You get to keep the hat!

My mini-road trip to San Francisco was pretty fun. I got to sit in the front seat the entire time while my jiju slept in the back and my jiji drove us. It was interesting how our conversation got real deep and serious all of a sudden--my jiji ended up telling me what her life was like growing up in Fiji and how hard it was for her to watch her parents split up at such a young age.

I have a few memories of jiji's dad (my uncle) and all those memories are pretty fond ones--there's one that is famous in the family and i get teased about it till today even tho it happened 20 yrs ago!-->i was three and i was loved those cream cookies where one cookie was chocolate and the other was vanilla and in the middle there was vanilla creme. anyhoos, i'd be real sneaky w/him and whisper to him: dada, can you get me those cookies? but u have to hide them from my mom! and like a good uncle he'd do my bidding lol we'd sit in the living room and sit real low on the sofa (i was a short toddler but i'd still hide in the couch lol) and we'd eat those cookies and dip 'em in tea. good times :) i got up to some pretty funny shenanigans when i was a kid...and everyone seems to remember and make fun of me for it still...the point is i have pretty fond memories of my uncle.

but apparently he left my aunt for another woman and that tore up the family; jiji was separated from her brothers and sisters and she never had a proper childhood. it was eye-opening to learn all this because for the longest time (or since i spent time with my aunt, jiji's mom, in auckland back in nov) i've been wondering what the hell happened back then. no one would tell me!

i love my aunt, she's like my gramma <3 i got to meet her once we got through that rough stretch of nothingness in between L.A. and San Francisco. I went over to the place she lives at now, and i'm not gonna lie, it's not as amazing or fun as her house in Auckland...and she doesn't have the same amount of freedom. It broke my heart and I couldn't take it...I got emotional but tried to hide it...which just made it worse. It's funny, me and her have a cool bond; we became friends back in november and december--she's taken care of my dad when he was a baby and then she took care of me when i was a 22 yr old baby :P during our bonding time in NZ, we became very close, not the typical relationship a 22 and 70 something yr old would have and so i was able to talk to her at a friend level when i saw her as opposed to how my parents meet w/her...i seem to have that bond w/a few cool ppl in my life where i win them over and they become more than just the obligatory uncle or aunt figure and we become friends...which is kind of unusual in old school fijian world. meh. i'm not complaining--i love it!

before getting to my jiji's house, we visited a couple of family members and i got to regale them with my princess and the backpack stories! it's nice that my stories have the "U DID WHAT?! ALONE?!" effect on ppl lol. i get mad respect. and i can inspire others to try and do the same. i didn't have that when i was figuring out my trip, it was all "how the hell do i pull this off? no other indian girl in my family has done this before...hell, no other person in my family has done this!" i'm a trendsetter in my family. i'm also the rebel. damn proud of it too.

after visiting w/more cousins, we finally headed towards downtown san fran and finally the golden gate bridge :) i was pretty damn happy to go ther--u have no idea! it was nice having my jiji and jiju show me around and all but i think i would've like to have some time alone to just sit and enjoy the view. next time i guess. then finally we got home and i started planning my last day in san fran--it was either going to be a day at six flags (i was kinda scared about that) or shop and grab some lunch (my kind of day). I ended up doing the latter...but cooler! Josie took me to the jelly belly factory and i got to learn how jelly beans are made. ...we were the only pair there that had no kids w/them, we got weird stares lol. and we got funny hats too. they make u wear these ridiculous hats that are supposed to make sure u don't contaminate the jellybeans...which you can't cuz you're so up high and the floor is solid...but whatever, you get to keep the hat!

after the lovely tour, we tried out some jellybeans as well as some fudge and got our free treats and i bought some for myself...so bad! lol but soooo good :P josie and i also tried two of the bad flavours - barf and rotten egg cuz she wanted to make a memory w/me...she's weird lol. barf wasn't too bad, the flavour release was slow, the rotten egg made me want to barf-it was horrid!

after we were done acting like children, we left and headed out to lunch! it was the first time we hung out together since i was "legal" in the states lol so we had some drinks and fun times chatting. i loved being able to see so many people on this mini-vacay; got to reconnect w/old friends, inspire new ones and spend time with loved ones!

and i got to keep the hat...but i left my sunnies behind :(

No Calories, No Worries!

My third day in L.A. was perfect! Jason took me around pretty much anywhere I wanted to see AND I got to go to IHOP! :D jason told me from the get-go not to look at the calories that day, it's all good! and i totally followed orders ;) american ihop is the best, that's all i can say. the cinnabon pancakes were scrumptious as were the hashbrowns and scrambled eggs; i don't think i've ever enjoyed an IHOP meal so much! and the service was pretty darn good...kind of made me assess the whole "rude americans" rep.

After a yummy brekkie, we went to the Queen Mary ship--which honestly, I just thought it was some historic old boat that was a tourist hot-spot to take pictures in front of...at least that's what my mom told me. NOPE! Jason went and bought tickets and I'm wondering why we need tickets to take pictures, then we walked around inside the boat and I realized how cool the Queen Mary really is! The exhibits they had of what the boat was like back in the day were pretty cool and there was a big model of the Titanic and other Titanic-like ships--again this may make me seem nerdy, but it was pretty damn fascinating.

Time came for the tour and it still didn't dawn on me why the tour was called the ghosts and demons tour...till the tour guide started. It was a pretty fun and animated tour and I have to say, I was very entertained and at one time I did scream...a lot. It started off with us watching a movie about the history of the boat (rife with deaths of some passengers), then we went into the old swimming pool area and I swear to god i saw the "lady in white" aka the resident ghost. IT WAS SO FREAKY! My eyes were not playing tricks on me cuz I saw her for a whole five seconds...freakyyyy. Then we went into the a room i can't remember (obviously cuz it wasn't scary!) and then we went down this hallway--however, before we could enter it, the tour guide said "I hope no one is afraid of spiders" ...I pretty much started crying like the poor 4 yr old in our group who was scared out of his mind. I was like I don't want to go there I don't want to go there! ...and of course Jason convinced me to do it and then it happened. Something that felt like spiders was touching my head, going through my hair and uggghhhhh! I freaked out--i started screaming, batting away the "spiders" --pretty much I acted like any girl would who was in a pitch black hallway w/gigantic spiders. Fun times but one of the most memorable moments of the trip! Then we went to the boiler room and learned of this guy that got stuck in this weird box thing and got steamed to death (that puts it lightly)...and then the ship's bow started "leaking" water and we had to evacuate thus ending the tour. awesome tour, i'll probably do it again if i get the chance.

After that we spent some time walking around the boat in the gorgeous sunshine, soaking in the views :) It was a nice chill time. Afterwards, we headed back to my couch-surfing home; my cousin (jason's mom) said we could go and sight-see more and we'd leave for san francisco later on in the night. obviously i was excited cuz another one of my wishes came true--hollywood! Jason drove us through the crazy, narrow, road to the top of this hill where Yamashiro sits. It's the most romantic spot in hollywood or perhaps L.A. AND it's haunted. I know I know, there seems to be a weird theme lol. I got a tour of Yamashiro and the restaurant area is gorgeous and totally the type of place i'd dine...if i wanted to spend 15 on a california roll. please. :P

I also got to see other creepy places, like where the old owner of the restaurant is buried...right next to a table! and I went in the bride room and groom room and the bride room was super cold and the AC wasn't on...yes, i'm sure a spirit was there too. Once the tour of the cool area around the restaurant was over, we went to the hollywood walk of fame!

The hollywood walk of fame was super fun and obviously i turned into this crazy excited tourist who took pictures of EVERYTHING! lol. We went into this mall which was pretty cool; it had some retro restaurants and tons of cool shops AND this cute fountain thing where all these mexican kids were playing. I fell in love w/this chubby 2 yr old who was soooo cute <3 he kept looking at the ground waiting for the water to come out and then when it would he'd get sprayed in his face and make this confused look then start jumping and running. so cute! this mall also had a partial movie set in it--egyptian stuff which looked pretty damn cool. After that we went across the street to a disappointing disney store then made the lovely uphill trek back to Yamashiro--cuz that's where we parked. I thought that after that our trip was over but nope!

Sweet old jason took me to Santa Monica where we got to roam around at the 3rd street promenade. I loved it! I missed that type of scene; lots of those in Australia. There so many shops, cool garden-type statues (dinosaurs!) and random dance classes in the street-mostly salsa. And the piece de resistance--COTTON ON! I saw it and screamed and got really excited and ...ya...cotton on! I fell in love w/that store in New Zealand & Australia--seeing cotton on again made me feel closer to my second home lol.

Oh! I also saw a giant smurf. yes. gigantic. and cute.

After all this sightseeing we got hungry, so we decided to head home and eat. I am pretty lucky to have had such a great tour guide; he took me for thai food. the best thai food i've had yet! every thing was so yummy :) and the owners of the place were nice enough to let us stay until after closing.

Throughout this day, Jason made me laugh a lot, gave me good advice and we basically got to reconnect after not seeing each other for a few years. I remember how we were when we were younger--i was super excited there were kids in my family cuz my brother and I are the youngest kids on my dad's side of the family--till we met Jason and Josie who came from Cali :) but he was shy and no matter how much i tried, that kid wouldn't talk to me. the second time he came he was a bit better and we watched nutty professor (where he laughed like crazy!), i made him one of those paper fortune teller things (i still remember how excited he was when i gave it to him) and tons of stuff. we've always kept in touch w/each other through facebook or emails but this trip reminded me i gotta make the time and effort to see people who are important to me. If not to make new memories, then at least to reconnect and remember our good times.

With that said, I was pretty sad when our day was over--I couldn't believe I had to leave for San Fran and not know when exactly I'd see him again; unsure if I would see him before his deployment in Florida...but all good things gotta come to an end to ensure that new, even better things can happen for you.

And that's where I leave you folks--till the next installment of my stay in San Fran and my trip to the Jelly Belly Factory :P

L.A. Baby!!

i stole jason's balloons after the party. tee hee!

Having my cousin and mom pick me up from the airport was the best--we got to have some girl bonding time which never happens! My cousin is an inspiration for me; she's accomplished so much in her life. She was a single mom who worked her butt off and kicked ass in whichever field she was in--real estate, party planning, etc. Ever since I was a kid, I looked up to her because she achieved so much and got to travel the world; she did things that usual fijian ladies never even bother trying to accomplish.

The drive from the airport was pretty funny; I was updated about the party's status, about the morning's events (cuz my folks got to L.A. before I did) and there was also some car dancing involved lol. L.A. traffic is like nothing I've seen before--there's construction every block, there's five lane highways yet we were stuck in grid lock all because americans love their cars and don't use public transit. Probably because their public transit sucks. SUCKS!

Anyhoos, we did some shopping before heading to my couchsurfing stay. I'm glad to say that all the shopping I did was of the necessities nature--body lotion, face wash, purses and shoes. lol Finally after 6 hrs of travelling and 3 hours of shopping I reached my "home" in L.A.--my cousin's friend who is older than my dad. It was nice of him to let me stay with him albeit a bit cramped. I got to rest for like an hour and then we headed over to the temple (...ya i know, not my thing but when ur at the mercy of other ppls accomodation, then you gotta deal with the "when in Rome" situation). I was hoping this would be a trip where my marriage would not be brought up...but that was naive of me. I'm of fijian descent, 23 and "sundar" lol so it's gonna come up whether i like it or not. My cousin's husband was bugging me that that night i would get set up with someone. and lo and behold i did. i was mortified. like beyond horrified to the point where i couldn't figure out if i wanted to yell or cry...it is beyond me how people just pick a person to marry their son based on the way the girl looks. totally stone age.

The whole purpose of the trip to the temple, other than bore the crap out of me, was to surprise cadet ram cuz he had no idea we came for his party :) and what an awesome surprise it was! it was very clear on his face how happy he was to see us, and that reminded me that it's really important to keep in touch with your family...the sane ones at least :P

Jason and I got to reconnect after the puja and of course he gave me some protective advice. jason's always protective...a little too protective lol but it's all good--he's a good man. which is why his mommy dearest (my cousin) had the party for him. cadet ram put himself thru school working nights as a security officer in hollywood! i know! uber cool; and he proved the educational system wrong when he emerged from the special ed grp and became a successful uni grad and soon-to-be officer in the air force.

and a perk about having a family member in the air force is that he can take you to a flight museum where you can sit in a plane and pretend to be a pilot and first officer :) that's right! suzybee was a pilot/first officer for a day and she got to wear a captain's hat lol. good times, one of the unexpected joys of the trip for sure.

the party itself was very fun; lots of food, drinks (...no rum tho...fijian party w/o rum just seems wrong lol) and of course dancing. i dunno how this happened but i turned out to be the only girl my age there...surrounded by old uncles who stared at me creepily and old aunties who glared at me; fun times lol. it's all good--i looked good in my sari, my folks and cousin looked amazing in their outfits and we rocked the dancefloor.

but looking amazing has its price. when i was taking a break from dancing, the pundit (hindu version of a priest) came up to me and was drunk and asked if i wanted to get married. he just flat out said it and i wasn't sure if he was asking for himself but i prayed to god that he wasn't asking for him lol. i was like noooooo i don't. he said why? i lied and said i was still in school. he said what if he found me an "aacha larka" (usual speak for a good boy...which made me cringe...i don't want a good boy lol). i said i still don't want to get married. he was trying to sell this mystery boy on me saying he's nice and handsome, has his B.A. and is doing his M.B.A. ...these things don't really matter to me...and i was pissed he wouldn't leave me alone...and i started laughing cuz he thought i'd give a shit about the dude's education. i said talk to my dad cuz i knew my dad would say no. he said he talked to my dad. and i said what did my dad say? and the pundit just stayed quiet. i guess the pundit didn't realize i had a mind of my own and judged me based on my appearance at the party--quiet, reserved and pretty. i was quiet and reserved cuz the only ppl i had to talk to were ppl 40+...and the pretty part, well that's just natural ;) so he went on to say he had a proposal and then asked if i was really 16...which was bizarre so i said yes. and he looked pissed and left.

and if that wasn't enough, this creepy old man who parts his hair straight down the middle of his head (ask me for my demonstration/sign language i have for this, it's funny lol) comes up to me from behind and pats me on the shoulder and says "you like to dance huh baby?" then he rubbed my shoulder. that was disgusting; i was pretty upset and left right then and there. w/the balloons tied around my wrist lol. i grabbed jason and we booked it outta there and headed to my "home".

it never ceases to amaze me how backwards fijian society sometimes is--they have an odd sense of life; they value education in a classroom more than education by living in the world. they think that there's only one way to do things. and they think that every girl between the ages of 18-24 is prime marriageble material. i don't know if this will ever end and the only thing i can think of doing to avoid such talk is to never ever go to an indian function again. and to stay away from temples. which doesn't really bother me, nor am i missing out on much--i don't go to temples anyways and there's hardly ever any indian parties...so i think i'll be safe. i hope.

stay tuned for the next entry: suzybee invades hollywood.

Couchsurfing Ed. - Part One It comes naturally

woooo! princess and the backpack is back for a five day couchsurfing trip :)

Firstly, I'd like to say I'm extremely happy to be travelling again--waking up at the ungodly hour of 4am was nothing once I cleared security and customs and saw my plane waiting for me. I chose to go the connecting route which does take up alot of your time; however, if you have nothing better to do than just sit around and read and educate yourself then why not go the connecting flight route and save $100! It was exhilirating being able to travel again after my backpacking trip--the trip was not as long as the original trip; however, it was just as special. I got to use one of the tricks I learned on that trip--be nice to all airport officials. Little things like saying how are you is appreciated and I got some nice hook-ups--free seat upgrades, jumping the long line-ups, etc :D

My flight to Portland was...interesting lol. Of course, with my luck i have a weird brown stalker man who ends up sitting next to me on the plane. He kept asking me questions awkwardly. He started getting personal, asking me my age and profession and education. Finally he asked me if was interested in sports. I said hockey and he started asking questions about it but using baseball references...which led me to realize the man is talking out of his ass lol. I couldn't really take it any more; I was tired after waking up so early and couldn't really make random conversation so I told him imma take a nap and that ended the awkward conversation. He was sweet enough but if you are gonna talk to me at least make eye contact; the entire time we talked to each other he was looking at the headrest of the seat in front of him...and i thought to myself "this crazy man is talking to a piece of furniture" and then i started giggling lol. Being a single, "hindustani"* 23 yr old created a few odd situations on this trip...a few too many...which I'll get into later.

*hindustani: individual of indian heritage--after my trip to fiji I accepted my roots; however, that doesn't mean i follow the old-fashioned rules and traditions of arranged marriages, or partake in religous events...or pretty much do what my parents wished i did lol.

Portland airport was ok, nice areas to sit and eat or sleep. Or do walking lunges :P Got on my next flight to LAX to find I was seated in the emergency exit row!! And I had a bunch of annoying teenage boys behind me who kept making fart noises then laughing at their cleverness. ...yes, i wanted to smack them then I realized this was good--at least I know i'll never be a cougar and go after younger boys lol. I know, I know, my humour is awesome :P The view from my window was beautiful; I love geography and seeing the different patterns of trees or mini-mountain ranges, etc. The scenery was relaxing and put me at ease.

Finally got to LAX and I was super tired but running on adrenaline. The gate brought back memories of my backpacker trip days as this was where i caught my flight to auckland. I got lost...and then found my way out. I know what you're thinking--there's only one way out, how could you get lost? cuz there's only ONE way out! lol. Got outside finally and after a bit of searching I found my cousin and my mom :) Now I should let you all know now, my cousin is as old as my dad--that's cuz my gramma had A LOT of babies and my cousin's dad is the oldest bro and my dad is the youngest, hence the age difference. lovely brown relations. which is why my nephew (or cousin removed or watever white ppl call it :P), Cadet Jason Ram, is older than me. but it's all good. Ok, back to the story, I was so excited and kept saying "eeeee! i'm in L.A.!" it was sunny, gorgeous and hot. and smurf-ified. seriously, everywhere i went i saw smurfs. anyhoos, i couldn't have asked for a better first day in L.A.; my cousin, mom and I went shopping and bought the entire store practically. I'm not into labels (except lululemon & victoria secret) but i saw some really nice nine west purses and then i saw the price for them and had to buy 'em.

It was so nice to reconnect with my family for this trip :) I miss my family a lot and to be able to bond with them and do stuff we take for granted, like shop, eat or even go to the temple was lovely(...yes, they dragged me to a temple where my worst nightmare took place, which i'll get into later). I'm blessed to have this opportunity and to see these individuals again.

Next entry--L.A. baby! lovely events that took place during my first two days in L.A.