My New Toastmasters Club.
A short while ago, I was fortunate enough to join as a charter member a brand new Toastmasters club, titled “Pathfinders in A.I.” As you may have guessed, A.I. stands for Artificial Intelligence. Before I joined the club, I had heard those two words bandied about, but I had never really properly explored artificial intelligence for myself, other than by viewing the dystopian movie known as The Matrix. In this film, A.I. is fundamentally evil—but in our world, at least so far, it is completely useful and benign.
As I told my new Pathfinders colleagues, I am very interested to learn now A.I. can potentially influence writing. Just the other day, I utilized Microsoft’s A.I. program, which is known as Copilot, and is built in to Word, which is the software that I am currently using to write this blog post. I had it generate a couple of paragraphs for me and was stunned by how well they were written. To get more info, I watched a rather long YouTube video that discussed how A.I. works. The whole process seems rather complex, and my interest was and is most definitely piqued.
I see “Pathfinders in A.I.” as more of an academic class than a Toastmasters club. We are very informal, and our primary goal is to learn and share the knowledge we acquire with the rest of our group. Because I love technology, I have made it my mission to learn as much about A.I. as I possibly can. I am extremely fortunate to be working on this with peers who are so very kind, supportive, and fun to interact with.
The other day, my parents approached me and asked me if I would potentially be interested in returning to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with them this November. I had so much fun the last time we were there (December 2024), that I said yes immediately.
When it came time to research possible hotels, flight information, and info about various vegan food options within the city, I decided immediately to turn to A.I. Before I knew it, I had ChatGPT loaded up on my iPhone. I asked it the following question: “How should I go about eating in Puerto Vallarta as a vegan?” Within seconds, it spat out a lengthy response, which included a map of PV that depicted various restaurants that serve vegan options, real reviews from patrons who went to said restaurants, and a list of smart tips that vegans visiting Puerto Vallarta should ideally follow.
After doing this research, I could not help but conclude that A.I. is so beneficial in so many ways. It reduced my research time by over half, and was very polite and interactive to boot. Because of my new club, I have gone from knowing next to nothing about A.I. to becoming very informed and proficient, almost overnight. During the next few months, I can only imagine what my fellow Toastmasters colleagues and I will learn and do—together.
Getting My DTM.
For over a decade now, I have been a proud member of Ventura Toastmasters, known colloquially as Club 24. I first joined back in the day to improve my public speaking skills, and since then I have come so far that I can regularly speak in front of a group with no notes or even nervousness. Toastmasters has given me everything, and, in turn, I have given back to the organization by serving as a Club Secretary for Ventura Toastmasters for multiple terms and as the Director for all clubs in Area B1 for the 2024-2025 Toastmasters year. Last fall, I even helped plan the 90th Anniversary Gala for Club 24.
My final and ultimate ascension within Toastmasters simply must involve me acquiring my DTM. “DTM” stands for Distinguished Toastmaster. It is the highest credential any Toastmaster can have, and for the vast majority of people, it can take years to acquire. I firmly believe that, as of now, I am positioned to obtain my DTM by the end of this Toastmasters year.
There are several requirements for earning this precious degree. Firstly you need to complete two “Paths.” A “Path” is an online curriculum that consists of various assignments designed to make one into a better public speaker. If a member speaks once a month, it can take roughly a year to finish one “path.” Fortunately, just a few months ago, I finished my second “Path.”
Additionally, my Area Director gig counts towards getting this credential. So does my Secretaryship for Club 24. A further requirement was met when I agreed to sponsor the brand new Pathfinders in A.I. club. On top of all of this, I have decided to help out a local club called Ventura Chamber Toastmasters by serving as their Club Coach.
Also crucial to getting one’s DTM is completing a special capstone project. For this, my kind and knowledgeable mentor Jim Kearney and I have worked out a plan. As we decided, I have been working on an assignment that involves boosting membership levels of clubs in our District. I personally think that this is an ingenious idea that, once fully implemented, will dramatically improve the vitality of clubs in my vicinity.
Getting my DTM will definitely take time and effort, and, as of now, I am very fixated on accomplishing this goal. To help you understand how driven I am, I wish to compare my Toastmasters journey to the quest that two of my favorite YouTubers, Oskar and Dan, were at one point on. They are full-time travelers, and for years their primary goal in life was to visit 100 countries. My DTM is my hundredth country, and just as Dan and Oskar surely visited New Zealand, nation 100, I know that, within months, this coveted DTM will be mine.
Going to Obama’s Inauguration in 2009.
Barack Obama has always been my favorite American politician. It was his initial presidential campaign that first got me interested in politics, and I even fairly recently finished reading volume one of his official memoir, A Promised Land. I thought of him all the time while majoring in politics at Occidental. It is obviously safe to say that I have admired Barack Obama for almost two decades now.
Going to President Obama’s inauguration in January of 2009 with my immediate family was one of the most rewarding political activities that I have ever participated in. As I write this today, I still remember shivering in the biting cold on the morning of the 20th, standing on our tarpaulin and gazing intently at the jumbotron which depicted Barack giving his powerful and moving Inaugural Address. I would have loved to have been physically closer to the Capitol Building on that fortuitous day, but there ended up being roughly 1.8 million people on the National Mall with us so we got the best viewing location we could manage.
I have always thought that Obama was a gifted orator, and the speech he gave that day was one of the best I have ever heard from any politician. My high school English teacher even liked it so much that she passed out copies of the Address to everyone in class shortly after my family and I got back from D.C. I have known for quite a while that Obama personally edits and partially drafts all of his major speeches. While I was listening to Barack’s famous words on the 20th, I remember feeling inspired, uplifted, and excited for the future of America, and the future of this historic Administration.
Hanging on the wall of my room to this day is a collectible poster from D.C. that has a black-and-white picture of Obama, complete with his photocopied signature and a foil presidential seal. Above my desk is an original blue campaign poster that has the words OBAMA-BIDEN on it, and the address of the campaign’s website at the time.
The message these various pieces of memorabilia tell is simple: the historic words that President Obama uttered on that fateful day back in 2009 can never be forgotten, and neither can the heroic actions of his very successful two-term Administration.
To this day, I feel that Barack Obama is one of the best presidents we have ever had, and that any future president would do well to emulate him. At the end of this post, I leave you all with my favorite quote from Obama’s first inaugural address: “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”
This image that I took depicts the crowds on the National Mall for the Inauguration.
A Reflection on My Tenure as Toastmasters Area Director.
For the last year, I have been fortunate enough to serve as the Director for Toastmasters Area B1. The four public speaking clubs in my Area were Ventura Toastmasters, Ventura Chamber Toastmasters, Ojai Valley Toastmasters, and Avocado Toastmasters. As part of my official duties, I visited each club in person twice, held regular Zoom meetings with club leaders, and helped my friends Aram Dakessian and Paul Kistler organize the Area Speech Contest in February. Serving my Area in this way was one of the most rewarding tasks that I have ever accomplished in my thirty-three years of life. I poured everything I had into this position, and I like to believe that the results continue to show to this day.
My home group, Ventura Toastmasters, recently qualified as a President’s Distinguished Club. This is the highest honor that can ever be bestowed on an individual club. Ventura Chamber Toastmasters has all five of the check marks needed to qualify as a Distinguished Club. Ojai Valley had enough members to qualify for the Distinguished Club Program, and Avocado Toastmasters produced a very winning speaker who advanced through multiple demanding and competitive speech contests.
I cannot, however, claim to have achieved this all by myself. I was, and am, incredibly fortunate to have a lifelong mentor in Debbie Allmon, who took me under her wing from the very beginning, when I was applying for this prestigious position. My best friend Koda Delgado has been excellent as my Area Director Assistant. My successor, Justin Soenke, has been incredibly on top of things, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing where he will take this Area. It has been a total joy working under Tim Mullins, our outgoing Division B Director. Finally, I am incredibly grateful to have worked with the Presidents of all the clubs in B1.
Going in, I had no idea what to expect from this position. But what ended up occurring was beyond even my wildest imagination. To best describe my trajectory, I will liken it to a flight. You choose the destination. There is a steep and powerful takeoff in the beginning. For me, this was the learning curve, at which I excelled. During my ascent, I learned everything I could, as fast as I could. Then, when the plane leveled out, I became even more accustomed to the position, and was incredibly comfortable and in my element being in charge of the Area. Finally, on the 30th of last month, as my tenure ended, my plane came in for a gentle landing, and I like to think that all the passengers were so proud of me that they clapped in unison.
A few weeks ago, Tim personally handed me my Area Director badge, and it has a lucrative future tacked onto my bulletin board, along with my other certificates and accolades acquired over the years. I wish to end this post like I recently ended my tenure, by thanking everyone who was involved in supporting me during this journey. Justin, Area B1 is yours!
My Area Director badge.
My Favorite Books Over the Years.
For those of you who have not already assumed, I am a voracious reader. I have been this way for decades. For me, there is nothing quite as rewarding as burying myself in a good book. With the advent of the Amazon Kindle e-reader, it has been easier than ever for me to get my requisite fix.
My all-time favorite book series is, of course, Harry Potter. When I was a child, my parents would read these novels aloud to my younger sister and I before bed. Eventually, I started to peruse them myself, and even made sure to pre-order the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, before it was even released. Roughly a year ago, I re-read these novels as an adult, and got more out of them than I had ever expected or anticipated. I loved the experience so much that I decided to replace my aging and tattered hardcover Potter books with a brand-new boxed set. I even went online and ordered a plastic replica of Harry’s wand, with my initials emblazoned onto it.
Lately I have been enjoying the Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny. These are clever and intellectual detective novels. A short while ago, I finished reading book 4 of 20. In this latest work, a woman is murdered when an unknown assailant forces a giant statue to fall on her. Louise is a very prolific, gifted, and imaginative novelist, in my humble opinion.
Of course, this blog would not be complete without me talking about both Dan Brown and Orson Scott Card. Whenever I discover an author whose works I enjoy, I try to collect and read every work by them. I first discovered Mr. Brown in middle school, when his famous Da Vinci Code was released. I then proceeded to read everything else by him. When I was in high school, one of my very best friends gave me a copy of Mr. Card’s well-known classic Ender’s Game. Needless to say, as of today, I have read basically every book written by Orson.
I first discovered John Grisham when my parents, who are both lawyers, recommended his captivating legal thriller The Firm. I enjoyed this book so much that I eventually went on to see the film adaptation starring Tom Cruise.
In addition to all these books, when I was in high school at Foothill Tech in Ventura, we read many classical and intellectual novels—too many, in fact, to be presented here on this blog post.
The books I have mentioned today are only a tiny fraction of all the novels that I have read during my thirty-three years of life. Each time I find a new author that I like, excitement courses me like electricity through a Tesla coil.
The ultimate conclusion that I have reached during this time is that reading the works of others will always serve to make one an even better writer.
My Trip to Japan in High School.
Whenever I visit a new foreign destination, I have a tradition of bringing back a souvenir from that country, to place on my desk. As I write this piece, I am looking at my little orange wooden torii gate, which I was fortunate enough to acquire over a decade and a half ago in the island nation of Japan.
One day, when I was a sophomore in high school, I received a letter from an organization called the People to People Student Ambassador Program, inviting me to a presentation in Santa Barbara, California about a special two-week summer trip to Japan, only for especially precocious high school students such as myself. The event was incredibly persuasive, and shortly after it, my parents agreed to sponsor me for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
To this day, I continue to be grateful for this incredible excursion, which has most definitely changed my life for the better. I have many incredibly fond memories from Japan, and one of my ultimate goals is to return to this great destination some day.
Japan is incredibly multifaceted. For instance—one can typically find a modern skyscraper located immediately next to a traditional temple that is thousands of years old. Another way to describe Japan would be to say that it is a juxtaposition of both rural and urban. Just a few hours away from Tokyo—a bustling metropolis—is a pristine natural and medicinal hot spring.
One key feature of the trip was something known as the “homestay.” This involved a pair of American high school students spending an extended weekend with a Japanese family. Going in, I was a little nervous, but by the time the weekend was over, I was sad to leave. I am still in touch with the Watanabes today via Facebook, and a few years ago, they even flew out to Southern California to grab lunch with my parents and I.
As I continue to gaze at my souvenir torii gate, I am reminded of the fact that over my thirty-three years of life, travel has shaped me into both a better and more adventuresome person. It is incredibly true that leaving one’s comfort zone is a surefire way to promote growth. In the words of my second favorite song, Drops of Jupiter by the artist Train: “Plain ol' Jane told a story about a man/Who is too afraid to fly so he never did land.” My goal in life is to fly, so that I can land.
Me on one of the first days of the trip.
My 33rd Birthday.
Today, the last day of April, is my thirty-third birthday. The picture you see below this post is of my parents and I dining at one of my very favorite restaurants—California Pizza Kitchen. Additionally, every April 30th I look forward to checking my Facebook page to see who has posted on my wall, wishing me a Happy Birthday. Finally, tomorrow, my Grandma Melinda plans to treat me to some delicious Vietnamese food. Then, in May, comes my birthday trip to San Francisco with my mom and dad, which I am very eagerly anticipating.
What does it mean to be thirty-three? Can I still, with confidence, call myself a true young adult, or am I simply just too old for this now?
My ultimate opinion and honest answer to this question is that having children is one of several ultimate ascensions into true adulthood, and because I am at this point in time not a parent, I am therefore still a young adult.
At the same time, as of today I am definitely vastly more mature and worldly than I was back when I was an undergraduate at Occidental in the mid 2010s. For those who do not know, this December will mark nine years since my college graduation. To me, this intervening time has simply flown by. I remember going to lunch at P.F. Chang’s with my parents, sister, and aunt after my college graduation ceremony as if it were yesterday. At that time, my Grandma Marguerite was still with us, and as I think about her today, I like to believe that she is looking down from heaven at me, full of love and pride.
On this special day—my birthday—I am reminded that the future is full of hope and opportunity. I am looking forward to our previously mentioned vacation in San Francisco, as well as my Alumni Reunion Weekend at Occidental in June. I am also excited to be continuing to work on my thirty-chapter science fiction novel, Parapenda.
I truly and honestly believe that thirty-three will be a very good year for me—one of the best. Additionally, I still have so many years ahead of me, which I intend to make the most of. My ultimate birthday gift continues to be the love and support of those close to me, whether these are family members or close friends.
This year, like every year on my birthday, I am reminded of the all-important themes of renewal, change, and growth, as well as how fortunate I am to have the life that I do. I enjoy my life, above all, because I choose to.
My parents & I at CPK.
My Recent Toastmasters Area Speech Contest.
For over a decade now, I have been a proud member of Ventura Toastmasters, known colloquially as “Club 24.” For those of you who do not know, Toastmasters is a world-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public speaking and leadership skills in its roughly 280,000 members.
On top of all this, last summer I began a year-long term as an Area Director. People in this position are fortunate enough to visit all the Toastmasters clubs in their Area, and then file reports about their experiences online. Additionally, Area Directors are responsible for planning and executing something known as an Area Speech Contest. This is a verbal competition between various Toastmasters members from different clubs. This year, there were technically two contests. The first involved presenting a five to seven minute pre-prepared speech, and the second involved speaking extemporaneously for over a minute.
Going into the planning process for this, I had no idea what to expect, because I had never run a speech contest of any kind before, let alone something as prestigious as an Area Contest. Fortunately, my mentor Debbie suggested that I host a joint Contest with my friend Paul, who conveniently is an Area Director for the Toastmasters region next to mine. The next step was selecting a venue for the contest, as well as its Chief Judge. For those of you who do not know, the Chief Judge is responsible for managing the recruitment and preparation of all judges and helpers for the Contest. For this influential position, I ended up eventually recruiting my friend Aram. For the venue, we ultimately selected Community Bible Church in Ventura, which is where Club 24 meets every Monday evening.
During the weeks leading up to our contest, which took place on the 22nd of February, I worked some of the hardest I have ever worked in my life, and I learned more than I ever thought I would. I decided to embark on a rapid learning curve, as I did all necessary research and preparation, and learned to trust and rely on my friends who were planning the contest with me.
Needless to say, the Contest ended up going off without a hitch, and I was, and still am, incredibly proud of us for producing something so beautiful and so enjoyable and so rewarding. The speeches were moving, the helpers and judges were well prepared, and the event was well-attended, featuring dignitaries from all over Toastmasters. This Contest was one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done, and I am fairly certain that Aram and Paul got a lot out of it as well. Looking back, there most certainly isn’t anything I think I could have done differently, and when the next Area B1 Director, Justin, organizes the 2026 contest, I plan to be there to help him in every way I can.
Me receiving my Certificate of Participation from Paul.
My Grandma.
Later on this month, on the 23rd, my late grandmother Marguerite would be celebrating her 102nd birthday. This year—like every year—I will be thinking of her and of the unbreakable bond we share. I say “share” and not “shared,” because, to me, in a way she is still alive. She lives on through our precious memories of her, through a tasteful birthday card she once gave me which is on my end table, and the through the framed photograph of my wall of just her and I.
For the purposes of the rest of this post, however, I have ultimately decided to switch to the past tense, just to make things a bit easier to portray.
Each and every day, and in a myriad of different ways, I am reminded of how much my grandmother meant to me. Her support for me was unconditional, whether that meant telling me she had read about my alma mater, Occidental College, in the paper, or letting me know how much she had enjoyed watching my favorite musical artist, Lady Gaga, perform on live television.
She was always there for me, and I was always there for her. Almost every time I visited her and my grandfather at their home in Costa Mesa, California, we had two traditions: Firstly I would drive over to the local In-N-Out Burger and purchase a #2 for myself and fries for her, and secondly, we would enthusiastically play either cards or Monopoly, or both. Ever since I was a little kid, we had always played Monopoly together, and I always won, partially because she always wanted me to.
Family was incredibly important to Marguerite, as it is to me. We just had so much in common. She was a famously selfless person, who always made sacrifices for others. She lived to love her grandchildren, and we lived to love her. She was also always so fun-loving, and such a joy to be around.
I love writing about my grandma, as you can probably tell by perusing this website. She loved my writing in every way. I know that, if my novel Parapenda ever gets published someday, she would be so proud, like she always was of me. She was one of my biggest cheerleaders in life, and I will always remember that simple fact.
This year, like every year in March, and like in fact every day, I will be thinking of her, looking down from heaven at me and smiling, like she is in the precious framed photograph of us, which is hanging on my wall, which I was fortunate enough to mention at the very beginning of this treatise to me, and to her.
Me with my Grandma.
My Favorite Pet Ever.
I still, with fondness, remember the day when we first adopted my beloved Nala Jane. My younger sister and I were at Petco looking at kittens, and this black one suddenly jumped out at me. We asked someone if we could hold her, and he promptly took her out of her cage. With her in my arms, we called my parents and asked if we could adopt her. They said yes almost immediately, and after we paid sixty dollars, she was ours. “Umbreon” became Nala, and I became smitten.
Fast-forward eight years and we are as close as we have ever been. She has this preternatural sense of whenever I lie down in bed, and oftentimes comes running to my bedroom in such instances. She then jumps up into my bed and I take my left arm and move it away from my body. Nala then proceeds to lie down in the gap created between my arm and body, purring all the while.
Just a little while ago, I was away camping at Lake Casitas in Ojai with my dad and my mom said that, the entire time, Nala was pining for me, and protesting my absence by lying determinately in my bed for hours on end. When we got back, she was a bit standoffish with me, but quickly forgave my transgression by cuddling with me in bed as she always does.
After having grown up with cats, I like to think that I know how they behave intimately. A feline is always in charge. However, Nala’s behavior towards me breaks this unbreakable mold. She often treats me the way a dog would, by frequently deferring to me, and loving me unconditionally and without end.
My life would not be complete without Nala. Having her by my side if I am occasionally feeling under the weather is akin to having a lifejacket while stranded in a stormy, turbulent ocean after one’s boat has capsized.
I try to pay it forward to Nala in small, but loving ways. I always make sure she has enough food. A brief while ago, I made sure she got a good dose of flea medication. Every morning, I scoop the poops out of her cat box. The only regret I have is that she is just a bit overweight, but this does nothing to detract from her pristine appearance and graceful presence. I have laughingly heard her called a “tuxedo cat,” because of her beautiful black coat and dainty white paws, or her “mittens,” as I like to refer to them.
I am incredibly blessed to be so close to an animal in this way, and I look forward to the future with us together. My life would not be the same without my Nala Jane, and I surely know that her life would not be complete without me as not her owner, but as her companion.
Nala Jane
My New Year’s Resolutions 2025.
Happy 2025 everyone! I don’t know about you, but I have high expectations for this year, which I am almost entirely sure will be met.
I rang 2025 in with my friend Anthony at Paddy’s Bar in Ventura, as is our tradition, and, additionally, I have started this year off strong by going camping with my dad at Lake Casitas in Ojai, California. I always relish the opportunity to commune with nature—and I have always been this way.
I have several resolutions that I desire to work on this year—starting with Toastmasters, which is the public speaking group that I have been with since 2014. For those of you who do not know, last year I acquired the position of Toastmasters Area B1 Director. My goal for this year is to complete Round 2 of my Club Visits. This entails personally visiting all Toastmasters clubs in my Area, and then generating a report online about how I think they are doing. Next month, I will be organizing and putting on an Area Speech Contest, which I am very much looking forward to also.
Additionally, I wish to up my fitness game in 2025. I still go for runs fairly regularly around the neighborhood, and I strongly desire for this tradition to continue. I have also been using hand weights in my backyard, as well as my mom’s TRX system. This year, I want to incorporate regular push-up and sit-up sessions. I of course intend to keep going to my weekly Zumba class at my local 24 Hour Fitness.
For those of you who do not know, last year I succeeded in formulating a thirty-page outline for my future science fiction book, Parapenda. There is one page of notes per intended chapter. In addition to this, I intricately delved into the profiles of all my nine main characters. This year, my resolution is to start the process of writing the text itself. I am all prepared, more than I have ever been. As far as writing is concerned, I am told that there are both “pantsers,” and “plotters,” and I most definitely fall into the latter category, because I don’t always like writing off the top of my head, and especially for longer pieces.
Finally, I want to stay close to my loved ones in 2025—whether this means going on vacations with my parents and siblings, or sleepovers and movies with my friends, or even on walks with my enthusiastic, fit, and good-looking dog.
I always see every new year as a new opportunity to live my life to the fullest, and to encourage those around me to do the same. If something is missing, I find it. If something is wrong, I right it. As the lyrics of the storied Switchfoot song go: “This is your life, are you who you want to be?” My answer to that question is, of course and unequivocally, YES.
Paddy’s Bar in Ventura.
Thanksgiving 2024.
Each and every year, I look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving. It is a time for food, family, fun, and—above all—love.
Thanksgiving this time around was even better than I had thought it would be. Multiple family members who I don’t get to see every day were in town, the food was delicious, and we even fit in an entertaining game of Jenga in the afternoon on the 28th.
I have so much to be thankful for, but if I had to distill all this down to one word, it would of course be love. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my animals, and I love myself.
My late grandmother, Marguerite, always enjoyed Thanksgiving, and not a year goes by without me thinking of her. For her, family always went first, and I try to emulate that attitude in all that I do, and especially on this hallowed day.
Thanksgiving this year was most definitely over the top. My contribution to the culinary festivities was to make my favorite vegan shredded tofu dish, which went over very well. My mom made vegan mashed potatoes, which were the best I had ever tasted. My dad barbequed his famous salmon, and my sister and her girlfriend made soybeans and Brussels sprouts, respectively. To top it all off, the day after Thanksgiving, I had lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant with my aunt, uncle, parents, and paternal grandmother.
My very favorite musical artist is Lady Gaga, and my very favorite song is one of hers titled “You And I.” This piece, in my humble opinion, is the best love song ever written. A few years ago, while on YouTube, I discovered that she had posted a video of herself performing this very special song on Thanksgiving day. How perfect that a song about love becomes one with a holiday that is designed to be spent with loved ones. After all, what is Thanksgiving but an elaborate love song to those who matter most?
In order to love others, one must first learn to love oneself. During this last year, I feel that I have truly come into my own. I have a new leadership position with Toastmasters, a thirty-chapter future book all outlined, a medal from my first 10K, and the unwavering and unconditional support of those in my life who are near and dear to my heart.
I expect next Thanksgiving to be even more monumental than this one. Something good can always be made better, and when it comes to me and my friends and family, the sky is the limit. The one regret that I have for this year is that I forgot to ask someone to take pictures of all of us during the festivities. However, in place of that, you have this piece. If you have made it this far, I just want to thank you. In reading it, you have unwittingly become a part of what has made Thanksgiving so special for me this time around.
My New Vegan Cookbook.
For those of you who don’t know, I am a proud vegan, and have been so for years. My Aunt Sue has been vegan for even longer. We both appreciate good food, which was why, a few weeks ago, when Sue recommended a vegan YouTuber’s videos to me, I got excited. I quickly went on the channel, Rainbow Plant Life, and saw that the owner, a gal named Nisha Vora, was getting ready to publish a vegan cookbook, complete with exactly one hundred and fifty original recipes. I was so persuaded, and I decided to pre-order a copy immediately.
The very first recipe of hers, from the book, I decided to cook was called Sesame Tofu. My parents and I split it. It was delectable. I was so enticed that I then went on to make spicy brown rice, masala tofu, pasta with red sauce, pancakes, cashew cheese, ginger snaps, and something called “adult grilled cheese.” I have yet to encounter a recipe of hers that I don’t like. I now have my eye on a confection known as a “celebration cake,” which is a yellow cake covered with “buttercream” frosting.
My parents and I have a new routine: every other week, I go to Vons to stock up on essential ingredients—enough to make one Nisha Vora recipe a week. We decide together which recipes we want to cook. I feel as though I am running a mini vegan restaurant in my home kitchen. The recipes are so premium, so delicious, and simply so flavorful—which makes sense, because the book is after all titled Big Vegan Flavor.
I very much admire the time and effort Nisha has put into developing her recipes. I believe she made pancakes over two dozen times, just to find the right balance of vegan sour cream, and other ingredients, to use. She works hard at this so we don’t have to.
During this time, I have learned a valuable lesson: the more time and effort you put into cooking, the more you will be rewarded. Hard work always pays off; and with cooking, you get something tangible for your troubles, which is a tasty meal. The more elaborate you become, the more delicious your reward is. On top of it all, cooking has allowed me to share the fruits of my labor with my parents, who are always along for the ride.
To conclude, I would highly recommend looking into purchasing Big Vegan Flavor. Acquiring it would be a decision you would most definitely not regret. I personally believe that even non-vegans would enjoy the recipes in this book. They are very indulgent, no matter what your dietary preferences are. My Aunt Sue recently bought herself a copy, and we are enjoying swapping stories about how certain recipes have worked for us. I love food and cooking, just as I have loved exploring the intricacies of this very special book.
Another Short Fiction Piece.
It was a quiet, almost dreary day at the library, until Asher’s phone rang. He took one look at the caller ID, and excited trepidation flooded his body.
“Hello??” he stammered nervously.
“Yes…this is your classmate Samhain,” said a sensual voice on the other end of the line. “Do you by any chance remember our assignment for psychology for next week?”
“Just give me a second,” replied Asher.
“Can you please watch my stuff for a quick minute?” he asked the total stranger sitting next to him.
After the student nodded, Asher almost sprang from his post in the library, eagerly desiring to continue the telephonic conversation with a boy he had quietly lusted over for months now.
The plan was simple: Asher would wow Samhain, a noted psychology buff, with his expertly researched presentation on the effects of the love hormone oxytocin on the brain and body. Their psychology class met in just a few hours, and, even though Asher did not have his presentation memorized, all the relevant notes were sitting there at the library table where he had been studying all morning.
The phone conversation went very well, but keeping Asher’s stuff safe did not. As soon as he got back to his seat, not only were all the studiers sitting at his table gone, but his notes had disappeared as well. The delicate Samhain bubble inside him, which had been growing and swelling all morning, suddenly and violently burst.
What should I do now? Asher asked himself. He did not know who he was more angry at—himself for being careless, or the stranger who had just so rudely violated his trust.
A few hours later, Asher entered the psychology classroom without a plan to salvage either his crush or his grade. When it came time to stand up in front of the class, he said the first and only thing that came to his mind: “Have any of you ever wondered why people at the library, when something comes up, feel confident trusting the stranger sitting next to them to guard their stuff from the other total strangers sitting nearby?”
To his surprise, this ended up sparking a lively discussion, and the professor applauded Asher as he eventually took his seat. After class, Samhain approached Asher.
“I was so impressed by your presentation,” said Samhain.
Asher blushed. “Would you by any chance want to grab dinner at the dining commons later with me?” he blurted out.
On his way to dinner that evening, wearing his best red blazer, Asher, a very philosophical person, thought to himself: You know, sometimes if life doesn’t give you lemons, just make lemonade anyway, and often your beverage will taste even better than it could have tasted if you had had lemons to use in the first place.
My Experience at Disneyland This Year.
There is no place as nostalgic for me as Disneyland. During my 32 years of life, I have probably been there almost two dozen times. However, the magic never gets old.
This iteration, I elected to go with two of my very best friends, Christina and Anthony. We spent a record-breaking twelve hours in the park last Thursday. When we first arrived, it was virtually empty, but by the time we left, the crowd size had swelled markedly. One highlight for me that day was being able to basically walk onto my new favorite ride, The Matterhorn.
During this particular trip, I noticed that, while much of Disney has stayed the same, much has also changed since the days when I was a child. They now have an iPhone app that gives users live ride wait times, lets visitors purchase merchandise, and allows food to be pre-ordered. Additionally, the park now features a section known as “Star Wars Land.”
There were two things that I neglected to do last time I was at Disney, and made sure to do this time: number one, purchase a piece of Disneyland souvenir clothing, and, number two, try one of the colored vegan Star Wars “milks.” This just goes to show that you can have anything you want in this life, as long as you are willing to be patient and to work for it. I know that these examples are relatively minor and mundane, but the message imparted, for me, will always remain the same.
Every time I contemplate going on the intergalactic rollercoaster known as Space Mountain, I without question get nervous. Oftentimes while I am in line, the trepidation will build, until I finally board the coaster and end up surprising myself by having an incredibly enjoyable time. Anthony sometimes will push me to go on rides that I perceive as being out of my comfort zone, and I almost always end up feeling grateful to him for inspiring me to face one of my ultimate fears.
Back when I was a youth, if you had asked me what my favorite ride at Disneyland was, I would have instantly told you that it was It’s a Small World. If you had to encapsulate my childhood into one attraction, that would be it. I greatly look forward to taking my future kids on that ride one day. The message is just so inclusive, and so inspiring. As I type this post, I can hear the “Small World” theme song playing on repeat in my head.
Whenever I am at Disney, I think of family, of friends, and of fun. Back when my late grandmother was still with us, we used to frequently pass the time at her house by playing Disneyland Monopoly together. I almost always won, and she preferred things that way. In comparison, going to Disney is always also a win. I cannot name one truly negative experience that I have ever had there, and I cannot think of anyone who has really and honestly told me that they do not like the rides offered. Out of all the theme parks that I have ever been to in my life, Disneyland most definitely has to be my absolute favorite.
Me with friends in front of the It's a Small World ride at Disneyland.
A Brief Fictional Piece.
When Fawzi was a child, he had a massive sweet tooth. “The Cookie Monster,” his friends would affectionately call him. Anything with sugar in it was a treat for Fawzi. He loved chocolate and he loved candy, but, most of all, he simply loved chewing bubblegum. He could go through a whole pack in a day. His sister finally got tired of seeing all the gum wads in the trash, and decided to take action.
“Did you know, Fawzi,” she said one day, “that if someone accidentally swallows gum, it gets trapped in their stomach forever?”
This was a blatant lie, of course, but Fawzi was little, and prone to believe anything his big sister told him. Coincidentally, the next day, he accidentally swallowed some spearmint-flavored gum. Immediately, he thought about what his sister had said, and became terrified.
What was once a source of joy to him had quickly become a source of anxiety and discomfort. He decided to go cold turkey on the gum, and eventually stopped consuming sweets entirely. By the time he reached young adulthood, he couldn’t even remember the name of his favorite brand of chewing gum.
Fawzi was a very ambitious person, and out of all the myriad of career choices available to him, he eventually decided to become a dentist. He had always wanted to be successful. He ended up being very wealthy, but, at the same time, very unhappy—until, one day, an idea came to him.
“What if I were to invent a special type of chewing gum, that can be safely swallowed after each use, and which has a flavor so distinctive that the taste never disappears?” he thought to himself.
He told his family, friends, and co-workers about his idea, and none of them believed that it was possible. But he did.
Fawzi had wealth, but not happiness, and he truly wanted both, and believed that they were not mutually exclusive—so he quit his job at the dental practice, and devoted all his time to working on his special, new brand of chewing gum, with the knowledge that this plan was not without risk.
After several false starts, Fawzi’s gum was eventually ready for prime-time. He even swallowed several pieces of it, and noticed that there was no gum in his stools, which meant that it had successfully decomposed in his gut, like it was supposed to.
After a decade of selling his product, Fawzi becomes famous and is worth billions of dollars. He is fulfilled, and, finally, because he is doing something he loves and that benefits others, he feels happy. “Nothing is impossible, as long as you are willing to put the work in and believe in yourself,” he thinks.
Fawzi ends up living a very long life, filled with love, and once he eventually passes, his children follow the instructions he left them in his will, to the letter.
To this day, if one were to visit the graveyard where Fawzi is buried, on the gravestone would be the following quote, taken from a well-known poem by Robert Frost: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that had made all the difference.”
My New Position With Toastmasters.
For those of you who do not know, I have been a member of my local Ventura Toastmasters public speaking club for roughly a decade now. Since I joined, my social skills have greatly improved, as well as my leadership and collaboration skills. The members of Club 24 are like family to me. Each and every Monday, I look forward to our stimulating and productive meetings.
The highest level of achievement in Toastmasters is represented in the DTM credential, which stands for Distinguished ToastMaster. Sometimes members work for years to obtain this honor. It is my ultimate goal to someday acquire it.
As part of my research, I discovered that in order to obtain a DTM, one must potentially serve in a capacity known as Area Director. Shortly after encountering this, I decided to apply for the position. I assumed that it would be very rewarding for me to give back to an organization that has, in the last ten years, given me everything.
The application process was fairly straightforward, and a few weeks after I submitted everything, I learned that I had gotten the position. I ecstatically shared the news with my parents and sister, who were incredibly proud of me.
The main function of an Area Director is to look after the clubs in their area, by visiting them twice a year, and then reporting back to Toastmasters International what they think of their progress. It is my goal, during my tenure, to turn our Area into something known as a Distinguished Area. This means that each and every club in Area B1 will meet certain membership and productivity criteria.
The training process so far for my new position has been very rewarding. A veteran Toastmaster, who is a member of over a dozen clubs, Debbie Allmon, has decided to take me under her wing, and I have already learned a lot from her. Back in the day, she was an Area Director as well.
For me, the Area Director position will bring more responsibility, and also more reward. I welcome the challenge that is serving Area B1. I see my new job as something resembling a roller coaster at Disneyland—sometimes stressful, always fun, and ever-changing. By the time I relinquish this duty, I anticipate that I will be a different, and even better person.
To conclude, I am incredibly grateful that this opportunity is available to me. I am looking forward to working with friends and colleagues to make all four clubs in this Area even more superior than they already are. I feel that I have much experience to bring to the table, and so much to teach these individuals, and, yet, they also have a lot to teach me.
My Experiences in Hawaii This Summer.
Just the other day, I got home from a five-day Hawaiian vacation with my parents and my younger sister, Holly. I have been to Hawaii well over a dozen times in my thirty-two years, and Kauai still is, and will always be, my very favorite island out of them all. It is colloquially known as “The Garden Isle,” and anyone who knows me well at all knows that I love nature. This is why I always feel drawn to Kauai. The only other two places in the world that I am as drawn to are the city of San Francisco, and my alma mater, Occidental College. My parents booked our airfare for this trip way back in December, so suffice it to say that I was really looking forward to this particular excursion.
I had a very enjoyable and positive experience flying with United out of LAX. Our plane was a relatively new 737 Max, and it was my first time boarding the controversial jet. By the end of the vacation, I ended up deciding that the Max is my new favorite narrow-body aircraft. The windows are large, and the cabin feels very airy and spacious. I also noticed that the noise of the engines is greatly reduced compared to older aircrafts. For those of you who do not know, my late grandfather on my mother’s side used to be a pilot with United, so I always look especially forward to flying with them.
The south shore of Kauai never fails to remind me of my childhood, because many special summers were spent there with my immediate family and friends. Since I last stayed in Poipu when I was a kid, it was interesting to see what had changed, and what has stayed the same. The Kiahuna Plantation resort was the same as ever; however some of the restaurants nearby had been changed out since the days of my youth. It had been years since we last stayed on this part of the island—our last few Hawaiian vacations found us on the north shore in Princeville.
In a way, even more special than the island was the valuable time I got to bond with my family. We did everything together; from relaxing at the local beach and pool to exploring the Allerton Botanical Gardens, which were simply splendid and constituted one of the best experiences in nature I have ever had. Father’s Day and my dad’s 60th birthday made the vacation even more invigorating and unique than it would have otherwise been.
As I write this, I can almost feel the humid island air, energizing me as I breathe it in. Displayed in my bedroom is a small souvenir map of Kauai. I basically have it memorized. I truly feel like, as we flew away, a part of me was left behind on this island. That part of me will always reside there, and will always welcome me back, should I ever decide to visit The Garden Isle again. I am certain that, in the future, I will elect to do so.
Me enjoying a POG smoothie at my dad’s favorite restaurant on the island, Keoki’s Paradise.
My Birthday Trip to San Francisco.
Every year around my birthday, my parents are kind enough to sponsor a trip to San Francisco for my dad and I, because they know that that city is my favorite spot on Earth. Each winter, I eagerly anticipate the vacation, and every spring, I come back from the Bay Area full of energy and inspiration. This year was no different.
The voyage began when I got on the plane in Burbank, a peppy little Boeing 737-700 painted with the colorful livery of Southwest Airlines. After roughly an hour in the air, we were descending into paradise. As soon as I exited the puddle-jumper and walked onto the jetway in Oakland, I breathed a sigh of satisfaction, as I was going home.
From Oakland International, it was only roughly a half-an-hour BART ride under the bay until we entered the city of San Francisco. Once we dropped our bags off at the hotel, we decided to start the trip off strong by hiking up to the Coit Tower, which offers sweeping, panoramic views of the city and of the East Bay. Unfortunately, we discovered that the elevator in the Tower was closed, but this did nothing to dampen my spirits, because the beauty of San Francisco can be found on any street, and in any park, within the idyllic city.
The great skyscrapers of S.F. are a sight to behold, but the peninsula also boasts some of the best restaurants that one could ever frequent. Right after leaving Coit Tower, my dad and I headed down to Tony’s Pizza in Little Italy, which boasts the best cheese pizza slices I have ever tasted, outside of New York and Italy itself.
The next day, we met up at Golden Gate Park with my cousin Aaron, his significant other Candice, and my Aunt Lori and Uncle Alan. Our experience inside the Japanese Tea Garden there was so immersive that I felt that if someone had been blindfolded and driven there, once brought to their senses, they would mistakenly think that they had been transported to Japan itself. I additionally couldn’t help but notice that there is an abundance of running trails in the park, which I had read is even larger than Central Park in Manhattan.
The feeling I get when I enter San Francisco is almost impossible to describe. It is basically a sensation, which, this year, I experienced as soon as I got off the plane. While I was in the city, I felt physically healthier. When I got back, I suffered a phenomenon that I jokingly call “San Francisco Withdrawals.” I truly feel that it is exceedingly rare that one person can feel such a strong connection to a physical place. It is my ultimate dream to one day own property within the city.
If you have not experienced the phenomenon that is San Francisco for yourself, I would highly recommend giving the Bay Area a try. Like a casual smoker that sometimes cannot help but light up, I for some reason simply cannot stay away—and I truly feel that this phenomenon is not unique to myself. I am aware that any urban area has its benefits and drawbacks, but in my humble opinion, there just isn’t anything negative about San Francisco to be found.
My dad & I at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
My Very First 5K.
Victory, sweet victory, is what I thought when I crossed the finish line of my very first 5K just the other day. With my dad running at my side, and my mom and Grandma Melinda cheering me on from the sidelines, life just couldn’t get any better. Not only was completing the race doable, it was EASY.
Way back in the day, when I was much younger, my parents decided to sponsor a 5K put on by my high school. My dad proudly ran in it, but on race day, I was nowhere to be found. Just running a mile on a treadmill at the Y was challenging enough for me. When my freshman English teacher took one look at my legs and said, “You must be a runner!” I laughed at her and said no.
However, as I have recently discovered, no challenge is insurmountable, and nothing is impossible. These last few weeks have been very beneficial for me, and have turned me from a spectator into a true runner. Training for the 5K on the 6th of April was one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done in my life.
My dad’s philosophy with running is to over-prepare and overcompensate, so that on the big day of the race, everything goes without a hitch. I found this strategy to very lucrative. For a couple weeks before the 5K on April 6th, we were regularly running 3.5 miles at a time. A 5K is roughly 3.1 miles, just to let you know.
I looked forward to the 6th Annual Stronger Families Safer Kids 5K from the moment my dad and I registered, and when race day finally arrived, I was giddy with anticipation. The chilly morning weather in Oxnard Shores did nothing to quell my bourgeoning need for cardiovascular exercise. As soon as we were off, I reminded myself to not expend all of my energy right away, and to save some resources so that my dad and I could finish the race strong.
I very much enjoyed the route, and of course appreciated the volunteers who pointed us where to go. Something about the “officialness” of the event really caused me to bring my A Game. Think of studying for a test, versus actually taking said test. There were something about the circumstances of the race that really lit a fire under my feet, and the resulting experience was one that I will never forget, even though my dad and I are, even now, regularly running 4.5+ miles at a time without a sweat.
Right as the finish line came into view, I poured on the steam and took the final few seconds at a sprint. The startled onlookers let out a cheer of surprise, and I could just feel them thinking, Look at that guy go!
To conclude, I wish to reflect back on that day when my high school English teacher asked me if I was a runner and I said “No.” That statement was both a mistake and a lie. The proper answer is: “Yes! Of course I am!”
Me & my dad finishing my first 5K.