itMIKEbeyou 2.0

Article 003. I was dreading it. A collective 30 hours in the air in the next 96 hours. It wasn’t a very wise plan, says everyone, who can’t figure out the math behind my decision for this Hong Kong trip. The Duration x Distance x Expense equation just doesn’t add up. Almost sound like I’m just doing an extended (and expensive) weekend drive to San Diego. But this is really to make up on lost time and celebrations, and because a milestone for someone whom I’ve never shown much appreciation to is all worth the miles— surprising my only sister, on her 50th, that’s what’s up. Everyone gives that sigh as I see them do the nod of approval. “ Oh what a sweet brother you are! ” If you only knew how far from the truth that is, as I reply with a grin. TSA wasn’t bad. Wasn’t bad at all. It took me literally 10 minutes to breeze through what I thought would take eternity. Was it because it was in the middle of the morning and foot traffic was at a minimum? It is the only logical explanation. It is...

Article 002. Preamble I have been slacking on finishing this article for a while. But Sunday 09/24, the Packers made a comeback win from 0-17 to 18-17 against the Saints at Lambeau Field led by Jordan Love. So I made a last minute push to get this touchdown and finally let everyone know how my loyalty to French Explorer Jean Nicolet’s naming of La Baye Verte and Acme Packing’s legendary football team all started.   It was November, post-9-11 and several months into my second son being born. I was young, disgruntled and just made an idiotic career decision by quitting a job a few months earlier without sealing a new one. The rain was pouring hard that Monday afternoon. You can hear the pounding of water aggressively against the building walls. But you would have no clue that the weather would’ve been that bad by how sunny it was earlier in the day. That’s tropical Philippines for you. I had a job interview at 3 and as I was walking towards the exit, I can tell that the offi...

Article 001. Fall, officially in 2 days. Yet the temps have gone significantly lower the past week. It still gets warm in the middle of the day but it’s that cool heat and not the burning humid kind. I had to bring out the light jacket and even a hoodie to do my hybrid two-day-in-the-office commute to Westwood. I resisted the urge to lose the sunglasses on my train ride to El Segundo early in the morning even when there’s an overcast. Its purpose really is to give me privacy as I sneak in some shut eye. I still wear a mask, honestly because it really makes a significant difference in shielding your nose buds from the foul smell that comes with the ride. And not because I am protecting myself from catching the flu or Covid, but in a sense, serves that purpose anyway. I hop in on the east side beginning of the Green Line station at Norwalk, thank goodness, so I at least get dibs on the seat that I want. You are guaranteed at least one hobo occupying two seats either sitting or lying down...