West Co

maple tree. palm tree. home. rolling green hills. snowy caps. 80 degrees.

Peace 4 LB

call time, 6:30 am. it's been months organizing this campaign, and it's finally here.

this is me with narong. narong is not only a fun and overall wonderful young woman, but a selfless and committed volunteer for our work. she was also a friend of melody ross, who was a wilson high school student who was shot and killed in alleged gang gunfire at a football game. narong was so deeply affected by the loss of her friend, that she chose to start a campaign to "do something". i remember the morning narong texted me, asking for my help in doing something to address this. i committed at that point to support in any way i could.

narong's dream of creating that "something" to address her friend's death inspired so many of us to get involved. her project quickly engaged the city of long beach's human dignity program, the long beach police department, the long beach unified school district and pta, peace builders and us, ccej. with the input of volunteer youth from each school and community members who just wanted to dedicate their time and energy, the peace 4 lb campaign was born.

as a committee, we acknowledged the real crisis at hand. melody ross was indeed a tragedy,

and she she received an extraordinary amount of attention (her story and family were featured on the front page of the press telegram for an entire week straight). we wanted to bring awareness and attention to ALL the families, community members and friends who lost a young person to violence, something that happens all too often in long beach. ironically, and horribly, a young woman mikayla who was on the peace 4 lb planning committee from the start, lost her brother in a shooting in january, in the middle of planning. this event was meant to happen, and it we absolutely needed to honor every youth we have lost as a community.

on this beautiful day, we did it. narong's dream came to fruition, and we brought together over 300 people on a saturday morning. after it was done, i hugged narong and told her "you did this!" and she just sobbed. i cried with her, of course. it's amazing- the power of a 19 year old khmer girl in long beach.

The Leo

3.26.2010

the birney circus was the most adorable circus on earth. our leo very fittingly played a lion in the circus, and his tricks earned him *gesture two arches here*.

Ridin' Diiirty

3.25.2010

this was taken about 5 minutes after i straight rode through a big horse $hit on my ride this morning. ugh. ruined it.

i ride the 710 river path north for about 4 miles and back. it's a smooth ride, and i find the combination of natural elements coexisting with urban elements very beautiful. there are horses, pelicans, ducks, beautiful flowers blooming right up with the freeway, the blue line and graffiti. it's great sightseeing. but distracting, apparently.

Pico Union

3.24.2010

twenty nine 6th and 7th graders. in the end, they made the 5:00 am alarm worth it.

Isagani Agassi

3.23.2010

tennis lessons. it took everything in papa to not jump on the court and take over like he does in soccer. it's a little embarrassing, but perci does do this for a living. he put it really well. he said, "imagine if you had to sit through half an hour of watching someone else teaching gani about race relations. and you paid $95 for it." crystal clear.

Buddy Bot

3.22.2010

go to www.love-llc.com and support artists like my boy rob.

That time again!

3.21.2010

we were pushing it. it was actually kind of cold, but we couldn't resist. the swimming skills in this jacuzzi are getting really good too! i predict all four will be in the deep end (aka "defense" as gani calls it) by the end of summer.

The newest recruit

look who's riding without training wheels!

Lunch lines cause conflict

3.18.2010

today i learned what "butt cut" means. and how it can resolve a conflict.

Glee-less

3.17.2010

i have no picture today. you know why? i was too chicken to step up and take the picture i soooo wanted to take.

i pull up to cabrillo hs. the production trucks had been there since monday, so i knew filming was happening. today, there were multiple trucks, trailers and security. i park my car and who's about 20 feet away from me? finn. just chillin, talking in parking lot. i pull out my curriculum box and reach for my camera. he's still talking to his security escort, wearing a turquois button up, looking oh so adorable (and surprisingly skinny!). i'm fumbling around in my trunk-- snack, back to the camera. flip chart paper, back to the camera. look over to see if he's still there, put down the camera. pick it back up. close the trunk and start to walk over, aaaaand he walk away. boooo!!!! i stand there and just watch him walk away into the distance. puck suddenly appears on his skateboard and rides alongside him. they talk and laugh and disappear into the trailers. i stand there like a 34 year old stalker with an oversized flip chart in my hand and a camera in the other. i can't believe i missed that opportunity.

that was at 2:30. at 5:15, program ends, and i start walking back to my car. i see the majority of them walking in a group on the way to the gym. quinn's super blond hair stands out and artie's glasses and smile are so noticeable. i'm trippin out. but alas, my hands are full and camera deep in my purse. i get to the curb and who goes speeding by clumsily on his skateboard? yes, it is puck in all his gorgeousness. then i get to my car and tina jogs by with her purple streaks, trying to catch up. her security escort eyes me as if i'm about to ambush her for a picture. i shoulda!!!!

Team Edward

this was at a teacher's desk. hy-ste-ri-cal.

Dr. Office

3.15.2010

waiting patiently for the doctor to look in his ears.
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"You guys are sooo busted!"

i wanted to take one before the day ran out.

he said i looked funny in pic#3.

i gave the mad-nostril-flare and cut him out in pic#4.

he said i look like candace from phineas and ferb.

Snoozefest 2010

3.13.2010

ok, so this isn't my picture. but it cracks me up. i find it amazing that such a fun loving guy is such a killer in the ring. behind this exterior of a small, smiling gentle being is a BEAST. he is the embodiment of us as filipinos -- resilient, full of heart, deceptive in strength and intellect and you might get some centuries of colonization in there, but we will come through in the end with the biggest punches, please believe. oh, and we will come out singing when it's done. i love how manny continues to contest our society's hypermasculine notions around boxing, competition, sport and especially around asian men. he's a puzzle in so many people's minds, including a key sponsor who will remain nameless who are said to be incapable of wrapping their minds around this guy. they just don't get him. well, folks. you don't have to. i get him, and so do the millions of his fans, filipino and non. if the red queen had the option, i bet she'd pick pacquiao over alice, and he'd give that jabberwocky a hug right before knocking his dragon ass out cold.

Friday nights at the aquarium

3.12.2010

this is the only sea animal he got close to that night. auntie pam visited us :) from sf and gani was sooo happy.

Celebrating Work Readiness

3.11.2010

they started off as strangers. three weeks later, they're inseparable. who knew work readiness training could be so fun?

Black Lightning

3.10.2010

papa and gani's playmate.

Muscle man

3.9.2010

he's proud of how strong he's getting. so he jumped up in the middle of dinner and started doing pushups to prove it.

Nike offices

this is how culture shock does board meetings. thanks to rachel for hosting!
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Happy Birthday, T!

yes, it was a long day, but you were a trooper, T! fun day.

Tour de Sewer

congratulations, jeff, fred and papa for completing 62 miles. turnbull canyon road tackled.

Mischief...

...awaits me at home.

side note: why does the iphone take better pictures than my digital?

Public Education

defend it.

http://www.defendeducation.org/

Damasked man

get it? "damask"ed? wah wah wah. corny naman.

here's the lil man with his new haircut. he looks like mini perci with his hair lined up. if he continues in papa's footsteps, he'll have a mustache by 5th grade.

Thizzz face

he'll be thizzin in a minute during his tooth extraction.
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Signs of Spring

it's time for cleansing, renewal, rebirth, change, transition and new beginnings.