case you didn't realize that I had just edited the "link" in my last blog, I decided just to show you instead.  Yes, it's the one I'm insisting that you watch. You'll probably laugh and pee your pants a little unless you have no sense of humor.

  Anyway, Week 3 continues without success. Today I had a dinner that any chubbin would be proud of: pork hamburger katsu which really means its a pork hamburger, deep fried... Yeah, it pretty much makes you want to cry when you eat it because it's just that good. Oh, where do you get one? At the Pioneer Saloon on Monsarrat Ave. I promise, it's worth the visit.

  I flipped through the latest edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine and got a little depressed and thought about working out today. I almost put the magazine down just to do a Target run (which, btw, I haven't done in over a month and it's killing me!), but then my toes froze over because of the cold and the idea of working out was once again halted by the weather. Not my fault.

 

Sisters...although, I look more like I could be her kindergarten teacher, oh well. Ce la vie.

Chubbins is Back.

  Week 3: still no sign of running, walking or any form of exercise for that matter. Will Sascha be motivated to start running, ever again?

  Well, if I had to explain my laziness, I'd have to give you excuse #12: It's raining and it's been really cold lately so...there. I know, I know if I was as committed and dedicated to my training a little rain or wind shouldn't stop me, but it actually stops me dead in my tracks.  It's stopped me so cold that I've recently been re-evaluating on my efforts (or lack thereof). I mentioned before that I probably just need to do something else while training but at the same time, what good is saying that if I haven't been doing anything about it? To make things worse, Coach (Jermaine) is coming down with a cold so he hasn't been doing his usual pep-talks and guilt trips and it actually makes me feel even more guilty that he's under the weather.  Yikes, I'd better shape up...tomorrow. Sigh...I think I just need to get out of this lazy haze.

It was a miserable day in Hawaii Nei today. There was a water main break, report after traffic report of car accidents and to top it all off, it was raining hard. It looked like 6 in the afternoon all day and felt like a day you were supposed to curl up under the covers and read a book or watch love-comedies. On the plus side, my mom and I stopped by one of my favorite places, Watanabe Bakery, on our way to work this morning. As my little chubbin-eyes lit up at the sight of fresh-baked bread, I felt like a kid in a candy store. A tray full of pastries later, my mom asked, "So are you thinking about your diet at all?"

  I grinned and shook my head proudly, "No mother, not in the slightest."  Ah, mocha-chubbins is back.

  In other news, I just saw one of the most amusing videos ever. It reinforced that fact that yes, Japan has a crazy side that you can't help but love because it's just so outrageous. Anyway, I posted this, check it out if you need a laugh. Actually, just check it out anyway or you're seriously missing out on life.

  **edit: I've added the link because somehow, you can't add a link just by writing about it...funny.