This past weekend I attended Kawaii Kon at the Hawaii Convention Center. I went back and forth on going (since I’m not really into anime and already had a busy day planned for Saturday), but eventually curiousity won me over and I decided to go.

The event took place from Friday-Sunday, but I was recommended to come on Saturday. My friend Alex and I got there around 3pm and it was crowded as all hell. We purchased our wrist bands and then explored the various rooms.  The highlight of our day, however, was just sitting outside together people watching. It was really interesting to see everyone in costume. Most of the characters I didn’t recognize, but when I did, I got excited. I saw a really kick ass Bumble Bee, heard there was also a kick ass Optimus Prime, and even saw a cute lil soot ball from Spirited Away. We didn’t stick around for the cosplay showcase (it was getting late and I wouldn’t have known what was going on anyway), but had a really fun time just hanging out and people watching.

Remember, this Saturday (April 4th 2009) is Downetowne‘s Graffiti party at Bar 35. To dress in theme, all you have to do is wear a white t-shirt (one that you don’t mind having others write on) and maybe bring some nifty pens. That’s it! Be ready to leave some love on other people’s shirts and have others leave their mark on you. I realize that sounded pervy, but that totally wasn’t my intention.

More info to come.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA60iyCd24s

If you’re free tonight, Schemes and Consequences will be performing a 45 minute set tonight at Mad Dog’s Saloon in Waikiki for their Acoustic Open Mic Night! We’ll be playing “I’m Your Gin and Juice” (check out the video above) and lots of other emo-tastic pop hits.

Hopefully The Bipolar Quartet (Kevin and Rob from Screeming Weener) will also be performing tonight. I really, REALLY love their version of Rancid’s “Ruby Soho.”

There’s no cover. It’s just 21 and up. If you come early enough, there’s lots of room to hang out.

See you tonight!

Drink specials tonight: $3 Stella Draft, $3 Bud Light, $3 Jagermeister.

Shaka, brah.

It seems that lately everyone has been obsessed with this place, Yogurtland. My girlfriend will randomy crave it, I have a friend who dreamt about it, and my sister will ask to go there everytime we drive by.

Yogurtland is located on the corner of University ave. and Metcalf st., where Volcano Joe’s used to be. In high school, it used to be Burger King and then Mos Burger (which we always called Moss Burger).

There’s almost always a line going out the door, but it moves pretty quickly. The picture above shows their yogurt wall where you can mix and match a large variety of flavors. After you fill up your cup, you move over to their toppings bar and pick what you want. Put as much or as little as you want (topping and yogurt); Yogurtland charges you by weight.

I’m not a big yogurt fan, but even I liked their chocolate mint yogurt with oreo cookie topping.

Well, we did get good karma, but not in the way I expected.

I called my landlord yesterday to see if he had already found a tenant. He didn’t and I asked if we could do a six month lease with him. “However long,” he told me. “Stay as long as you like.”

When I told him about what happened with those people, he said, “That’s awful. Those people are so rotten. What kind of people say they’re gonna rent to you and then screw you over?” He even offered to lower the rent for the next six months, but I gracious declined and told him that just the fact that he’s been so nice about everything and said we can extend our lease was more than enough.

So, I mean, we did get good karma in the form of a bigger and better apartment. I also have a new found appreciation for my landlord. After dealing with all those potential landlords in the past weeks (plus my previous renting experience in DC), I am SO grateful for my landlord now. I’m really fortunate.

Everything worked out and perhaps this is where Kimi and I are supposed to be right now.

I can finally remove that “Moving Out” counter from my blog sidebar with a sigh of relief.

I’m still unsure how I want to use this space. At first, it was going to be mainly for photos (nightlife, music, stores). But I quickly realized I wanted more here. Slowdancing with Strangers is the concept of sharing an intimate moment with a stranger and I want to take advantage of that. Candid photos can really capture someone’s personality or the mood of an event, but there’s something about writing that always gets to me.

In high school, we had daily journal writing in English. Five minutes on a given topic with a word minimum. At first it was hard and I found myself scribbling, “I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write…” and then somewhere in the middle of that I’d find my thought. But by the time I was a senior, I almost always had more to say after our time was up. I’d go home later and revise my entries and end up using them for short story assignments.

You may see me walking through a crowd with a camera in hand, but really I’m trying to capture a mental picture for when I get home later on that night to write. I see people lost in conversation and I try to remember how exciting it was to meet someone new, to hear their answers to the most basic questions for the very first time. I see people flirting holding their $2 beers in sweaty plastic cups and see the anticipation in their eyes for someone to make the first move. I see friends taking shots together and reminding each other how much they are loved.

I feel like moments like these need more than just photos.