Alex Tupaz : October 2014

My 3 pretend Travel Destinations from my garden

I love gardening and the weather has been really gorgeous in California this time of the year. My garden is a reflection of places I've been to and seen in the past...hopefully travel to those places in the future...

So here's my 3 pretend travel destinations...from my backyard.

1. C'est la vie-ing in one of the fountains in Paris.

Did you know that there are more than 300 fountains in Paris?

I love fountains. I think water is a strong and powerful element in nature.

Une soiree a Paris...

2. Exploring the grapevines under the Tuscan sun.

I've seen some grapevines in Temecula and I still have to explore Napa Valley.

So I'm saving Tuscany in Italy on my bucket list.

Una serata in campagna...

3. Namaste-ing in the temples of Japan.

ganbatte kudasai...

So this is me pretending to be somewhere in a garden temple.

Anyway, it's free to travel in my dream.

Bon Voyage.

5 Things to Remember on your Golden Year

My soul sister and sister from another mother is celebrating her birthday soon...her Golden Year, as she calls it.

Spent the afternoon hiking Griffith Observatory. We've talked about family, friends, Sam, hair, Raymar, plants, snacks, former jobs, family dramas, mama, papa, weight, Manolet, Didith, relationships, her husband Phil and yeah...how it feels to be in her Golden Year.

One day, it will be my turn, so I'm reminding myself 5 things when I get to celebrate my own Golden Year.

No. 1 It's ok to get scared of getting older. It's a cycle of life. We're not getting any younger, so definitely we are getting older and as they say...wiser, whatever that means...I'm still chasing that wisdom thing...

No. 2 It's never too late or too early...to chase a dream, fall in love, get married, finish school, learn another language, maybe start a career or business, sky diving, bungee jumping, ride a horse... whatever is written in my bucket list...

No. 3 I have to feel pretty...grey hair to wrinkles, eye bags to stubborn fats. To suit up really nice, take care of the body and stay healthy is the smartest investment aside from the 401k, social security, life savings and my piggy bank. I rather spend on spas and travel, than pay medical bills.

No. 4 Keep family, friends and cats close. Nurture relationships, ties and family pets. They're my success and life achievements.

Agnes

No. 5. See the world...would be nice to travel. I've never been to Iowa or Colorado, see the canals of Italy, and the Great Wall of China. Create memories, see places, try out different cuisine, take lots of pictures...a selfie, two-fie or group-fie...whatever that means...

So if you're celebrating your 22nd...42nd...or 82nd birthday, make it your Golden Year...

Sweetest Day

I believe "some people come into our lives for a reason and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same" - Flavia Weedn

18th of October, 2014

A wedding presentation, broom jumping ceremony and reception.

T'was a simple gathering of family and friends, very cozy and so homey just like having family dinner at your grandma's living room.

Food was great, I love the cupcakes! very nice flower arrangement and the folks I met were very sweet and friendly. We all have the same agenda, we here to see the bride and groom.

Taj is a happy man.

Tracie's moment while listening to the words of the father of the groom. There's so much love here. I only cry on Disney movies and weddings. A family's love and support just hits a spot in my heart...

During the broom jumping ceremony when a broom is waved over the heads of the bride and groom, followed by jumping over the broom. There are a lot of meaning and symbolism here. I believe it is an act or invocation to drive away and swept all the negativity in our past and have a clean slate for the future. I think we all need a broom jumping ceremony everyday.

A good man found a good woman.

I love weddings.

Kevin and Heather.

I usually come to a wedding as a wedding singer, or one of the groom's men. There was a time I was an unofficial bridesmaid.

Today I'm here with friends and family of two beautiful souls on their "sweetest day"...

Caturday

"I'm sexy and I know it, girl look at that body, I work out, yeah I'm sexy and I know it" - Lmfao

My 4 Songs while hiking Mt. Rubidoux

If you've been in the Inland Empire, then you'd probably heard, hiked with the family, biked, trailed with friends, and selfied at the cross at Mt. Rubidoux . I even heard of some who went here on a date, attended an event on Easter Sunrise, proposed and "broke off" with someone near the cross.

I came with my reasons.

A bottle of water, back pack,

earphones and a camera.

4 songs on the loop on my phone.

"And we all get lost sometimes and we forget who we are, somewhere along the way" - Never Be The Same, Jessica Mauboy

"Et quand vient le soir,

And when the night comes

Pour qu'un ciel flamboie

and the sky is on fire

Le rouge et le noir

the black and the red

Ne sapousent ils pas

won't go together

Ne me quette pas"

don't leave me

Ne Me Quitte Pas, Nina Simone

"Leave all your love and your longing behind, you can't carry it with you, if you wanna survive" - Dog Days Are Over, Florence and the Machine

"And when my life is over, remember when we were together, we were alone and I was singing this song for you" - Song For You, Whitney Houston

"Je vois la vie en rose"

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras,
Il me parle tout bas.
Je vois la vie en rose" - Edith Piaf

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras. "When he takes me in his arms.
Il me parle tout bas, He speaks to me in a low voice,
Je vois la vie en rose" I see life as if it were rose-tinted"

English translation source: La Vie en Rose

And when you speak, angels sing from above

Everyday words seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be

La vie en rose

Song lyrics source: La Vie en Rose

Cat thoughts...

"Should I give up or just keep chasing pavements? Even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place? Should I leave it there? - Adele

Summer nights...

"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day" - Vincent Van Gogh

4 Things to do in Downtown Riverside

1. Check-out the Mission Inn without Checking-in

If you are in Downtown Riverside, this monastery, museum, turned into a fine hotel, would be a first choice to explore. So much history in the architecture and a lot of famous people like President Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, and celebrities has visited the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

Every year I come here to see the Annual Festival of Lights, almost the entire place will be illuminated with holiday lights and decorations. The festival officially begins right after Thanksgiving Day, will run for five weeks until the first week of the New Year. Its been part of my Christmas holiday tradition.

2. Go Antiquing

There's a lot of Antique shops around the area but the Mission Galleria is a favorite. Massive collection of antiques, clothes, and whatever. You can spend the entire day antiquing with four floors filled with whachamacallit.

3. Eat.

Lots of places and choices to dine. My preference on that day was chicken satay and thai tea at the Elephant Thai Cuisine. If you're into asian food, you might want to check the reviews first or just try it out. They serve vegan, has a patio, nice staff, price friendly, food is good to my liking and ambiance is so...asian :-)

4. Take a selfie.

There is more to life than our careers and jobs.

Go out, have fun, explore. Life is short.

Take lots of pictures, create memories.

Its your camera, do whatever you want, its your life.