I had so much fun with my group led by Mr. Long that always had great energy, morning, night, and day! I spent $4k+ on this trip for my own single rooms, doubles were around $3k+ some but knowing myself I enjoy my alone time. I soaked in the hot tub of the finest hotel rooms. Some places I looked up at were around 30-$60/night. We went on an overnight train, overnight on Halong Bay Cruise, flew a couple flights, and been on a couple buses and motor bike tours.
My questions were always answered and I felt safe every part of my trip. I always felt welcomed and heard during the duration. I enjoyed the listed activities and this definitely was a trip suited well for what I was looking for.
The itinerary was packed and it being my first time to Vietnam, the trip was curated and well planned for my curious mind. I did not have any plans in visiting this country but now I have so much more love and curiosity that I want to revisit and bring my friends and family to this beautiful country.
It was pleasant having flights booked, trains planned for, and hotels booked via booking with this travel group. I would totally do it again!
Thanks Mr. Long for being a great individual and tour group guide.
From the south to the north I had the time of my life!
I booked thru a content creator named Tway and Mekong Trails was the Guide.
It was such a blessing to be on this trip. Here are some pictures I took on my instagram:
This was a trip I was not going to go on but, was influenced since I have experience in dragonboating and because it was trip to a city that I have never been to before. I was happy to attend as I always wanted to visit Toronto. I missed the taste of Ketchup Chips and the Poutine although now I can find em in USA. Japadog too, we now have Umami which is very similar. I had a great time making new connections and also meeting some that I have met online thru the app Clubhouse during lockdown. I got to each pancit at their house as they hosted some good eats. I do not remember what we place be we got medaled. I think it was bronze in maybe 3rd division. But super happy to have taken some hardware home regardless and make new and strengthen older connections. Definitely a trip I enjoyed. Later
I was gathering my belongings at work and clearing my locker on my last Friday shift with little thought of what the future would bring, since we were told by SFUSD, on Thursday, that students and teachers, "if sick, you will be excused, doctors note not needed'. As a paraprofessional, I am trained in verbal and physical deescalation and work in classrooms with children that have moderate to severe autism. I don't get paid much, but do find it a very fulfilling. I have been a para for 3 years and am continuing to learn more about autism and the brain and behavior of people in general. I'll go into more depth about the work I do in another blog post but for now my focus is on how the "pandemic" is effecting me.
Being told that school will be closed at first was a mixture of emotions. Questions in my mind ran rampant. In the flip side I was excited that this may be an opportunity for me to travel and just go to another country, probably an island and thoughts of just going to one the duration of this madness. I tried to keep as positive as possible and even cried to a close friend of how work has been really stressful and how this opportunity got me thinking that I can be open to diving into a new. To just fly away with not much and just be. But my friend checked and grounded me; we couldn't just do that though, we could, cuz we have our responsibilities.
As the weekend passed, me, my friends, colleagues, saw the severity of this virus. Global death count increased -- like the 'taxi meter' my dad said -- and countries, states, going on lockdown because they wanted to flatten the curve of folks being infected was prevalent. Alarmed by hospitals being overwhelmed by patients. And ending with another job of mine sending me the notice of "furlough". The last time i heard of this term was in university, "furlough" days.
I worked my last Water Aerobics Class with hopeful and positive members and gave them my positive energy but the ambiance and still air of uncertainty, was noticeable as I played my music and instructed the next movement for my class. A friendship that was halted in November by someone projecting on their own insecurities opened up to me and expressed their apology and I understood their distance because I have my own story and understood their own too, ghosting. Gave my last physical proximities to my close friends and then went into quarantine and into the new new: social distancing.
Fast Forward 3 weeks and after what was supposedly my Spring Break, here I am now: Keepin up the Kababayan spirit, it's dope getting a routine in play and staying connectedvirtually. Meetings with SFUSD Filipino Leaders, and Saturday morning reflections/workout with @heystrongbabe with workouts led by personal trainer @LeahRecania and wellness talks by blogger @IslaHoney, and individual workouts with mi hermana, Bay Area Foodie Wednesday dinners hosted by @Dandy.Eats, and talking to loved ones and spreading my love and continuing to be loving when fear is out and in here. I also was able to do a week workout challenge that had me so sore by personal trainer @Mario. Now I'm just trying to find free workouts online or trying to just stay motivated myself.
I also have been continuing my baby Podcast which is very uplifting and therapeutic. I have found refuge in speaking out my vulnerabilities and inviting guess to speak with me. Find 20+ of my episodes of my and others spiritual journey at: https://anchor.fm/JayRayDntPlay or on my Spotify
There are days where it's been tough where I have felt like I could be doing more for myself and others, but staying grounded and allowing myself to be ok with my feelings is what I try to remember and that it's a balance. I think I'm doing A OK while still creating and still breaking down from time to time. Ain't nothing different, I got my good days and I have my GREATER DAYS A Clinical Psychologist Dr. Jeannie Celestial who was in the meeting said this uplifting info which I may butcher or modify from my notes:
Give time- to the grief you are feeling from no more work or the loss of normalcy.
Routine- Make a sense of normalcy or routine for yourself. Make rituals and bring them back into your picture.
Connection- Stay connected to your friends and family. Reach out to one another
Mindfulness- Ask the ancestors above to come down. Visualize them as you raise your hands up and them cleansing your body and giving you the positive energy to move forward. Make it visible, picture the world holding hands in healing.
This was very powerful to me and made me feel a ton lighter. Dr. Jeannie is also one of three authors of:
Currently checking out resources in how to find ways to be of help?
Found this:
Any resident of the Richmond (in zip codes 94121 or 94118) in need of food assistance should come to one of our three weekly food pantries to sign up and receive a free bag of fresh groceries. https://richmondsf.org/feeding-the-richmond-district.../
Food Bank- Volunteer or Donate Utensil/Canned Goods
Lots of folks are hoarding because they are not used to this and are scared. But they don't need to, groceries get stocked! https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/community-volunteer-support/
In a broad sense, it's ok to just be. To put yourself first. Connect with your friends and community, show up and remember that it's ok to not show up too. Just do your best, which is the best you can do for yourself. Take things slow and go with a guideline for yourself but, allow yourself to enjoy falling out of routine to cry, to break down, to do something out of your routine. It's ok if you drink alcohol or take another hit of that blunt or eat another edible, but try to do so in moderation. In key always in life, it is a balance. Take the present time to breathe and be present to enjoy the small things that you are currently living, breathing, moving. That's what it's about, to live and have gratitude to whatever that is HAPPENING.
Put yourself in priority. Just because you are not in the frontline it's ok and if you are in the front line you are totally appreciated for the work you do. Whether you are a volunteer or worker. Everyone appreciates your effort.
BIG
I LOVE YOU
-Thanks best friend for helping me fully tap in.
#JayRayDntPlay
8/25 4:53am in SF, USA—— 8:54 Philippine/19:54- Tokyo 20:55
Sitting down at the waiting area in #1 for my flight to SFO. Currently writing this piece after getting a wonderful one hour massage at Stress Away Massage.
The massage was pretty amazing. I pushed the doors in and walked to the gentlemen sitting down bored in his chair and asked if I was able to pay USD since the sign was in pesos and in USD. He said I could At the current moment I did not have my USD readily available in my pocket, but it was deep in my bag so I went to the bathroom toilet and a friendly bathroom attendant named Ronald said hi to me and I said, “hi Ronald”, as I walked to a stall.
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Currently, starting again after i got distracted by a really pretty girl sitting across from me. Our eyes touching from time to time. I wanna say hi but, she is on the phone. So I just let it go by…
..
Anyway back to the topic at hand. I started peeling my clothes, started getting ready for the massage and into some more comfy clothing for the massage. I was finally bare naked in the stall then put on my Hawaiian souvenir shirt from a really good friend and then pulled up my Adidas pants.
I walked back to the Stress Away Massage which was like a 3 min walk with confidence knowing that I had exact money and some for tip. I was super ecstatic because this massage was so cheap compared to what the regular price is in Japan. The massage beds are set close to each other but that did not bother me. I just could not wait to be rubbed and feeling good for my upcoming 12 hr flight.
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Deem as i wrote that last night the person sitting in front of me pulled back they’re seat all the way without warning. Like yo what if I had a tall glass of champagne. I think it’s mindful to at least check to see if the person behind you is not doing anything that may cause trouble before backing up.. I look back before leaning back. It’s somewhat of tight but this flight has more leg space than what I am accustomed to.
…
Back again to the massage. So i paid and the gentleman at the desk told me to sit down and wait to be called. I took my sweet time ensuring I had my money and passport in my bag safely away. By the time I was turning off my phone, a masseuse — young short lady said I was next and asked me where my bags were. I pointed and she took my bags and placed it under a massage bed.
Whenever I go to a massage that is open to view, I get kind of excited and slightly embarrassed because I worry about getting too excited and not being able to hide it when i lay down with my head up. I’ll continue the story of my massage before I get into that.
So the masseuse asked me to place my bonnet, my glasses into a crate and lay face dow on the table. To the right of my massage table is someone that just began their massage and maybe like 4 other clients to my left. I laid down and put my hands in a compartment under my face. The first thing I remembered was she started with placing a blanket atop of my back and then started rubbing her elbows on my upper shoulders. She worked on my butt, my lower thighs, shins, to my foot.
Some people I read are uncomfortable getting their butt touched but I do not mind it. I like it. Then she also started rubbing my head to the back of my neck. I wish my ears were pulled, but they weren’t. I have had masseuse in the past that have done that to me and I really love the feeling. The head rub was ok but it did not stimulate me as much as I wished. I made a movement and then she stopped. I noticed if she thought I was hurt she would ask but if I didn’t say anything she would discontinue and work something else. SO i had to tell her that I like the pain and wanted more she did great asking if the pressure was ok. I felt real cared for during my treatment. The hand rub was nice too, she had some really small — callused in some parts — hands.
After my back was massaged I was asked to flip over and the first thing done was my head for what felt like 5 minutes, I am pretty glad about that because my lower body was probably not ready for more leg stimulation. Then my chest was worked on afterward. That was probably like 2 minutes. My quads, shins and feet were next. After one leg was massaged they were stretched as well. To the right, left, knee bent, extended, raised I enjoyed the stretches although I do that often myself. After the set was completed I was asked to sit upright and my upper back was rubbed with her elbows which removed some of my knots. It was really nice.
I left feeling relaxed and gave a pretty big tip. 1k yen and 3 usd.
Thanks for your service Stress Away Massage cannot wait to come back when i am there!
Welcome to this season of Terrace House - Tahoe Edition Capricorn SZN! Thanks all for tuning in since Season 1 and all those that have recently started watching and following. I really enjoy the Netflix Series Terrace House especially "Boys And Girls In The City". This season is pretty dope in that my skiing got better and I'm sharing a HUUUUUGE Cabin with 15+ people. One person I haven't seen or heard from since elementary school and another since high school! Very exciting!
My goal for going to Tahoe: learning how to ski so I could teach in Japan. Although I took ski lessons, I was not able to learn as fast as I thought I could in order to teach this season. Though I was frightened of falling, this recent Tahoe visit increased my confidence because my friends motivated me to go to more challenging routes. Falling sucks, it hurts -- bruising, tenderness, and swelling all happened to me. My left side hip, my inner right knee, and lower back spine. Regardless, I can say that I am a healthy person with no current issues with my body. To not utilize my body to its full potential would be very sad to me. So here I am going crazy. Sometimes, I go on tangents as you can see from my last sentence. :P
The thought comes thru my head -- if I don't get better now, then when? I thought about when I learned how to ride a bike, did I learn the first couple of tries? Hell no! So why should I stop now? I used to have a hard time stopping, but now I can carve so much better and am more confident skiing backward, which I thought undoable my last 3 times. I am stoked to say I can ski backward on less steep slopes and feel more comfortable going forward down steep slopes. I owe a lot to taking a ski lesson, going with friends that have the positivity and motivation, and meeting fellow experienced skiers that remind me of the little things like going wider left and right so I can go slower when going down a steep mountain.
I am truly excited what the future brings, whether it be just skiing with friends or possibly teaching in Japan next winter. Like the quote goes, "Shoot for the moon, the worse you'll hit is a star" or "Have big goals for yourself, because you never know how far you will go."
Thanks for reading my Terrace House: Skiing Progression Reflection!
-The event was CHILL AF or Hella cool? I don't say hot but, it at times was lit by the fireworks and pyrotechnics.
What was the event like?
-The weather was so cold that I had to wear three jackets on the third night. My throat was dry AF! I used Vicks often and did my inhaler due to the fact that I was coughing a whole ton. I was not sick but I believe that the cold air was the cause.
-The event had a MTV lounge, where you could sit relax and order drinks. There I got free stunner shades that blinked green LED lights and had MTV 19 written on the lenses (barely could see through).
Who performed? Who were you excited for? Who did you see?
-DJ's Rappers Singers
- I was pretty stoked to see AC Slater, then when I found out TYGA, Kaskade, and G-Eazy, were added I got even more juiced! Though I was unable to see them, I'm pretty sure that I will be able to see them in the future.
-There were 2 big stages and a tent stage that I visited. I don't recall seeing anymore stages nor did I care to utilize the app as much as I could have besides to use it to figure out who was playing.
- I was able to see Above and Beyond whom I have seen in previous raves and it was nostalgic to see them again as well as, hearing music that I've heard from previous events. When I hear music that reminds me of certain moments it brings me joy. Especially since their music is very positive and uplifting.
Where was SnowGlobe?
-It was located in South Lake Tahoe.
-I stayed in a vacation house that housed 8 people, which was about 5-10 minute drive from the location. Our friend that skied with us but, did not purchase tickets was kind enough to drive the rave squad to and from the event. They were the real MVP. Three nights, we each individually split about $318 which was supposedly gonna be only like $230 but some folks pulled out last minute due to extenuating circumstances.
When was SnowGlobe?
-New Years Eve, 12/31 12/30 12/29 However, I rested on the second day to body soreness and coughing a lung. I stayed in to help cook with friends that are not into the music scene.
How much did it cost? How did you hear about the event?
-SnowGlobe was about $269 for all 3 days. From homie/ads
Why did you attend?
-I had no other obligation and wanted to come up with an exciting story for when I get back to work.
-JK my last Tahoe trip a friend hit me up if I was down, I never been before so I decided to take the opportunity. Snowglobe has always been in my bucket list so to be able to say that I've been, feels godly!
Main-Stage Countdown
______________
Reflections:
Above and Beyond Set
What you wish you could see more of?
- Kinda wish I got to see TYGA, Kaskade, Rae Sremmurd since they sound pretty lit in videos. Can you spell Rae Sremmurd backwards? Woah! LMAO yeah I just realized it from my friend asking me the same thing during our trip.
What do you think could have changed?
Hmm... Not really much probably should have had a fanny pack cuz i lost my phone and didn't have it for about 2-4 hours until checking the LOST and Found. Thanks to that dude that found it and brought it there. BLESS your SOUL my dude! YOU are Living Greatness!
What could you have done better to enjoy the event?
Not sure, sleep more. Take care of meh body more. Not really sure but I kept coughing and now I'm no longer there, I am not coughing or as asthmatic as I was.
Will you go back?
-Nah, I think it's too cold for me and I'm not able to function or go as hard as I used too. Gettin old hahahah and weak. But er... I heard Coachella tickets came out and the first weekend is sold out! I actually never been yet! Fuck should I go!? Lol I should but.... shit.... lol I don't know. Thanks for the experience friends, Snowglobe and MTV. I'd go back if I was younger and a little more healthier.
