10:56 p.m. 2004-08-31
The Bitch says: The Golden Days
So I finally raked those crazy new contacts out of my eyes-- after about forty-eight hours-- rinsed them gently, then doused them in solution, and then returned them to their case-- which had been taped a million times over to keep the plane's airpressure from causing it to explode and spill. Realized, oddly enough, that a bathroom is a great place to think. I mean, you're looking down at your hands, shoes, smell... something terrible, or something very fragrant or soapy, see the colors of all the meds, perfumes and makeup that your mom might have, or see that battle-scarred razor of your dad's... somehow, at the pit stop in your day, you're just able to pay more attention to detail. I think that's the only way I can explain what I've realized whilst handwashing and showering, or mentally concieved. Today it was an acapella video-gamer's medley while squinting at my bangs in the mirror after sleeping for a few jetlagged hours. ... I wish I had some sort of mp3 self-creation software. The medley was really good, too.
Digressing-- to other things, that make more sense, and that perhaps will probably steer the current reader from thinking that KT Young is another insane failure molded by the anti-VH1 Otaku media.
I visited Walbert and arrived at the gate, at approximately 9:06 this morning. Arrived at my actual home MUCH later, due to my dad's reoccuring absent-mindedly mild driving screwups. In the car, I said offhandedly in my best hispanic-wrestler accent "There is five of us!!" referring to my newly reunited family, when Peter, being the smart-alek he is, snappily reminded me we were, and HAVE been missing one of the five. Which would be my very reason for recently going out to Caliornia for a while.
"I just love how I ran away to California and came out... as a vegetarian," Albert said with an almost teasing tone. "Most people just come out *hushed voice*gay!, you see." So went some of the first face-to-face conversation that I had with the Bert in a long time. I decided to make my way to the baggage claim a little late, adjusting my boots which would have been a bitch on the plane, had I not kept them in check. Knee-high leather laceups (even if Albert calls the 'zips cheating)... Mm. Albert recognized me first, but had I been more sensible I would have seen him. I simply didn't expect him to be wearing anything other than what I percieved to be his accustomed black, and he was wearing a gray leather trench. Not a HUGE change, but change enough, you understand.
I was able to see my little brother-- who though, still pudgy and baby-like (XD XD Paige, I love you for that)-- and with puberty kicking in, he's experienced a Filipino growth spurt, in all its tubby-tall glory. ... But I had boots, you see, so it's all grood ^_^
Mom looked a little disheavled from her plane flight, but she wore this blouse which set off her skin, that I noticed tanned even more deeply than its usual deep golden-hue in the Filipine-sun (isnt it scary when you envy your PARENTS?). Her head was like a raven-haired Einstein's--messy and everywhere, after many restless, tossing hours on a plane. She looked funny, but she was still mom: "Katie, you look like a slut... I tell you, you spend too much money on clothes nowadays." Yes, I spend too much money on clothes. But what I was wearing was 98% conservative. Yup, still Mom.
After ignoring my dad's wishes that we take the bus and not the BART train, Mom and Peter took a taxi to the hotel while Albert and I walked there together. San Francisco was beautiful on our first day... like something out of a postcard. There was literally not a single visible cloud in the sky, which was the bluest thing I had ever seen up until I visited Golden-Gate and saw the bay. Albert stonewalled me as usual, thinking he's the smart one in every situation, thinking he's tactful and able to cover a lot up.. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask but I didn't ask him then and there, as we had only spent about four minutes together. He walks fast now, he's lost weight, and his skin has actually cleared up, remarkably without the help of too much crazy facial wash. Awwh, little pudgy Elmo-bert... grown up. He wears less black now, too, and even criticized-- how curious!-- me for being immersed in black that day, but I guess I see his reasoning: it can get so hot, there, in San Fran.
I was sort of planning on smacking Walbert around when I first saw him, but he caught me off guard at the airport and once we started hanging out like old-chums, I didn't have-- or really had too much of a heart to beat him to a pulp. At that point, when I was laughing and forgetting I had to go home in a couple days to the gritty reality, I just couldn't find it within myself, and honestly didn't want to.
Mom and Peter, who were twelve hours jetlagged, retired shortly after arrival to our room at the Miyako Inn-- an adorable stay right across from the heart of Japantown. Japantown had lots, and lots, of good food and anime, and apparently even a bit of French cusine, but naturally none of the menus were written in English and neither was the freshly-imported Otaku-media. Bummer.
For the rest of the first day, Albert introduced me-- finally!! -- to Paige. I was expecting a strawberry blonde and slight-figured, light-eyed, refined and fashionable young college girl who maybe harbored some crush towards Walbert and loved to spend her freetime drawing (this is some cliche image in my mind, derrived from a friend named Jamie who in my mind reminds me more of a 'Paige' and a few other Paiges I know or have read up on). What I actually met?: A crazy, street-talking, loud, african-american chick with an afro, bandanas and what I refer to as 'You Got Served!' clothes that added a lot of character. She also happened to draw very well, eat very many sweets, liked kareoke, and LOVED anime. In short, we got along famously, and of the people I briefly was fortunate enough to encounter on my stay in San Francisco, I miss her the most. (Walbert, you're so worthless >:3)
I spent the day with she and Albert, viewed her humble apartment and played some crazy pirated games, went to Hate street and saw myself some interesting folk and some cheap -but nice- duds, went to Ben&Jerry's for a Smoothie when Paige and I agreed we needed something to feed into our sweettoothes, rode the bus, ran into PutintoPlay (DO look that up online, it's a brilliant concept) and posed in Union Square. I have some excellent pictures of that day, but unfortunately not all of them because Albert's mac is a fucking fuckity fucktarded dumbfuck fuck. *clears throat* .... Beep?
The next day Mom invited over a friend I refer to as Bebe (prounounced 'BayBay'), a sweet-faced 47 year old who also married an old bachloreor but came out childless and filthy rich. She was surprisingly kind and infectiously humorous, but I didn't see as much of her as I would have liked. She whisked mom away to her 860,000 dollar home in the Calified suburbs while I was left in the room with Pete to try to figure out something to do the second day. Keyword-- Try. I didn't come up with anything except for the brilliant idea to buy expensive shampoo, and venture to a supermarket never before seen by my little brother or I: The Cala*Bell. After going to Safeway, roaming the streets, getting lost, arriving at the Cala*Bell, buying the eccentric combination of Shampoo and Ice Cream-- we were on our way back to the hotel. Peter finished our previously purchased Safeway sub, and I lapped up melted IceCreamLIGHT soup. Mmm... fat-free lowsugar mocha-vanilla-mousse ice cream.
Mom arrived home late that day, And I semi later, after hanging alone with Walbert for a bit. We had a long chat about this and that, but the details on that will probably never recieve public mention.
The next day I went to the Metreon, got hit on by some guy who was old enough to be my dad-- though forunately(?), not as old as MY particular dad, hit on by an african-german kid, and a surprisingly charming chubby asian gaming manager.(Whassat again, de ja vu`, something something about Mike saying I attract all the wrong/creepy kinds of people? XD) The Metreon, btw, was previous known as Sony Theaters and since our last stay has expanded into a tech-savvy mall... with the best Arcade service I have ever seen-- ten times better than any gaming room at any anime convention, but unfortunately not as free. Even the cafes there were filled to the brim with gizmos and gadgets and whoseits and whatsits galore, and the cute gay men on the cafe stools were singin' DoowhydiddydiddyDum, diddy doo. The original Sony Store seemed smaller than I remembered it, but in reality I was taller, older, and not as impressionable, and it had stayed roughly the same size-- the building itself had simply expanded to accomadate MORE gamer crazy things, and it hence felt very much more like a shadow than a main attraction. Still, it had lots of fun and free! games to play, not just demos but GAMES, and you could make the people behind you wait in line as long as you wanted and no one would bother you... unfortunately, if you WERE in line, this rule kind of sucked. But so it goes... later, again hung out with Paige and Bert, and we apparently missed out on some party that was canceled. For others: I highly reccomend the foreign film 'Princess Blade'. Very nicely done.
Fourth day was busy as ever, and at the end of it I daresay I was EXHAUSTED. We-- Mom, Peter, I-- walked the roundtrip length of the Golden Gate Bridge, took pictures of everywhere around it, met a dreadlocked Toto dog, went to Presidio Park (where we previously went to and witnessed the filming stages of sweet November... Mmmmm Keanu Reeves-- and boys, I'm sure you found Charlize Theron even more attractive. Apparently they were filming the poodle scene?...) also went to Golden Gate Park, then got lost on the bus, visited Japantown, shopped at Safeway, then ate at Panda Express, then bought two subs for later at Subway, then retired home, in which case I was too tired to go to this college party I was invited to. Too bad. I already have gone to so many of them though, a suprising LOT especially for a high school girly, so I can't say I have any regrets or complaints on missing out.. except that I certainly missed out of a potentially GREAT photo scene for my digital camera. Instead watched the movie of Mr. Bean, and fell asleep after finishing our melted IceCreamLIGHT, cozying up somewhere in the room between Mom and Peter. Sometimes having family is just so... nice.
On the final day, and just yesterday, Albert had a day off that he vowed to spend with us all. The days previous he had been spending just with me or with none of us. He mentioned something-- and I only realize NOW how insensitive he is-- about needing to attend to a free gym trial the same day, and I understand getting into shape should be a top priority but 1: Albert is already in pretty good shape, the best shape, in fact, of our blood-liked family and 2: This may be the last time I see Albert in person for years to come... especially with Dad retiring.In short, I don't think he was thinking and I don't care to elaborate how terrible that really made him seem.
Still, the gym thing SORT OF backfired, keyword sort of, because we ended up stopping there anyway because of COURSE, after Albert parties, he sleeps in the next day. The whole grand finale of our trip sucked... I spent it hungry, and lost, but looking pretty fine in my crazy boots and retro-coordinated blue outfit, along with my dragon pendant(<3 to Mike) which I have yet to take off and a chic black jacket. We visited about half the California Academy of Sciences, which included computers, a very very limited exhibit on Astro-Biology, and 'Ants!', leaving partially because we ALL weren't in the mood to learn many new things while Dad wasn't present, and also because we weren't aware that there were multiple buildings that made of the Academy.
We spent a couple hours after that just wandering around with my mom trying to force her food-money down Albert's throat, figuring the best way to seem like the cool, level-headed mom was to offer him a 'gift', and being Filipina she thought the best and most practical gift at the time was food. Albert DOES look thinner, but this is a good thing, I think, and he turned her down every time.. in which case, she refused to buy anything of the edible sort for us other two chubb-- cherubic children, so I remained parched/dehydrated and was spazztic hiccups, and Peter continued to bitch about how he wanted to visit a Chinese bakery. I bitched about various things as well, and finally Albert just cracked and asked Me what I Wanted to Do... and I blurted out either food or a movie-- because 1, I was thirsty and 2, at this point my tummache was starting to grumble angry strips of profanity to my face, which wouldn't listen and tried to bring my hand out to talk to instead. Movie, because I was bored out of my mind and heard Metreon had a fabulous film theater.
We saw Hero. It was gorgeousy done, Jet Li has the tightest ass I've ever seen (or COURSE his derriere makes a cameo), the girl from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon who plays Moon is admittably cute for someone so petite, Flying Snow was pretty to the point where I watched her on screen with growing envy, and the other two boys-- Sky and Broken Sword-- were living proof that Bishounen exist who A: aren't neccessarily Otaku, B: aren't neccessarily gay, and C: Aren't just Paris Hilton. The fighting in this movie is like a dance that deals with possible fatality... over and over and over again. Quentin Tarantino, I love you THAT much more for bringing this film into the 'states.
In short, Hero was the only thing that wasn't a waste of time on our last day. Following the finish of our film, we rushed to the hotel, got our pre-packed bags and took a taxi and BART to the airport. Mom and Peter checked in first, then I-- we had two seperate flights. Albert saw us all off until I stepped up to security around 10:40. We spent our last minutes on his computer burning pictures to a couple disks. The background that was on his computer when I left was a picture of us in Union Square which I like a lot... apparently it was deleted from the album on the disk, but whenever possible, I want a copy of it. That, and my 'Sushi Orange photos'.
In the end, I was tempted to hug him but our family has never been physical that way, so it didn't seem fitting. I just looked over my shoulder for a long time at my brother and perhaps someone who I saw as a role model and a best friend, and who has influenced and molded just about half of who I am, and what a lot of my values are.
Then I turned to go-- to everything I left behind when I stepped onto that first plane-- and everything I now decided to come back to.
