i just had a special order made by Maki-san. Maki-san’s been doing jewelry for a while now and it was time for me to have something special made for a special person. i had this sunrise sitting on my desk for a while. been looking at it everyday for the past year thinking of what to do with it. finally, valentines day came and wanted to give it to a sweetheart. so i called Maki-san, i dropped it off, and a week later, it was done. done in a professional and beautiful way! perfect!

i ordered this style because it looked very strong and solid. something that will last through anything.

thank you very much Maki-san for custom making me this fine piece of jewelry. a sunrise that will make a beautiful girl look even more beautiful. so stoked!
if you want a piece of OCEANSQUARE, contact Maki-san directly. Aloha!

My American breakfast!

took a walk to the 9/11 memorial. a place i’ve always wanted to visit. and walking there, i thought about that day back in 9/11/01. a day i will never forget.

getting close to where once the twin towers of the world trade center stood, i got chicken skin. to see a new one built was great, but to imagine what happened that day 14 years ago brought chills to my spine. 2 airplanes crashing into those buildings? i still can’t believe it.

new york rebuilt! this new world trade center stands strong and tall. so tall that i couldn’t fit into the photo.

there are 2 monuments at the very same place the towers once stood. looking inside brings back all those memories from that day.

so good to see a memorial for the people who lost their lives. the people that should never be forgotten.

i bought my ticket for the museum. the feeling i had was the same feeling i had before i walked into the atom bomb museum in hiroshima. too hard to explain.

the stories and displays in that huge museum brought silence. there where hundreds of people in the museum but not one word spoken. just blank looks on everyones faces.

our heroes where the first responders. the heroes that put their lives on the line every single day of the year. i spent 2 hours in there with the craziest emotions. sitting in my bed watching the news back in hawaii on that day was shocking. but to imagine what happened here in new york in unimaginable. the loud bangs, the noise, the smell, the smoke, and most of all, the terror. as i left the museum, all i could do is pray that nothing like this will ever happen again.

rode the lonely subway back into the city. another time to think how fortunate i am to be living. another time to be grateful for my family and friends. and another time to push myself to live life to the fullest.