did you know a couple of weeks ago i got arrested?
im not even kidding.
its too important of an event not to record and before i forget let me just reenact the fascinating ordeal.
it began as an average cold Wisconsin morning. Winter break has started and nothing too spectacularly exciting was going on this very day. Made some plans with a couple of friends to go watch the movie Avatar in the evening. Soo the night slowly creeps up on the day and by 4.30 as with Winter time here, the skies turn dark and the temperature drops another 10 degrees. my friends drove to come pick me up from my residence hall and just as we made the turn off my street, the piercing blares of sirens horded us from behind. my friend panicked because he left his drivers license at home but we just sat there waiting for the officer to approach the car..10 seconds, 20...50... 2 minutes..4 minutes... we were starting to get restless then all of a sudden, 4 other police cars approach and block the exit as more blinding lights were flashed making it impossible to look behind through the mirrors. now everyone else started freaking out... what in the world??
out of speakers loud as hell, a voice commands the driver to put his hands out of the vehicle.. then the same voice asks all the passengers to put our hands out of the window.. then again, the same voice tells us.. no , everyone put your hands back in the car.. only the driver puts his hand out.. and so we followed this somehow clueless voice. finally the voice speaks again.. will the driver step out of the car with his back facing us and hands in the air.. at this moment, it crossed my mind if we were being punked.. but i rather just play along with whats going on than die from being shot at.
perhaps i should preface this story a little bit now.. a couple of weeks prior to this current scenario, my friend's car got stolen at 3 in the morning. the very next day though, after the police report and detectives were assigned to investigate, the car mysteriously shows up when everyone was at school. bizzare? i think so too.
now back to where we were..
at this point i started putting the pieces together and i told the other 2 friends in the car that perhaps this was due to the stolen car incident since, we are driving that car and it sorta made sense why there were so many cops around..i peeked in the rear view mirror to see my friend being handcuffed..WTF? inside i was kinda glad that it wasnt me.. but like the Irish man curse ( they say if youre irish, even the slightest case of mishap that has little to none chance of occurence, will most likely happen) the voice over the speaker then asks the front passenger ( ME) to put my hands out of the window..then to step out of the vehicle.. and i did.. then the voice tells me to take 3 steps back.. and i do.. the voice then tells me to lift the back of my shirt up.. i hesitated because my pants were riding a lil low and i would probably be exposing my butt crack if i did..butttttt again, haha i didnt wanna be shot so i did..it was cold and my fingers were freezing, the voice then tells me to take two steps to the left.. and i do.. and another 2 steps to the left..( i started suspecting that the voice over the speaker has a lil fetish of instructing people ) but i do so anyway. then the voice tells me to put my hands behind my back and to walk back slowly. from the corner of my eyes i see to my right a police officer holding a M-16 pointed at my direction and to the left, i see another police officer hiding behind a tree taking aim at the car. oh boyyy....
then i felt two hands grab hold of me as i was handcuffed then frisked.. or maybe it was the other way round. either way, i dont know why i did not demand the reason i was being arrested. i just let myself( perhaps,maybe, i have fantasies of my own.. HAHAHA i kid) but yeah i get handcuffed and then placed in the back of a cop car. i see my friend in the back of another car.and soo , the voice did the same thing with all my other friends in the car, sometimes being too unsure and unassertive especially when it first asks my friend to step to the right, then back to the left, then shuffle to the right again. i was actually enjoying the scene before my eyes. the handcuff was very uncomfortable and the back of the car was made out of plasticky material seats that were cold to my poor cute behind. all my friends were put in a different car and finally after some calls were made, they got my friend- the driver out and asked him a few questions and things were sorted i assumed as next thing i know, my door was opened and i was released from the handcuffs... apparently in the campus police records the car was still reported as stolen and its not been updated and so the cops thanked us for our cooperation and apologized.. see as i said i was actually enjoyin the experience and wasnt in a rush or anything so why get angry right? besides if the car was actually stolen, they wouldve caught the thieves for sure!! haha..
right before we got into our car again, one of the officers looks at me and asks me.. " daven arent u an RA( resident assistant) in KT ( my residence hall)? and i replied yeah to which he said, he recognized me right when i stepped out of the vehicle...... -_-" WTF! hahaha... oh well.. i sure am glad to have more exciting stories to tell about my life..

we then went to eat and managed to still make it in time to catch the movie... AVATAR sure was an amazing movie.. another must see is the movie Precious. i watched it today and was really impressed and as always balled because of how tragically sad the movie was. i also cried after finishing a book on the airplane home from puerto rico.. the road by Cormac McCarthy. so dark and depressing yet it still shines light on the love between a father and son and the fight to live in a post apocalyptic world thats been destroyed.
im back in Wisconsin now, and moved in to my new place. its so nice to have my own room and my own queen sized bed with my own closet. downside tho is that the walls are wayyy tooo thin. i can even hear my friends whisper.. two of them are living together and are dating and i sure as hell hope to god that i dont hear them have sex.....

♥ Monday, January 18, 2010

♥"Distance isn't for the fearful. It's for the bold. It's for those willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those who know a good thing when they see it... even if they don't see it nearly enough."♥

came across this quote and i love it! :)

updates from my puerto rico trip coming up soon! this is my last day here in PR. let me first just say that im glad a tsunami has not hit this island after haiti's massive earthquake days ago. pray for the injured and if you can bless them with some donations.
have a great day readers :)

love,
the boy who went travellin

♥ Thursday, January 14, 2010

2009 started as a cold winter day in Wasau, Wisconsin. Rang in the new year celebrations at a Mexican restaurant/bar that we decide to run into merely seconds before the countdown. The cheers and whistles from the patrons at the bar lasted for a good minute and then, everything was quiet again.. just like the town itself. Its been said countless times, its not where you are but who you’re with and I was glad I was with some of my closest friends. Few days later I was on a plane to mexico where I got to experience one of the most friendly cultures and met lots of wonderful friends. It was an amazing start to my year.. the year I turn 21. Santa rita sauvignon blanc.. that was the first legal wine I drank as I sat with Elizabeth the afternoon of my 21st birthday lunch. The week after was break and I remember a boys night out in town with carlos and tony and we ripped the place apart. I lost my phone, puked all over my room, appeared in the police blotter for setting off the blue emergency poles and clearly neither of us remembered anything. Spring is always one of my favorite time of the year- the Viennese ball. A grandiose display of food and entertainment- UWEC really is transformed into a my magical fantasy during this time. As the Vice President of Two to Tango (the social dance group on campus), I was in charge of the V-ball workshop. 5 hours of dance lessons, about 35 couples. Planning it took so much of my time. I’ll always remember the workshop, because there I met the most compassionate, talented and incredible person whom I got to make memories with for the next 8 months. You are the reason why 2009 has been so great. There were just too many memories that makes me smile – the first date, Duluth, charity runs, flowers from Africa, cooking, music lessons, coffee dates… summer took me to California- San Francisco, LA, Yosemite, Big Sur, Napa Valley..made the most diverse group of friends whom are all just as adventurous, just as crazy, just as invested in having fun as I was. Oh we did so much together. And the class over at UC- Berkeley, one of the most prestigious universities here, firmly rooted my drive towards my goals. I’ve never cried so much in a class from the documentaries and readings. We partied, we studied, we spent so much money it was ridiculus. But it was all worth it. my year could not have been more rewarding. Fall approaches and I start my first year as a Resident Assistant in my residence hall and as a director of Student Life and Diversity in Senate, roles that have deeply influenced my leadership skills. Successfully played a huge role in getting the campus to participate in a climate survey which yielded the most response among all the UW system. Inclusive Excellence and its integration into class was a big issue this semester. I would never dream of being so involved back home. this zest for the ultimate experience has kept me going since day 1. Fall. I took up piano lessons. Fall. I went sky diving. Fall. I danced in front of a crowd of 500 people. Fall. I was a drag for Halloween. Fall saw so many delightful surprises but it also had its down points. Losing you was probably the biggest drag. Not being home with the family always hits me in the fall. Both my younger brothers celebrate their birthdays as well as my parent’s wedding anniversary. Now as I sit and reflect on my year, I see so many changes within me from the start of the year till now. 2009 has been a year of self discovery, a year filled with blessings, a year of many firsts and shall remain one of the best years of my life- all these in the year I turned 21. I have much to look forward to next year.. my own place, own car, new responsibilities, student summer research, LSAT exam, internship application, graduation.. seeing my family again. Bring it on 2010…! Happy new year everyone! I’ll be celebrating the new year from Puerto rico! happy holidays!
Much love
Daven

♥ Wednesday, December 30, 2009

i discovered my favorite christmas tune.. and its called "the christmas song(chestnuts roasting on an open fire)" . absolutely adore that song.
christmas was surprisingly Great this year! my plans of going to either nebraska or the cities failed because of the insane weather. i was snowed in :( and not happy about it. a bunch of friends invited me over to spend christmas with their family but i didnt feel all that excited about imposing on a 'family' celebration, so i respectfully declined their offers ( it was really thoughtful of all of them though.. i love my friends.)
i ended up spending christmas with a few international students and their host families. had lunch with a retired professor and few friends.. it was great laughter, chatting about cultures, experiences, travels and so on. she even offered me free stay at her home from summer onwards till december (When i graduate)! its right by campus and really lovely.. but i already promised a friend to room with him.. so now im in a dillema. after lunch i met up with a few other international friends and headed over to another host family for dinner.. we were picked up at 3 and stayed till 9 enjoying scrumptious dinner, playing games, drinking wine, talking about everything under the sun. they too were professors at the university! they even had gifts for me! which was a nice surprise :).
when we came back from all the christmas celebrations, we headed out to the bars for a couple of drinks! haha it was fun watching my friends crumble after just 2 drinks.. and trying to get them to dance!
im closer to securing a deal for a car! and im actually not even going to go with the original car choices i had. i will take pics of the car once i have it in my possession.
i've chosen to resign from my RA position and move off campus.. a house on water st for this next semester. my grades have also improved from last semester. i've also resigned from senate. im kinda excited to just focus on my LSAT- law school entrance exam, getting an internship for the following year and having more time for my studies.. im also buying myself a keyboard to continue playin the piano.
as far as my student faculty research collaboration for next summer- i have a few places in mind- India, Thailand, Pakistan and a few countries in the middle east. im leaning on india because i think there could be more about myself that i can discover amidst working on my research. my path to spiritual enlightenment if i may.
sexual prostitution of male children is going to be the focus of my research. im still trying to come up with a proposal.
god im so thankful for my family and this opportunity to come here and fulfil my ambition and goals.
finally im uberrrr excited about puerto rico... will be leaving on the 31st of december..and will be there till the 15th of january! its going to be GREAT! i'll be couchsurfing and just exploring as much as i can with the locals!

see.. life isnt that bad at all..

on a random note, i got a text yesterday, which brought a smile to my face....i think i'll be ready after returning from puerto rico. :)
next post will be in reflection of 2009 and my hopes for the coming year. my 22nd year of existence. :)

btw got my new piercing... ended up being piercings.. haha

nipples!!
hurt soooo fkin bADDD!! haha.. but damn! they feel good!
merry christmas and happy holidays everyone

♥ Saturday, December 26, 2009

okay so after much research. i have my final two cars!! woo hooo.. thing is i dont know which one i want! my roommate michael says he is going to test drive the red honda this weekend! omg so excited to have my own car!! butttttt.. i like the hyundai tiburon! what you guys say? which is more aesthetically pleasing?
the honda is RED though!! my favorite color and has better mileage.. ahh.. either way... a car before chrismas hopefully! :) :)

and FINALS are over! im so relieved! so yeah. right now im sittin in my room just shaved my chest.. gonna go pierce my nipple in a bit..AAAHHHHH im nervous! hahahah...

♥ Wednesday, December 16, 2009

some of you might know this already, but im lookin at purchasing a car, second hand of course and these are my final two options. waiting on the loan i have taken out, im not sure which one to get though because they are both pretty amazing! one's a Honda Civic and the other is a Mitsubishi Eclipse. i should have a car by christmas! this is soo exciting!




i found an apartment that my friend and i are thinkin of moving in to in the summer. its new and just PERFECT! i need to call the property owners and set up a showing! :)

and then finally speaking of christmas!! i did something completely random.. i might be going to puerto rico and spending christmas and new years there with strangers! there's this online travel buddy website and i decided why not and signed up! so im waiting to hear from them. otherwise, there's thousands of other places and people to travel with. this is sooo friggin cool! i love randomness!

last but not least. its last 2 weeks of school. i am going to be up pretty much every night from today! its going to be a good time! wish me luck folks!

♥ Monday, December 07, 2009

i realized i havent changed much.
not gone into depression.
not fallen out of touch with friends..
still enjoying the things i like to do before and during the relationship.
smiling at the sun, amazed by the snow, cold from the rain, im still me!
and i am so happy to be me!

some people take their whole lifetime to figure out who they are, some take decades. i think i've found myself in many ways, so much in my years abroad, so much from the interaction with people. i have found my joys and passion. my goals and ambitions, my personal satisfaction, my low points and high points... i learn from relationships.
this fulfillment im feeling, is from all of those combined knowing that what doesnt break me only makes me stronger.

i dont feel liberated.. never have i felt trapped.. but i feel at peace.. with myself. and contrary to belief, i am standing strong. thats what makes me.. me. i gather my energy and inspirations from everything around me... and it affects those around me.

things are looking up daven. i miss making memories with you.

♥ Thursday, December 03, 2009