relocated...

to al-isa.blogspot.com. please update your links. i need to fix it up still but its late and i'm going back to work tomorrow.

bye bijooh :(

USA 05

13 plane rides,
on 4 airlines,
between 3 countries,
to 7 states,
and 9 cities..

sleeping in 12 beds,
at 6 hotels/apartments,
and 6 friend's/family's homes..

lots and lots of alcohol,
at 17 bars (that i can remember),
equals many drunken nights,
and many hangovers..

4 flings,
2 crushes,
1 stalker,
and a few unwelcomed advances..

8 major malls,
2 big markets,
lots of shopping sprees,
and a whole suitcase of new clothes and accessories..

3 months later,
and i'm home.

its definitely been a life experience but i don't think its all going to sink in till i've been home for a bit longer. it really was sad leaving. there were a lot of things i wanted to do that i never did and places i wanted to visit that i never went to (those boring weekends i had were such a waste) and some people i was sad about leavng behind. BUT at the same time, there were so many things i DID get to do and places i DID get to see, and i made a lot of great friends. i'm so happy i did this - not a lot of people i know can say they've lived abroad for 3 months at my age.

my memories..

alisa: it would be so easy to rape us right now
elaine: no i've got my pepper spray!
alisa: please, you don't even know how to use that
elaine: i do!! *sprays*
alisa: OMG!!!
elaine: OMG!!! does it hurt?!
alisa: YES!!

alisa: he looks like he could be kinda old..
elaine: how old?
alisa: i dunno... maybe like 28ish?
elaine: shit. since when was that old?

sami: so this albert, he drove you home did he?
alisa: yes
sami: hmmm!!
michelle: sami! don't even play like that!! i will kill her if she goes out with him! girl you can do SO much better than albert!

michelle: what did you do last night?
alisa: well --
michelle: did you call him?
alisa: no i --
michelle: chicken shit
alisa: because --
michelle: chicken shit
alisa: michelle --
michelle: bok!! bok!!! bok!!
alisa: whatever

elaine: milpitas!!!!!

fransisco: you like this place?
alisa: yeh
francisco: its very chill
alisa: ...very

francisco: philosophizing
alisa: philosophizing! that's not a word!
francisco: yes it is!
alisa: its not!
francisco: what's the right word then?
alisa: philoso.... i don't know!
francisco: philosophizing then
(i was drunk, excuse the dumbassness. i now realise philosophizing is a word after all)

alisa: do you want a drink?
francisco: but we don't have any alcohol here
alisa: oh. is that what that means? i was just asking if you wanted like water or something.

alisa: then he took me to a gay bar --
dan: what?! what is a guy doing taking a chick to a gay bar?
alisa: no coz his friend was there --
dan: oh his "friend" was there was he? uh-huh. sweetie, he's gay.
alisa: he's not!
dan: did he make a move on you?
alisa: yes, see?
dan: then he's bi
alisa: no --
dan: he's bi

elaine: damn that boy
alisa: what?
elaine: damn him!
alisa: haha are you angry at him?
elaine: yes. i don't even know why. but i am.
alisa: me too don't worry

elaine: do your feet hurt?
alisa: yep. yours?
elaine: yep. *sigh*

alisa: its very... asian.. here
elaine: let's leave

elaine: c'mon san jose!! is this all you have to offer?!

elaine: where are all the decent men?!
alisa: you have a boyfriend
elaine: hey! all i'm gonna do is look! there's no harm in that! c'mon, its fun to go out and have something nice to look at! i'm not doing anything wrong!
alisa: ok you're drunk

random guy: hey mami *says something in spanish*
alisa: hey what's up
random guy: you got a man?
alisa: yep
random guy: bet he can't take care of you like i can
elaine: k let's go
random guy: yo holla at yo boy
alisa: i don't know what that means
elaine: bye

alisa: then this bitchy girl walks past and tells elaine that holding her hair back isn't going to help
michelle: oh HEYELL NAW! uh-uh!! you should've called me! i would've come down there and ripped that bitch another ass hole!

elaine: did you drink anything red last night?
alisa: no
elaine: did i?
alisa: no, why?
elaine: when i woke up this morning there was this huge red stain all the way down the side of my sweater
alisa: from what?
elaine: i have no idea!

elaine: my shoes are making this horrible squeaking sound! ... i think my heel broke last night

elaine: it makes sense doesn't it? to party on a friday? you have the whole weekend to recover!
alisa: but noooooo.. san josenians party on thursdays

eric: come on now!

elaine: come on he's gone! this is our chance!!!!!!
alisa: no! how are we gonna get out? he's downstairs!
elaine: we can hide in the restroom all night
alisa: hello?!

alisa: can you help us get rid of this guy?
bouncer: what do you want ME to do?
alisa: aren't you a bouncer?
bouncer: just tell him you're not interested
alisa: ok, thanks for all your help

*random guy says something to elaine in chinese*
elaine: sorry! not chinese!
random: oh! what are you then?
elaine: .... *sigh* okay, i'm chinese

elaine: what's your name again?
amil: amil
elaine: what?
amil: a breakfast, a lunch, amil

alisa: hey there's "cheesy". he's so cute.
elaine: but he's so sleezy and cheesy
alisa: i think that's why he's cute
elaine: hey there's "dummy"
alisa: he's not so cute anymore
elaine: yeh he just stands there with no personality. "808"'s cuter.
alisa: oh yeh he's VERY cute
elaine: .. straits has very interesting staff huh?

random guy: what's up with your girl? she got a boyfriend?
alisa: yeah sorry
random guy: pfft boyfriend, girlfriend, pfft!
alisa: just broke up with your girlfriend?
random guy: yeh 3 weeks ago
alisa: so now you're..
random guy: i'm not bitter! she was 23.. and i've just realised that all 23 year old girls are good for are having a good time with
alisa: i see
random guy: ... how old are you?
alisa: 23. see ya.

elaine: what did you tell him your name was?
alisa: alisa. what did you tell him we do here?
elaine: work
alisa: ok. i guess we're telling people the truth now.

elaine: i told him i was 33

elaine: i'm disappointed in you. i really am.

bitchy girl: next time sweetie, if you don't want to get slammed, don't stand behind the door
alisa: i was about to walk out
elaine (to me): oh she's that bitch right?

elaine: i don't think that was his girlfriend
alisa: me neither
elaine: yeh she didn't look like his type. she looked... dirty
alisa: yeh.. kinda like a prostitute
julie (walking past): i'm not even gonna ask what i just walked into. i don't wanna know.

elaine: what the hell were you doing?! talking to that african man?! you idiot!
alisa: i couldn't help it! i was trying to get away!

alisa: wanna move?
elaine: yeh
alisa: to where?
elaine: somewhere with a seat? i feel vulnerable

alisa: *gasp* who's that?
elaine: nah its just some old asian ladies
alisa: that'll be us in 50 years
elaine: omg still living at stevens creek?!
alisa: still going to santana row!?
elaine: still working for pocketmail!?! god help me! i'd rather die

alisa: *big sigh*
elaine: what's wrong? are you full, drunk, or pissed off?
alisa: all three

alisa: who was the guy we met who was here for a birthday?
elaine: amil
alisa: that was only last week?!

michelle: you guys really are poor right now huh?
alisa: why?
michelle: you know things are tight when you start buying mega jars of FOLGERS instead of going to starbucks!

alisa: that guy on the bus this morning.. he had to be a junkie
michelle: you're so jaded!!! a month ago you would've been all "that guy on the bus looked a bit disturbed.. i wonder what was wrong with him". now you're all "he's a junkie!!" poor alisa!

elaine: i don't wanna fight with him. i just want him to admit i'm right
dan: wow.. i thought asian women were a lot nicer to their men
alisa: REALLY?
dan: oh no, not you. i wasn't referring to you. you're filipino.

michelle (to baby sarah): oooh you're so cuuuute aren't you?? here, do you want auntie alisa to hold you?
alisa: no! she's too small. i might break her.
michelle: girl please. you filipino. you guys shoot these things out like its nobody's business

michelle: i don't know how i used to wear heels to work all day, THEN go out to the club in heels all night!
alisa: you were young then... :D

alisa: this bag is heavy. i don't know how i'm gonna get it up to the overhead compartment
michelle: oh they'll help you. those stewardesses help little kids out all the time :D

michelle: oh i just found another burnt part of my hair. where are my scissors?
alisa: stop!
julie: girl, forget it. let her hairdresser kill her.

alisa: omg. i booked my return flight for the wrong date
michelle: idiot
alisa: i feel like you, that time you booked the hotel on the wrong date
michelle: shut up

alisa: and then he asked me to "help him out"
michelle: oh hell no!!
elaine: exactly
michelle: kick his ass to the curb! hell no!

michelle: how are you feeling?
alisa: eh..
julie: are you sick?
alisa: a little
julie: go home
alisa: no i'm ok
julie: GO HOME. you are still contagious!
alisa: just stay away from me then
julie: oh i plan to
michelle: next thing you know julie's walking past alisa's desk spraying the lysol.. "no offence alisa!"

michelle: that fool stood there all night, using his free drink tickets ON HIMSELF and didn't buy my girl one drink!
paul: has is ever occured to you that a frugle guy might be the best kind of guy to go out with? coz he's cautious with his money.
michelle: ok but you can't be cheap on a first date! take a sista to chillis at least! i don't wanna go to no food court! that ain't attractive!

alisa: wow, these advil look like little mimi mnms!
michelle: please don't pop them like they're mnms
dan: haha then look who'll be calling who the junkie

elaine: i'm hungry. i feel like korean.
alisa: go get some
elaine: i only have $2
alisa: i've got $7 i'll lend you
elaine: what about you?
alisa: you can spot me next week
elaine: god we're so poor!

alisa: so yeh, he's cheating on his wife and he has a baby with another woman
dan: *pause* we have such deep conversations, you and i!

dan: you can't leave!
alisa: ok sure, i'll have a word with immigration
dan: tell em mr dan has spoken

alisa: he's not god. he's just a pervert with a burnt hand.
michelle: hahahahahha i HURD THAT!

alisa: i feel soooo siiiiiiiiick....
elaine: oh no!! you have to get better!!! ....... we're supposed to go clubbing tomorrow!

michelle (voicemail message): hey girl i think you tried to call the office but my ringer was still off from when you were breathing all heavy at me and stuff...

elaine: the more i look at her, the more i hate her. pffft, miss molly!

elaine: *sips her drink* shiiiiit that's strong. how's yours?
alisa: *sips her drink* shiiiiit
elaine: shiiiiiit
alisa (to waiter): can we get some more coke for our drinks please?

elaine: stupid "808"!!
alisa: argh. yeh i think i'm gonna stay away from all things hawaiian from now on.

elaine: i have so much chocolate!
alisa: well why don't you put that packet back?
elaine: NOOOOO!!! i'll go on a diet when i go back to san jose

elaine: there's probably no alcohol in here.. this "apple delight flavoured beer"
alisa: we probably should've bought the one that said "margarita". i doubt there's margarita-flavoured beer

elaine: what happened to that woman?!
alisa: who?
elaine: fajardo!

michelle: what's this club called?
alisa: impala
michelle: yeh that sounds ghetto enough. lets go!

michelle: go get our drinks. pull your shirt down, hold your money out. go.

michelle: are you thinking "thank god i'm not white" right now?

michelle: don't act like you didn't know who you were flirting with to get those smokes

elaine: so the story is, we only had 4 drinks last night?
michelle: yes, and we went to a bar, not a club. and we didn't smoke.
elaine: what would sami do if i told him we were standing on the corner smoking at 3am with all those boys?
michelle: elaine!!!! don't even play like that!

i left my heart in san francisco

my last weekend was fun. we had an adventurous little trip to frisco on saturday morning - unloading some of my luggage coz it felt too heavy, speeding to the caltrain station coz we were late, running up and down the ramps with my 30kg suitcases with 2 minutes left before the train departed, breaking nails trying to get them up the train stairs, and JUST getting seated when the train started pulling out from the platform.

an hour and a half later we were pulling into 4th&king. our cabbie gave us suggestions for where to go that night as he drove us to the hotel. we checked into the tiniest room ever then relocated to our proper junior suite. did some exploring of the city.. its one of the prettiest cities i've ever been to. i could live there.

that night we had pre-drinks at a bar before we headed to the club. haha our version of that back home is drinking champers in the car on the way to the club. then we joined the queue at ruby skyes only to get to the front at be told they were charging $40 cover coz some european dj was spinning that night. i don't think so. so we jumped in a cab and went to northbeach.. which seriously looks like kings cross. in a good way. went to a club called impala coz it was the first club we saw that sounded like it was playing rnb. we weren't gonna be picky coz it was already midnight and last call there is 1.45am. that club was fun... but i don't think we really fit in. ifyanowwhatimean.

after the club is a bit hazy.. i remember standing on the corner of broadway and columbus for a while, talking to a bunch of guys, the cutest one being mike from "sac"(ramento), bumming cigarettes from him and 2 bouncers, the first bouncer refusing to let me into his club coz "whatever club you were at before this, you should've come here first", charming my way into getting the second bouncer to let me in then seeing the first bouncer inside and gloating, standing on the street for more than an hour waiting in vain for an available taxi, eating mexican, finally getting a taxi and going home.

after maybe 4 hours of sleep we woke up and talked off the hangover for a few hours over a starbucks. walked around the city a bit before the girls went home. then i explored on my own. i walked down to powell and paid my last visit to UO (found my "everyone loves an asian girl" shirt!!), took a cable car up to fisherman's warfe, passing union square, lombard st and the victorian houses along the way, and made friends with an australian girl, sarah, along the way. the cable cars were fun! especially going up the steep steep streets. i was right at the back hanging out the door.. it was actually kinda dangerous looking back. i badly could've fallen out if i wasn't holding on tight enough. we checked out the warfe, ate clam chowder (SF's famous for their clam chowder apparently), and took pictures of the GG bridge and alcatraz. san fran is so picturesque! i took nearly 100 photos that afternoon. i had to wait for the cable car back downtown for nearly an hour and i was freezing by the time i got on since i was only wearing a thin tank. i got off at chinatown and bought myself a fleece jacket. it was ugly and totally touristy (it had "SF" and possibly a picture of the bridge on it) but i didn't care anymore. i was only in chinatown anyway and it was getting dark. walked around and bought some more souvenirs and some pot stickers, then went back to the hotel. i felt all naked and vulnerable without my pepper spray hehe.

spent the rest of the night packing and cleaning the room. amazing how messy a room can get in just one night when 3 girls are getting ready to party .. hehe hawaii memories. then at 4.30am i was up again and on my way to SFO :(

do you see a pattern forming?

last night i was thinking.

my first boyfriend lasted about 4 years.
my next boyfriend, only about 2.5.
then there was that friend (or cousin, whatever) of a friend that was around for only a few months before he lost interest.
then there was my canada/sanjose fling who seemed promising but then fell off the face of the planet after about a month.
and most recently (i shouldn't really count him but it helps my argument) there was my crush who was all smiles for 3 hours but then had a girlfriend the next time i saw him. (i think.)

at the rate i'm going, any future romances will last no longer than approximately 2 minutes. blink and its over. age or time or something is making me increasingly easier to lose interest in. interesting.

i'm sleepy.. but i have to pack. its my last night in san jose. boo. i feel sad.

my next blog will probably be from australia :) maybe.

pots and pans

just then i stood in my kitchen for a full 2 minutes, trying to decide if i should cook my instant ramen for dinner because i use my stove top as extra bench space and i didn't know if i was bothered enough to move all my crap off it. i'm gonna be beaming during my first home cooked meal next week. even if its just corned beef or something.

wow its my 2nd last night in san jose. i'm sad. really and truly. i was walking down santa clara past all the bums the other day, looking down the street at all the traffic.. and i got really sad. i'm gonna miss that ghetto. hehe. and today i started the office goodbyes coz some people don't work on fridays and others come in later than when i'll be leaving tomorrow. siiiiigh. ahh san jose. i've had so many complaints over the last few months, but really its been good to me. i feel at home. people ask ME for directions. today when i told someone i was going to australia next week they thought i was from here and just going on a holiday. i even know which bums live on which corners. i think i'm gonna miss it a lot.

the girls and i are heading to the city this weekend. we're catching the CalTrain up.. for some reason i'm excited about that. then we're staying till monday when i fly off. four more sleeps!

LOST

the friday i left for vegas was so busy. michelle was *cough*sick*cough* that day and elaine had left for LA the night before so i was taking care of the office alone. by the time i got to the airport that afternoon i wasn't using my brain anymore. i just stuck my headphones in and waited at my gate till other people started boarding then i followed them.

so we're about half an hour into the flight and i hear the pilot saying we're about to start our decent into burbank. at the same time i noticed a map on the napkin the stewardess had given me.. and apparently burbank is not the name of the airport in vegas like i'd been thinking since take off. no, its a different city altogether.. in a different state altogether.

i have never in my life felt so lost and panicked and most of all like a complete IDIOT. how the hell was i gonna get out of BURBANK? were the airport staff going to believe me? was i gonna look like some sort of terrorist? (i blogged about that time i had to get body searched all coz i handed the guard the wrong piece of paper right?) was i gonna have to pay for a whole new flight to vegas? and how did the southwest staff let me board the wrong plane in the first place?! (i wondered briefly if i could get away with buying a cheap ticket to LA but getting on a flight all the way to NY) i was so close to crying. i didn't know who i was supposed to call first - my kuya who would freak out, michelle who would laugh in my face, my parents who'd get angry at me and have their own panick attacks, or no one at all because the shame (oh the shaaaaaaaame) of having to explain it would be too much.

anyway we landed and FINALLY a mention of vegas: "if you're continuing on to las vegas please remain seated". oh.my.gosh southwest's dodgy boarding pass gave no indicaton that we were stopping anywhere! and only after looking closer at my itinerary did i notice "stops: 1". still, it was very unclear!!!

i know i've flown too much on this trip because i'm so not paying attention like i should be. catching a plane is as big a deal as catching a bus to me now. my flight back to sydney's gonna be a big one though =/ i still get scared of international flights. best believe i'll be saying the rosary during take off.

aahhhhhh adventures. at least now i can say i've been to burbank.

oh yeh, and i booked my return flight for today instead of yesterday by mistake. geeeeeeez my attention to detail no longer exists.

impulsive much?

16:20 kuya bobby calls to tell me he's in vegas
16:30 elaine reminds me how bored i'll be if i stay in SJ
16:35 i book my flight: SJC-LAS-SJC

i didn't even really enjoy vegas that much last time i went (two months ago.. =/), but i'll be damned if i spent yet ANOTHER boring lonely weekend in SJ.

how YOU doin?

sam. 23. half hawai'ian, half polynesian. host manager at straits. so cute it hurts.

alisa. 23. filipino. on day 2 of the flu, dressed in probably the most unflattering outfit ever worn on a night out.

he caught my eye as soon as we walked in. we then spent the whole night beaming every time he walked past. the boy is so cute, you can't help but blush at the very sight of him. which didn't matter until he started turning around and catching us grinning at the back of his head. it was the most embarrassing thing. i would've felt 15 years old if i wasn't sitting in the middle of a bar. and if it wasn't for him kinda smiling back. elaine (who won't give up her dream of finding the love of my life before i leave in a week and a half) waved him over and it turns out he's just as beautiful up close as he is from halfway across the bar. apparently when i went to get our next round, he was asking her all about me. eh.. i don't know if i believe her. that girl's so desperate for me to come back here, i wouldn't put it past her to lie to get me to take some action.

but i've turned into a pussy. i don't know what's happened to the socially adept part of me. all i could manage was a shy smile (which is dumb coz i was badly showing all 32 everytime he walked past) and an awkward "so do you usually work.. err.. on weekdays?" *cringe*. it was meant to be "what days do you usually work?" but it came out wrong. excuse me? since when do i get all tongue-tied like that?

whatever. i saw him talking to this dirty looking filo girl who was wearing something you shouldn't really call a top, but a piece of material. later, she nearly knocked me out as she walked into the restroom i was about to walk out of. then she tells me not to stand behind the door if i don't wanna get slammed. bitch. she looked like she had STDs. whatever floats your boat sam.

what's "half hawai'ian, half polynesian" anyway? that's like saying i'm half filipino, half asian. i went to the PCC, i know a little something about polynesia.

he's still unbelievably good looking though. his face made going out while i'm sick with the flu and all drugged up on codral robitussin and advil, worth it. SO worth it.