Another Snowy Day at Barstow

December 17, 2008 - Another Snowy Day In Barstow.

My Dad sent me pictures and a video of the snowy day in Barstow. I still can't believe that it snowed in Barstow. A small desert town which is usually very hot during the summer months. But then it gets really cold during the cold winter months. Usually after rains and when the sun sets, it gets to the freezing point where all you want to do is stay indoors and cuddle up in a blanket. Usually, at my old home town in the house I grew up in, we stand by those old heaters that we all take advantage of to stand there and stay warm.

With Christmas around the corner, I always knew that someday Barstow would have their White Christmas. Another storm is on the way, and it might snow again. Unbelivably, through the view of my Dad's camera, he showed me the thick snow, and all around the ol' house on Vernon Drive of Barstow, California, it was indeed a Winter Wonderland. I watched this video with awe and was shocked to see the white snow everwhere and the desert hills I couldn't see for the snow was still falling and the clouds covered the far distant empty space of the brownish desert. Emptiness, but only whiteness all around the neighborhood. Even my Grandmother's house across the street look welcoming for you know there waiting for you is some hot chocolate, and the warmth of a Grandmother's love to stay and visit and talk with her. Even looking around the yard of my old house, you could see the two dogs running around, knowing that they were welcomed inside the warm house where I grew up in. Sometimes, I wish I was there to see the snow, but thanks to my Dad for sharing this viewpoint of Barstow during a snowy day in the middle of December. Around the corner is Christmas, and soon hopefully, Barstow will have its very own "White Christmas."

Snowy Day in Barstow!

Ah, December, and Christmas is around the corner. My hometown of Barstow, California had a surprise: Snow! It snowed in the high deserts of Barstow, California. My Dad emailed me and told me that it was snowing in Barstow. I went on the Desert Dispatch website and found an amazing video of all the snow. It was indeed a White Christmas over there. Check out this link for the video from Desert Dispatch of the snow in Barstow:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155838736/bclid1173338216/bctid4886270001

Also, I recall back in 1980's when I was a little boy, it indeed snowed in Barstow that year of 1985. It was actually in the month of December 1985 and Christina and I woke up to a snowy day. It was pure white everywhere with flurries of snow falling down constantly. Christina and I bundled up in our coats, scarves, and gloves -- we ran outside and played in the snow. My Dad even played with us and we had a small snow ball fight. We actually built a huge snowman, topped with one of my Dad's caps. It was such a vivid and wonderful memory of our "White Christmas." Even though it was early in December, it was still a blessed sight and rarely in Barstow would we ever see snow like this. So, yesterday's Snowy Day at Barstow brought back those wonderful memories and I am sure for all of those still living in Barstow, they will look back and remember that wonderful year of 1985. Here is a video of this lovely snowy Day back in 1985:


To all of those in Barstow, stay warm and enjoy your White Christmas. Love to all and Merry Christmas to all. Thank you for reading my Blogs, and yet, there is more to come in the Chronicles of Gilberto Garcia

Holiday Party at Disneyland - 2008

December 8, 2008
Disneyland Holiday Party was a fun evening for Candice and I. We walked down Disney's Main Street where all the Christmas lights and decorations were beautiful to look at. It was a chilly and wonderful evening out. The Park was closed but only the the cast members and their families and/or friends were frolicking about the park. Candice and I went straight to Sleeping Beauty Castle and saw the beautiful light show with the snow falling during the holiday music playing. The sight of the Sleeping Beauty Castle was breathtaking.



Then after the show, we walked into Fantasyland and headed straightaway towards "A Small World" and stood in line and eating our Candy Canes. We enjoyed looking at the light display of A Small World - Holiday Style. It was beautiful to look at. Standing in line for this was worth it because inside the Small World Ride, the holiday decorations were beautiful to see.




As we walked the park and went and took in all the sights, we stopped at Haunted Mansion and it was a must because Candice and I are huge TNBC fans. We love the Haunted Manison with a twist of The Nightmare Before Christmas for the Halloween season and Christmas. It was a quick line since and we got on it and went straight to eat at a Mexican restaurant and had a great dinner. Then we went to a store to buy our Christmas hats for our pictures with Tinkerbell.



After the long exhausting line to take a photo with Tinkerbell, we went to the store I worked at: the Emporium on Main Street and did all our Christmas Shopping there. With bags filled with toys, we finally headed home and thus ended the night of our first Holiday Party of the year at Disneyland. I had a wonderful time at the Cast Holiday Party at Disneyland and I was glad to spend it with my love. Candice and I were both exhausted but we had a wonderful evening at Disneyland. It was indeed a Merry Christmas!

Disneyland: The Emporium - Main Street

Hello! I am back and I am at the Happiest Place on Earth. Yes, that's right. I started my first days of work at Disneyland. The place: The Emporium, the biggest and most fantastical Disney store on Main Street. I love this store for it has everything! I started my training on the cash registers and now soon this week will start regular day of work. I am enjoying myself for the Main Street is the nostalgic memory of Walt Disney's hometown and it's decorated for Halloween. Check it out!

Here is a picture of me in my work attire and I just got off on my first day of the job of training and I am filled with enthusiam standing in front of a Mickey Jack O' Lantern. These are everywhere! We are getting off from work on Main Street and noticed that no one is around. It's after closing time. Pretty neat to see the park with no one walking around -- Except for the workers who were setting up for Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana Birthday Bash the following day.

We also took a neat tour of Disneyland and learned a lot of Disney Trivia about the Park. I love my job for it was busy busy and you know when it's busy, the day goes by fast. The Cast Members are a fantastic joy to work with. I am enjoying every minute of my job. It is sure the Happiest Place on Earth for our guests, but also a great place for a job as a Cast Member. I will keep you posted on my Disney Job as I progress through the days. It's neat.

Love it so much that I am actually looking around the store and thinking my paycheck might buy some Disney stuff.. especially all the neat The Nightmare Before Christmas (TNBC) stuff! Anyway, I am going to class soon, hope that you keep on reading my Blogs and send me a note if anything you want to know. Thanks for reading! See ya next time!

I got the job!

Hello Everyone!

It's been awhile, huh? I am back. I been busy...I have been reading some really great novels and I want to mention that for those who love to read should pick up a copy of Twilight By Stephenie Meyer. Candice has been reading them too and pass them to me as soon as she completes them. I can see why they are so good. We just happened to love the story. It's a saga in the Twilight series. I am right now almost done with the second book: New Moon. After that is Eclipse and then the recent release which as been popular so far on bestsellers list: Breaking Dawn. I recommend these books! They're awesome. Also to mention Twilight has already been made into a movie for release later this year.

Well, as you can tell by my Vlog and my title here I have made it! I got the job at Disneyland! I will be working the sales floor at the Emporium on Main Street of Disneyland Park. I'm so excited and the first "orientation" is this Saturday and I'm looking forward to that as my first paying day. Excited, I am and looking forward to being a part of the Disney magic.

Will keep you guys posted on my events and so forth. Meanwhile check out Twilight and you will love it! You don't have to take my word for it.. duh duh! (that was suppose to be the Reading Rainbow theme after you say that in the show);-) Check out the Vlog.. I used ASL and my voice this time. Hope to write more later on!

Summer Fun

The trip to New Mexico was fun! The Wedding was very nice and I had a great time dancing the night away. The wedding itself was beautiful and heartfelt. It was fun to see all the family and relatives. Visiting New Mexico is itself a big adventure because we hardly go down that way as much. A lot of our uncles, aunts, cousins and others live down that way. The weather was very nice and the hotel we stayed at was very comfortable -- provided coffee and a nice breakfast every morning. Man, I couldn't believe how much we ate over there! Thanks to all the families that provided such lovely homemade food! Can't beat that anywhere else!

This is my newest Vlog about the Wedding, Football, and Wii Fit! (I recommend Wii Fit for anyone -- it's fun and most of all its part of a great exercise program if one needs to find a great system; go for the Wii!) Sure enough I talk about Summer almost coming to an end and you all know what that means! Nope, not school is coming back, but FOOTBALL! The NFL will start a new season and sure enough as a 49ers fan, there is so much to look forward to: A new offensive coordinator - Mike Martz, added power as in Issac Bruce, and so much more! The more reason to join Fantasy Football! Anyway, here is my new Vlog, hope you enjoy it! (Interpretation of my ASL can be provided upon request)

Dorm Life Friends -- The Ideal Advisor

What does one do when someone is away from family and the main communication is not really there? When someone seeks advice from family, but seeks it elsewhere? What does one do when it becomes obvious that the advice is not rapid and not given right away because one has to wait till the weekend to seek that advice from family members who live far, far away? In this case, living in the Dorm of CSDR has given one a sense of seeking advice from dorm counselors and/or teachers. Even the idea of going up to a staff of CSDR has fallacy in any given situation. Living in the dorm, knowing the guy across the room knows your habits, whereabouts and interests. They see you everyday, and in the case of a room mate knowing you better than your own parents goes to show that, maybe then, these are the ones you seek for advice.

One such person I recall in my CSDR years living in the dorms is young in years, but wise in experience of all that happens around him. I seek him as my ideal advisor when I was living at CSDR dorms. This guy who I will call B.A.G. for the purpose of respecting his identity. He joined CSDR a few years after I came. He was an animated but honest sort of character. What we went through going to CSDR as Dorm life friends, and even as school friends, was more than any adolescent could go through. Life filled with happiness, fun, and sometimes pain. (Those pains, which were part of growing up -- broken relationships, discussions about life after CSDR, and even God.) Oftentimes. the dorm life friends were very close for we lived together for 6 days out of the week mainly, and go back to our families during the weekends. Then it starts all over again, living in the dorm. Seeing everyone around us, the close personal events that affected not only the ones going through ordeals, but oftentimes affects everyone in the dorm as well. There were events at CSDR dorms that led us to temptations of experiencing everything growing up -- even getting in trouble, getting caught; but learning from it. These are the lessons of our teen years growing up without our parents around us, but knowing once the weekend was over, there was always our dorm life friends. In a sense, it was sort of like a family. But with time, we each fell farther apart as we get older and time changes. I look back and think about those times of my ideal advisor -- someone I could talk to, someone whom I could trust. This, my dear readers, is what no one can really understand unless they lived in a dorm like that.

Even if it was advice on school, sports, friendships, love and even God -- then that was more than enough because we are able to trust and communicate in a way that bridge the gap that we felt with our own families. This was why living in the dorm and the life we have lived through at CSDR was about education, yes, but it was much more if one was living in the dorm. It was about personal relationships with those we lived with everyday of our lives at CSDR. It was that one person you could count on to get you through your hard days, it was the one person you knew was there understanding the same things they were going through, and that my friends, is the ideal advisor.

Always, the dorms were filled with Dorm Life Friends all around us. But there was a rarity of finding "The Ideal Advisor." As time goes on, and we each know that there are the separated paths that leads us to our dreams. What we always will do is look back at our CSDR school days and always there will be that foundation of remembering our Dorm Life Friends. That too fades with time, but in our hearts we will never forget those who we called our Ideal Advisor.

New Mexico

The expanse desert landscape

As we all drive on our road trip to escape

The California Sun with its immense heat

Nothing can drive the sun away, nothing can beat

The insane perspiration.

Ah, but New Mexico is in our sights

As we all drive through the day and into the night

The mountainous air, smell so good

For we are finally there

A state of chilis, a state of family affairs

And flour tortillas

Perhaps a margarita

Or Two.

(If one can take all that tequila)

Rattlesnakes, desert all around

But New Mexico we are all bound

For wedding bells are soon in the air

For New Mexico we are there!

The Man in the Gray Suit - A Story

*This is one of my earliest stories I have written when I was a kid. I had a weird imagination back then. I am hoping by writing alot in this blog that I can find my "weirdness" again and write more stories. Please let me know what you all think of this. More early days of Gilberto's writings to come. Thanks for reading, and continue to travel through "The Chronicles of Gilberto" And now to our featured story:

The man was walking in the rain. The rain fell hard on the man’s head. His head was drenching wet and this didn’t seem to bother the man at all. He walked briskly as the trickle of water on the ground became nosily clear that the rain was falling harder than before. The man wore a gray suit with a worn out tie that had splotches of red on a white background. The tie looked like it went through a lot of wear because the tears were obviously starting to appear.

The wet weather seemed to last for days on end. The traffic on the road was light for no one wanted to be out here in the rain — no one. At least the man in the gray suit and the splotchy tie and brisk walk didn’t mind this weather. The cloud overhead cast a gloomy mood but this man looked content as if nothing in the world could bother him. Not even the cloudy skies ready to burst open with wet weather.

The man walked all around the neighborhood and in one house a little boy peeked through the curtains watching the rain fall. The boy spied on the man walking on the sidewalk wet with water. The little boy peered through the windows with hard concentration as if he didn’t want to lose track of the man. The falling harsh rains blurred the little boy’s vision. The rain seems to be picking up. Faster the drip-drops were falling onto the ground, not to mention the man’s head.

The man didn’t seem to be bothered by the rain at all. The sounds of rain were all over the place. This little town sheepishly seems not to take noticed of a man walking in such a crazy weather. The town was all nestled into their warm brisk homes, probably by a fireplace warming up. Even though the townspeople were sometimes curious whenever a stranger came into the town, but only one person took notices, thus it was this little boy peering through the window.

The little boy peered through the window from standing on the sofa. The mother, inside the house, from the kitchen hollered out, “Zach, get off the couch! If you want to sit on the couch, sit properly — and take your feet off the couch!” The sound of Zachary’s mother’s voice seem to give him a slight jump for his whole concentration was focused on this one man walking out there in the rain in high neighborhood. This was more Zachary’s concern than his feet being on the couch. So, he ignored his mother.

“BAM!” the mother’s hand came down and slapped his behind.

“You didn’t have to do that!” cried Zachary. “I was going to go ahead and get my feet off anyhow.” He jumped from the sofa and told his Mother what he saw outside. His Mother wasn’t going to believe a word he said, thought Zachary. So he tried again: “Mom there’s someone out there walking in that rain!” Sniffing, gathering his courage to bring in those tears — trying not to cry, Zachary told his Mom again. His Mom seems to ignore him at the inopportune times.

“What did you say Zach?” asked his Mother.

“I said there’s someone out there walking in the rain.” Zachary seems to be saying this rapidly, but his Mother was used to Zachary’s fast high-pitched voice. He only did this when he gets excited about something. Excitement got the better of Zach because he kept on talking in his famous high-pitched voice.

Outside the clouds started to get darker as if they were gathering for a dark meeting. The clouds merged together one by one and created such an atmosphere by crashing and blowing. These sounds were the beginning of a storm. Lighting flashed the winds picked up and the rain flashed down suddenly created mini-pools of water all over the roads. The roads looked slippery for any cars to be going on and this was wise of this town for they were not out at all. They all seem to be snuggled in their beds or sitting by a warm fire. Zachary was the only one who peered through the windows and saw this strange man in the gray suit just walking briskly across the street to the lot where he lived.

The winds picked up and blew fiercely and the lighting flashed. The afternoon seems to be pouring away to the evening. The sun just seems to disappear behind the dark clouds. Soon the sun was gone forever down the horizon. The little boy still peered out from his window trying to see the figure or shape of this man who was walking in the rain.

Zachary stared in horror as the demented figure of the man in the gray suit walked up his doorway and stopped to peer at Zachary through the window. Zachary again tried to stifle a scream as not to wake up his mother. The man spotted Zachary sitting up on that couch staring at him. Zachary ducked down as if he didn’t want the man to see who was looking at him. The man started to approach the doorway, but he kept his eyes on the window from where Zachary hid the whole time. Suddenly Zach looked at the man and very wide-eyed, the man seemed to squint at Zach with this most evil wicked stare and the man smiled at Zach.

Zachary couldn’t help but smile back. The most fake smile Zachary ever smiled to anyone. But he felt he had to smile anyway for what would happen if he didn’t smile back at the man in the wet weather just standing there in the wet rain drenching. The man smiled back and revealed sharp fangs and very ugly crooked teeth. The man’s tongue came out and started to flick in and out like a serpents tongue. Zach became even more scared as he thought of the Wizard of Oz’s evil witch and wondered if this creature could melt in the rain from the waters. But nope, the man looks immune to wet weathers. Zachary felt like he should call his mother over and to like tell her what exactly to expect the next few days. But he didn’t.

Suddenly, the unexpected happened — the man slowly started to walk towards the window Zachary peered at! Zachary becomes even more frightened that this time he didn’t give a startled scream but a deathly agonizing scream. Zach’s Mother ran into the living room where Zachary still screamed while holding on to the mm blind controls and she could hear the crashing down of the mini blinds on the wooden board where it holds the windows in place. Zach was breathing hard as if he cried out to his Mother.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” she asked Zachary with such a huge concern on her face. Zachary looked up with this wild-eyed stare at his Mom and peeked towards the mini blinds that were not closed. “Why you close the mm blinds, this weather is lovely to see from in here.” She started to get the mini blind control from Zach, but he pulled it away from his Mom.

“Don’t.”

His mother looked at him with such a strange quizzically face. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

The sound of the rain seems to hit the roof harder than ever and Zachary didn’t take any notice of this, but his Mother did.

“Oh dear! The rain is hitting the roof hard!” His Mother looked up at the ceiling as if the rain was going to come through the roof and land in her living room creating a pool for both Zachary and her to swim in. “How awful the rain is falling harder than ever!”

Zachary was shaking, from the cold perhaps? Not so. His Mother noticed this and questioned him. “Why are you shaking? Are you cold sweetie?”

Zachary was still holding on to that long string that attached to the mini-blinds to open them up. He actually clenched on that string tighter as if he was trying to keep it close shut tight forever and won’t let go. His Mom could see the tension on his face. His wide-eyed stare was still there and he dreamily let go of the blind and it swung back into its normal position. Suddenly the thunder rolled and the lighting flashed outside. Just for a tad bit of a second the lights flickered with the sound of the storm.

Suddenly at the door there was a loud knock and Zachary looked towards the door. The doorknob was turning. Luckily, his Mother always kept the doors locked. Zachary gave a deep cry and sighed heavily as if he were about to faint. He gathered up the courage to say, “No, Mom, don’t open that door if your life depended on it.” Zachary wanted to tell his Mom what he saw out they’re in the rain, but he didn’t want to frighten his Mother.

“Mom, don’t.”

“Now who would visit us at this hour and in such nasty weather?” His Mom walked up to the door about to turn the lock, “Hmmm... Wonder who it could be?”

Zachary pulled open the blinds faster than ever to check if the man was still standing outside his window wet from the rain. Zach wanted to see if that man was still with that sneer of a nasty smile and flicking that nasty serpent’s tongue. But in the falling rain he was not there at all. Zachary looked down at the ground where he stood just few minutes ago and saw the man’s footprints in the wet ground.

Not to anyone’s attention Zachary heard the thunder rolled and the sounds of heavy breathing behind the door his Mother was about to open. Zachary jumped from the sofa and ran to where his Mother stood. He ran so fast, that his Mother only gave a glimpse of Zachary running from the living room to the door. But it was too late, the door was unlocked and his Mother was opening the door.

The rain was falling into the house and Zachary could feel the wet rainfall into the living room. At the doorway his Mother opened the door and Zachary could see the gray coat and the red botched tie. Most of all Zachary could see the sneer and the flicking tongue. The man reached into the house and grabbed his Mother and closed the door shut. He was inside the house and he heard his Mother’s screams into the dark rainy night.

* * * * * *

Zachary just sat on the living room floor and he breathed hard. He thought this was maybe a nightmare, but his Mother was gone. Somewhere out in the storm with this strange man. Zachary didn’t know what to do. He ran to the phone and dialed a number only he could know.

“Police.” the voice on the other end sounded seldom. The voice was a male cop seemly bored with the weather and nothing to do.

“Help, my Mother is gone!”

“Calm down please sir, would you please give me your address and your name.” Zachary couldn’t believe such information was needed for emergencies. “I’m Zachary . . . I live on Willow Lane.” Zach was breathing hard at the sight of the man’s arms reaching out to grab his Mother and snatch her into the night.

“What exactly is the problem Zach?” The cop seems mild manner and he sounded patience. This was good for Zach. Zach began to explain the situation of what happened to his Mother and about the strange man.

“My Mother is gone!” cried Zachary.

“Where did she go?” asked the cop.

“I don’t know! That’s why I am calling you!” cried Zach.

“Okay, calm down sir,” the cop took a deep breath, “Explain to me what happened son.”
Zachary explained about the strange man and the cop was bewildered by kid’s explanation of such weird turn of events. The cop was disbelieving and said he will send someone down. The cop said he would send an investigator. Zachary listened to the cop’s instructions and said the investigator will be down shortly to the address that Zach provided. The lighting strike and the thunder rolled again when Zach asked what this investigator’s name was and what he would look like so he would let him in. Just about when the cop was to answer, the flash of lighting struck again and the phones went dead as the thunder rolled.

“Sir?” Zachary repeated again and again. “Sir? Sir?”

The phone went dead. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Zach didn’t realize that the cops would send a guy down right away and not that fast. Still he kept a cautious distance from the door. He stared at the doorknob waiting for it to turn. He walked up to the door and yelled out, “Who is it?!”

No answer.

“Who is it!!?” Zach yelled louder this time.

Still no answer once again.

Suddenly: “Zachary!” It was his Mother’s voice.

Zachary ran to open to door and let her in. “Mommy!” Zachary ran to hug her and he cried tears of joy. He beamed up at her and hugs her tight. The thunder rolled and the rain kept on falling. This was obvious from Zach’s Mother’s dress that was drenched with the rain. Zach stared up at his Mom and said, “I miss you, I was worried — wait a minute how did you come back?”

Zach could see the look in his Mother’s eyes — dead, lost and didn’t seem like Zach’s Mother at all. Suddenly she began to sneer and her tongue came out like a serpent,

“Come and join us Zachary!” The thunder rolled and the rain crashed onto the roof; the thunders loud crashes covered the screams of Zachary and the screeching sounds of Zach’s Mother’s voice as if she called the others to come. The rain fell and the thunder rolled as the sounds of screeching continued throughout the night. Meanwhile, the investigator came and saw the door ajar. He went in and saw Zach’s Mother.

“Did you get another one?”

Zach’s Mother replied with a hiss, “Yes.”

The investigator looked behind him as the man in the gray suit came into the house and looked about him and saw Zachary on the ground. Zachary’s face was frozen with a sneer. The lighting flashed and the rain beat on the roof loudly. The man in the gray suit with his sneer hissed and said to the two others in the house, as his tongue flickered out, tasting victory: “We should make this our nest for now. Let’s wait for the rain to settle and then we’ll move on to other neighbors.”

THE END

Cowboys - Little Boy's Playtime

Jake My Nephew as a Cowboy.

Me when I was a little boy as a Cowboy.

Like Uncle and Nephew, we both did the cowboy thing.

Imagine wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and jeans. Going out on the range, on horseback, traveling the lonely trials of the lone old west. The sun in rising in the horizon, and the keen eyes scan the land and the skies. Out in the open is a lone ranch with horses and a house with smoke coming out of the chimney. That means someone is home.

So we skittle dawdle out there and park our horses and they drink from the water that is laid out before them. We enter the house and we give our greetings to the lady of the house. "Ma'am" Tipping our hats her way and in respect we take our hats off and sit at the table. The mother made some ribs and pork and beans, and we drink merrily the drinks that are laid before us.

It is now noon, high noon and the sounds of yelling and gunshots are heard throughout the ranch. The horses screamed in surprise and the Indians are heading our way and they are shooting their arrows and guns. They came to steal the horses from the ranch. Us cowboys get our pistols out at the ready -- just being cautious and armed.

All of this is just an old west story. A playtime story of little boys and the costumes, the guns, the horses, and the good old west always lives on in little boy's dreams. I know I did. I know Jake will. It'll be a story that will live on again, and I know for the sake of stories, they will continue to inspire and make a child's world happy and fun.

Being Deaf and the Essence of Music

Around 1796 Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing which made it hard for him to perceive and appreciate music. For one thing one of the most beloved Classical composer has not always been deaf, he was born normal and created numerous pieces of music that created a beautiful world for him. Many of his symphonies spoke of vibrant tones in his stories that played out in the concert halls. Beethoven being deaf didn't stop him to continue to make many of his most famous symphonies. After being deaf, he created one of my favorite and famous piece, 9th Symphony, "Ode to Joy." When the 9th Symphony was played before audiences after it was completed, it received world renowned praises. It had a choral at the end singing praises to the native country of Austria and it had universal appeal of brotherhood. It was the first symphony to have words being sung against the background of lively music. It was a symphony within a symphony. In retrospect, it was the most musical piece of music ever written, it was a combination of vibrant colors and tones being played out and the audience was soaking it up. Only then Beethoven could hear it in his mind for it was his creation; it was the essence of music that was within him to accept that the silence world around him couldn't possibly falter his passion for creating such awesome music.

"Caroline Unger walked over and turned Beethoven around to accept the audience's cheers and applause. According to one witness, 'the public received the musical hero with the utmost respect and sympathy, listened to his wonderful, gigantic creations with the most absorbed attention and broke out in jubilant applause, often during sections, and repeatedly at the end of them.' The whole audience acclaimed him through standing ovations five times; there were handkerchiefs in the air, hats, raised hands, so that Beethoven, who could not hear the applause, could at least see the ovation gestures. The theatre house had never seen such enthusiasm in applause."*

Now I can see how Beethoven could "hear" the applause as he saw the audience waving their handkerchiefs in the air. For this is why I adore Beethoven as my favorite classical artist, his essence of music has given me inspiration to love music no matter if I can't hear it like he couldn't during his 9th Symphony performance. Now this leads to my discussion about being Deaf and the essence of music.

When I listen to music, I can hear it with the assistance of hearing aids, but music is more about just hearing it. It's about feeling it through the heart and soul. To be able to absorb those vibrations through sounds and the waves that these musical pieces creates led me to appreciate music so much more. Music is all about feeling and the effects that it creates when one listens to music. Put on Beethoven's 9th Symphony, listen carefully to how he would have heard the music without hearing it but feeling it through his soul, his heart, and most of all through the vibrations that music creates. Lovely music that fills the room with vibrant tones and colors, music that enthralls and fills the soul with beauty. Beethoven is simply this and so much more; the essence of his music and his piece of "Ode to Joy" is simply that: Joyful sounds and vibrant noise that I can feel through vibrations and emotions. For those who never really understood classical music, one has to sit and listen to Beethoven's 9th Symphony to be able to understand how not having ears that work can enjoy music in it's essence. The wholeness of music is entirely on the imagination of the listener -- to be able to imagine and feel what the composer wanted one to feel what he was going through when the piece was written. Imagine: being deaf and not hearing music, but knowing there is an orchestra in Beethoven's mind continuously being played and it's as if the orchestra has always been alive in his mind even when he could hear. That is how I hear music as well. It's in my mind, my heart, and my soul. Not all music can be enjoyed through the simplicity of hearing, but loving the sounds of Beethoven's 9th Symphony through the way the music moves you.

That my friends, is the essence of music and being Deaf in a world of sounds. A world that takes sounds for granted -- a world of music that is all around us. Either we see it, hear it or feel it -- music continues to live in each and every one of us. That's what Beethoven has done for me. Being Deaf and the essence of music don't really go hand in hand, but if you understand music through emotions and vibrations it can always and only be a part of something more in our lives. Ode to Joy! Live on, the music lives on, and that is the essence of music.

*June 29, 2008. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven
Photo Permisson: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Beethoven.jpg/180px-Beethoven.jpg

The Dark Room - A Story

The darkness engulfed me and built a black and mysterious shroud that covered me from head to toe. I tried to allow my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. I couldn't. As I sat on the floor, finding myself in this emptiness of black space; I had a feeling of claustrophobic in my surroundings. I tried to get up, but I couldn't. Something held me down. I tried to move my arms, but something cold and hard was around my wrist. This something limited my movement of my arms. I tried to move my feet, but these too, were tied down by something hard and cold. I breathed really hard trying not to panic. Waking up to this dark room, not knowing where I was panicked me a bit. My heart rate was going sky high as I gasped for breath. Not knowing if my surroundings had enough air to breathe, not knowing where I was frightened me and I felt fear crawled up my spine.

With each panic sensation in my body, I struggled to get up -- but nothing will accomplish this if I cannot see. Listening to this dark room would have helped, but the silence itself in this room was deafening. There was not one sound, not even the sound of my shallow breathing. I knew then that in this situation I found myself in, I had to calm down and chill a bit to figure out what I am to do. And that is mainly to figure out where I am. This dark room, these chains (what I figured them to be) tied me down to this place I find myself in. How did I ever get here? I wondered to myself. What is this room? Where am I? Trying to open the flood gates of my memories, even though distant they may be. I had to try to close my eyes again and open them -- hoping that this was all just a dream. Open my eyes I will, and find myself back to where I originally was. Where this was? I do not know. What I did before I found myself in this impossible situation, that I did not know either. Once again, not remembering the before that happened, began to panic my mind and my body started to shiver and shake as I began to become nervous. Still! I must be still and try to calm down and not let the craziness begin. O if the craziness does begin, the madness I will slumber into will be heart-wrenching indeed. What am I to do? WHAT am I to DO!?

Calm. Calmness began to build inside of me. Once again, I tried to see in this dark room. I was trying to figure it out where I am, by listening, by smelling, and darting my tongue to see if the air tasted different. Perhaps a little taste of the air will give me one tiny clue to what this room is. What this dark silence room meant. This place I find myself chained to. Apparently I was chained to this floor of hard concrete and cold metal. Yes, the floor is hard, and there is nothing soft about this situation I find myself in. I must, I really must calm down before madness takes a hold of me and draws me into insanity. I can't, I mustn't and I won't be mad. I have to be calm! I need to be calm so I can figure things out with a sharp mind. Calm. Calmness engulfed my body again.

Still, the darkness wrapped around me like black wrapping paper around a child's big toy. And the bows with dark blackness tied the box down like these chains tied me down. I tried to see through this darkness. The room itself, I could feel was small. How do I know if I couldn't see? I just know. I just feel it around me like this darkness I know is there because it just is. Now what am I to do if I can't see where I am? What am I to do about this situation I find myself in? I tried to recall what I did before I came here. No memory was recollected in the deep recesses of my brain. The deep and hallow halls of my memory banks could not find one iota bit of information to help me with the situation I find myself in now. All I could remember was darkness -- darkness and nothing more. O madness that starts to make me quiver with fear. Madness in my bones shook the very frame of my body. Again, I told myself, calm. Calmness reached my lips as I tried to speak out words that I didn't know I could speak. I cussed at the dark room; mainly I cussed at the nothingness around me. I shook my arms and legs, but the limited dexterity and the limited motion of my body allowed me to tense up. I felt the panic in my bones rise again. My breathing became even more rapid than ever. My breathing became hard -- what am I to do!? Anxiety was building up in me, for I hated not knowing. I hated not knowing where I was, and how I came to be here. This room had a psychological advantage over me. It was driving me insane! I was going crazy now, as my breathing became quicker with each rising heart beat. I could hear my heart make such a heavy noise, as if the burden of my soul rested there -- heavy with grief as I began to shake. I shook like the trees with weak branches as the wind shook the leaves down to the ground. I shook like these branches of a tree and shaking I wanted to just get up and run out of this dark room and find the light! Only I couldn't -- I was limited by the chains on my feet and my wrists. My body tense as my hands squeezed shut, trying to grasp at anything except these cold metallic chains around me. Suddenly I told myself, once again to be calm. Be calm! Be calm. Calmness was long ago gone, suddenly like an old friend it crept back into my body and I could feel the tenseness disappearing . . . My Body like a jellyfish felt fluid. I felt the darkness around me once again, but the darkness was my eyelids shutting down on me. That was when I gasped and dropped to the ground as the lights from the door suddenly beamed at me. I fell down in a heap, still chained, and still not knowing what was to become of me.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Blinking; I was blinking for the light blinded me. The door was ajar and there were noises. There was some noise of laughter -- it was loud. The men wore white uniforms. They held sticks that were pointy and they all had this stern look upon their face. The laughter died down as another man entered the room. He wore red and he didn't have stick in his hand. He entered with that of a dignified man. I was still chained to the floor and the light shone and illuminated my position in this room. I was in a holding cell. The chains limited me because I was their prisoner. The men chattered but silenced down as the man in red entered the room. He came upon me and faced me, and looked down at me for I was lying on the ground. I figured I probably fainted, but who knows how much time has gone? The man in red with his little mustache and beady black eyes stared at my own eyes that could finally see. I gazed away from him to look around me. This room was small, a holding cell as I mentioned, and the floor was indeed cold for it was metal. A metal floor could only mean one thing. Even with the white walls surrounding me, after the light illuminated the color of these walls -- I knew that now the metal floor could only mean one thing: this was an institution. An institution for what? I do not know. But by the look of these men surrounding me in their white uniforms and sticks that they hold -- I knew it was a serious and strict institution. I was institutionalized for something. I have no clue how I ended up here, but I am sure to find out by the man in red. He spoke briefly:

"Get up!" His words were harsh and mean. There was a stable tone to his voice. The men in white laughed again. The man in red's head swerved and scanned the men in white uniforms. His stern look stared at his people -- for they obeyed and silenced themselves quickly. I got up, but it was hard and the idea that I was here have not occurred to my mind yet. The madness that was there seemed to be gone. My mind was numb from the light that poured in from the halls. I couldn't see outside for the lights were blinding me. The light seems to illuminate the situation a bit. The man in red looked at me again and strenuously yelled at me to get up. "Get up!"

I got up. I stood before this man and the men surrounding me. I finally breathed a little easier now because the oxygen was fresh from the door that stood ajar. I stared around at all the mysterious faces that stared down at me. Finally, the man in red asked me a question that was unexpected: "Are you ready?"

I mumbled something and gasped, and tried my voice again: "For what?"

The man in red was angry, he was mean, and he was impatient as he explained: "You are free to go."

"Go where?" I asked, still confused by the situation. The dark room I was in made more sense than what this man was asking me. The men in white that surrounded me and supported this man in red suppressed a laugh. But it was too late, the man in red heard it and swerved his heard once more to his people and they silenced their laughter once again, promptly and with respect.

"To hell, of course. . ." The man in red simply replied.

"But why, I am not dead, I am not yet dead. . . “Now the calmness was evaporating, the fear trembled inside of me again. I pulled at my chained feet, and I pulled at the chains around my wrist. The man in red simply and calmly just looked at me. He was still waiting for my answer. What if I told him no, what would become of me? Will I still stay in this dark room and go insane until the day I said yes? Till I acknowledge to this man in red, that yes I am ready to go to hell.

The men in white awaited my answer as well. The impatience of this man in red appeared on his face, for his stern look became even meaner. He slowly squinted and gazed at me. He reached into his jacket and pulled out one key. Just a key that was black. Dark black like the darkness that enshrouded me hours ago -- was it an hour or two ago? I do not know. Time seem to have no meaning in this dark room.

"Why? Did I die already? What is this place!?" I asked in expiation.

The man in red smirked at me and with contempt in his voice said, "Oh you don't know? You don't know what this room is?"

The laughter of the men in white had the same smirk on their faces as well. The laughter died down again as the man in red once again shushed the men to be quiet. Approaching me with the key at hand and unlocking the chains that held me to this dark room, he stood a couple of paces back and turned to reveal the door with the glowing light that illuminated the room.

"Why you are in purgatory, my friend. You have suffered and now come to the crossroads between heaven and hell. Guess where you are going? And this key that I now hold in my hand here will give you the answers." He demonstrated the key by holding it in his index finger and thumb, grasping it by the bottom tip -- the part that goes into a door. What door, and where will that door lead me, I do not know. The key was black and the man holding it wore red, while the congregation behind me wore white. I knew by the way this man was mean, how he scolded me to get up and how the laughter filled the once dark room with devious noise. I knew by looking at this man that the key that he held was for only one place and that one place I dread more than this dark room.

The man in red handed me the key and I took it in my hands. The movement was at ease now; I could move my legs and arms for I was not chained anymore. The very key that gave me my freedom in which I am able to move about this dark room. I followed the light and stepped to the door frame where the illuminated was behind me as I turned back to the men in white who still hold their wands in their hands, and looking back at the man in red -- his smirk was still there. His eyes gazed at my every move and he asked again: "Do you know where you are going my friend?"

I shook my head and silently said no. I mouthed these words, but in the back of my mind I thought to myself: Anything is better than this dark room.

Anything?

The black key I held in my hand and I walked into the light. The crowd of men in white watched me as I walked into the light. The last thing I saw was the man in red still with his smirk on his face and his eyes were menacingly looking at me as I continued to go into the light. The key in my hand started to burn my skin, but I held on, and I know this was my pain. This was my punishment for sins. This was the key that I held that will lead me to another room, and the key that I put into the door that I will face will have to be opened wit his very key. And I will be walking into the room with the same four walls of white, and the hard concrete floor and on that floor in the middle of the room will be the very same chains that held me before. Free I was for only a brief moment of time to once again use the black key to chain myself to the floor and toss the key away. Then as I close my eyes to accept the darkness once again, I will start to feel the panic raise in me as I begin to flutter my eyes open in an hour or in two hours; then I will find myself enveloped once again in darkness. The place I will find myself again will be this dark room. The very dark room that the man in red had led me into led me to believe that my sins are not repented. My insanity built up here and then, as the fears allowed me to scream and be lost in this mysterious dark room.

Ah, darkness here! Here in this room. The dark room that I find myself chained to. The darkness that is there, and chases my demons here on, forevermore!

Photo Permisson: Accessed and Copied on Web from: http://www.cybertrn.demon.co.uk/guardian/door.jpg

June24, 2008

Too hot? Then Head to the Beaches!

Today I was determined to head out to the beaches. I took my 49ers chair, some sodas and water. Few snacks as well. I even took my backback with swim wear, towel and a place to hold my valuables. Gathered all this and headed out to the PCH.

Took a drive down the One and enjoyed the vast immense view of the Pacific Ocean. Passing Laguna and headed to Aliso Beach, where there were a few people (not as crowded as Laguna and Newport). I parked there and it was like a dollar for one hour for parking. Not too bad, I thought. Then I got out of the car, gathered all my stuff and changed into my swimming gear and headed to the sandy beach.

I plopped myself and my stuff near the coast, where the waves were gigantic and wonderful to watch. It was still early in the morning and there were alot of dudes with surfboards. There were even tourists, and you can always tell, they didn't come to swim, but to take pictures and they wore clothes that seem to be fitting for walking around a mall instead of sitting down or going for a swim.

Alas, I enjoyed watching the surfers. It was interesting how good they were, and how they kept their balance to ride the waves. Alot of daring stunts as they oftentimes crashed with the waves and failed to ride it. But that didn't allowed them to not have any fun. They tried again and there was some amazing balance as the dudes hung on for the ride.

The high waves looked so beautiful. I gazed at the blue sky and saw a sea bird flying overhead. Searching for something to eat, I assumed. Sitting here, with The Godfather novel in hand, and a nice cold Dr.Pepper; I felt relaxed and content for the first time in this Summer Month. I wished that Candice was sitting next to me and enjoying the sights of the surfers and the crashing waves, and the soothing melodies of the ocean.

Here I present some pictures of my views of the wonderful Beaches near Irvine, California. In the near distance is Laguna and next to that is Newport and so on.. I just found myself here at Aliso Beach and enjoyed the wonderful relaxing atmosphere of our beautiful Pacific Oceans. In a way, this was my mini vacation and I enjoyed it. . .

Summer Blues

2pm, 88 degrees at Irvine, California. I am hanging out at my apartment at Palo Verde 8127. Outside it's a clear and beautiful day, but one step outside that door, the heat wave will grab at you and pull you all the way down to the Summer Heat Wave. The Heat Wave that will lessen someone's enthusiastic going about the day feeling. Right now, it's the Summer Blues. Candice is still at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Our two dogs are sleeping off the afternoon and I am here writing out this blog for the day. The heat is rising all over Southern California and the hot air is blowing in from the open windows. In a way it is kind of nice because it shows that Summer is finally here. It's still in the middle of June and all that is left to look forward to is Candice coming home from the East coast. Meanwhile, I am still searching for any kind of job to keep me busy. As of right now, Disney is still not in the future yet. Since the audition I was kind of disappointed, but nevertheless I am still on the search for a job.

I think with this Summer month, it is beginning to pick up the heat waves and building higher and higher with each passing Day into the lateness of June. Staying indoors and staying cool is my priority right now. Gas is expensive and the price of everything is on a constant high. Where has our summer vacations gone? With the craziness of gas prices and everything else, staying indoors seems more and more like a fitting idea: since it's cooler. Alas, the idea of going to New Mexico is still in store. Driving down to New Mexico will be expensive on gas, but it would be nice to attend a wedding. It will be nice to go to the Mountains of New Mexico and perhaps catch a hot air balloon ride soaring high over our heads.

But like Dorthy from Kansas once said, "There's no place like home." That is why the summer blues, for I miss Candice and await for her arrival back home to Irvine, California. A place where the beaches are a few miles out and that my friends, is what I plan to do sometimes to get my Summer going. As for now, I need to do so many other stuff before I go out and chill by the beach. Palo Verde Apartment 8127, the place where I am staying indoors to chill with iced teas, movies, and of course some good books to read. The ocean's waves are calling to me from Newport or Laguna, even Huntington Beach -- the waves are crashing on the sandy shores where I bet there are many people now laying and basking in the summer sun. The heat wave continues to bring in the Summer Blues. The Blues of our Pacific Oceans, and the blues of our beautiful skies, and the blues of gas prices and the blues of missing Candice. Maybe when Candice comes home she'll be able to say, "There's no place like Home." And that my friends, is Irvine, California -- Palo Verde Apartment 8127.

Photo permission: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2403/2203980054_343ed7a026.jpg?v=0

Well, there's always Next year...

LAKERS LOSE :-(

What happened? Where was the MVP? Kobe was MIA (Missing In Action) instead. (Check out Bill Plaschke's article in LA Times)

http://www.latimes.com/la-sp-plaschke18-2008jun18,0,5112683.column

Instead of showing up as MVP in the most embarrassing loss for Lakers fan, we got a Kobe Bryant that didn't show up. Well, the whole blame can't be on Kobe -- there was Odom that disappeared, Fisher, Gasol and some of the blame on this loss can be placed on our very own Phil Jackson who is still tied with Red for most championships. I think the Celtics were more hungry for a ring, for many of those never had one and this Finals Championship was their first. But I am not going to say what a loss for the Lakers because with what they had and what they went through to rebuild this team, and with Kobe wanting another player to fit the puzzle to continue their run in playoffs -- they got it, they had it, and it just fell apart at the very end. I think next year, yes there is always next year, they can find more pieces of that puzzle to create a new run at the championship and don't forget Celtics fans, Lakers were mainly not really put together because Bynum wasn't there. That one guy could added more blocks, added more rebounds, and it would have been a different outcome. (who knows?)



Anyway, this is just one short Blog to applaud a great series and great acting (Oscars all around to the so called injured players - P.Pierce and others). Along with their championship trophies on the mantle, there will be Oscars Trophies standing alongside. I know this sounds like a sore loser, but really, I applaud a great dramatic series and I applaud the Lakers from being "nothing" to a great caliber team to the playoffs. No one expected it, and no one expected the Lakers to face the Celtics. Of course, everyone expected the Celtics to go to the Finals, but the purple and gold had a drive that no other team had and this was from their MVP. If the Lakers add more enthusiastic players like Kobe we could have hung there and made it a tougher series. Yes, a lot of players were MIA, but the heart and soul of the team would probably hang his head and head on home and demand another trade until he got more players that he wants. Congratulations to the true MVP of the Finals -- the actors of the Celtics.



Still Kobe was probably not as hungry because he already has his shares of NBA Finals Rings. He was MIA because of his heavy hand with all those rings -- he didn't need Shaq, because he had a young and hungry team. Just that in that last game of the year, they were probably full because Kobe fed them with his own hunger and it didn't seem to motivate them. Like I said, LAKERS are still the team to beat and there is always next year!



Kobe with all those rings and Garnett, Paul Pierce with just one.. a dynasty for the Celtics? hmm.. nah, because we had that one missing piece Bynum. It would have been a whole different series.



Until next year -- now on to Football!

Link used from: LA Times. http://www.latimes.com/ 18, June. 2008. Copyright 2008 Los Angeles Times

On This Father's Day...

Well, I finally made it back home to Barstow, California. Everyone always wanted me to come back for a visit. Well, here I am. I spent yesterday with my nephew Jake at his Grandpa and Grandma's house. He was so much fun to hang with yesterday. I arrived at Barstow and knew, but didn't really expected the hot heat of this small desert town. But here is mi familia. I went to visit Jake at my old home.

Here in Barstow, I came and went to dinner with my family to celebrate Larry's birthday. My Brother in Law, Daddy to Jake and husband to my sister, Christina. Such a happy family and so much in the store for Jake as he quickly grows up. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him -- bubbly personality and walking around already. Also, he loves to eat! (Reminds me of me when I was a little toddler myself)

Anyway, in this Vlog I put down today I mentioned the fact, I didn't make it at the Disney Audition -- they already had the maximum amount of people that meets the height requirement. Yes, I was disappointed, but oh well.. there are other opportunties out there. I will try to find another position at Disneyland I hope. If not, I am just going to make the best of my summer and enjoy the beaches and so forth. I will have to try to study hard for my CSETs and pass them to continue my education at UCI. Nevertheless, I am not disappointed as much, but enjoyed the experience of auditioning and trying to get in. As I continue this Vlog, I mentioned spending time with my Father on Father's Day. We worked on my car this morning and washed it and waxed it. Quality time with my Father is always a pleasure.

As I go on in this Vlog and write in this Blog about missing my one and only love, Candice, she is already settled at East coast and she will send me pics and she will be able to talk to me on Video or IM when she gets a chance. Of course, she'll have those busy days. I love her so much and miss her, but I am sure she is having a great time. I will count the days when she gets back.

Anyway here is my Vlog for today: Happy Father's Day to all the Dads. Especially mine who I love so much. Thank you for all the things you do for us. Even when we don't ask, or don't need it, you provide all the words of wisdom and give us assistance when you feel we need it. Thank you for you for being you! You are one of the greatest Dad and I am honored to be your son. God Bless you always, Your Son, Gilberto.

Continue for today's Vlog:

Oh no! Oh, Well...

Oh no! The Lakers lost the biggest lead in a NBA Finals ever! The Celtics, which I have to tip my hat off to, never gave up. The Lakers really did a great first half and Odom finally scored! He finally got his game going, but with great offense always comes great defense. That my friends, is what disappeared for the Lakers in the second half. The Green envy of the Lakers showed up and demolished the biggest lead in NBA Finals history and the Lakers just disappeared off the face of this earth for the whole second half. Actually they disappeared in the lights and glamour of Hollywood and soaked into the knots of the Staples Center hardwood floor. What was Phil Jackson thinking!? Why didn't he not tell his team something like "okay, we got a big lead, keep playing a great offense. . ." Oh, well.. what about the defense of the Lakers that disappeared!? As a Lakers fan, I am frankly embarrassed! :-(

Anyway, as I write this on Friday, the 13th of June, I think the bad luck omen as arrived a tad bit earlier for the Lakers and their fans. It was an embarrassing loss and I am going to get over it because life goes on. Oh well, life indeed has a lot of surprises in the store for all of us Lakers fans. We just need to hold them off for that one last bit of victory that could give the Celtics their Champion status up there in the rafters. For this reason I say, Oh no, but oh well.. next time! One more game in LA and back to Boston. (If LA can come back stronger than that measly effort in the second half.) Like I said beforehand, well, life goes on and it's tomorrow that my Disney Auditions will be coming up and then Father's Day. For all the Fathers out there I wish them Happy Father's Day and if you are a purple and yellow fan, don't give up, Lakers could win it again and try to win 3 straight (which has been done before). Oh well, I just hope Disney holds in the store for me is a job and a fun one at that. And if I do work at Disney, which is the most happiest place on earth, then I might just need it to get over this devastating loss and most lopsided defeat in the history of NBA Finals.

My Girl, Candice Chavez, leaves tomorrow to fly to the East Coast to work in the labs over there at Holes Creek at Massachusetts. I will miss her dearly, and I know she will do really wonderful over there. I have to say I am proud of her accomplishments at UCI and in her life. She has done so much and has worked hard, and sometimes I think I know she will be successful at whatever career she finds herself in; I just know and hope she is Happy where ever she is and I know I love her so much that whatever happens for me, I hope it makes her happy too. I wish Candice the best of luck on her journey and I know we will definitely keep in touch. I love her so much and that always and only makes the difference in my life as I go on my own journey to Disney and continue to bask in the Summer Sun of Irvine, California. Also too, congratulations to all the Grads who are graduating and much Love to all the Dads, especially mine.

Happy Father's Day Dad, I love you so much. Thanks again, for reading this blog and the others. I will continue to post my Vlogs and Blogs, as I continue to journey through the Chronicles of Gilberto during the Summer months.

Candice: I really Love you. Have a Safe Journey!

Lakers Win!

GO LAKERS

Wow! They did it! I was relieved that they finally beat the Celtics, but it's not over. It's still a long ways to go to win this series. Luckily the momentum has shifted to LA and playing at home has been great for the Lakers. I am sure they can keep on winning 2 more at home since the format of the series is 2-3-2. The first 2 at Boston was tough, since the home crowd was at their feet for the Bostonians. The Lucky Green has been infectious at home and the Lakers were just sick with green. I guess the green rubbed on the Lakers but it was actually the black and white stripe guys that rubbed a little bit on the Lakers. They were miffed! Phil was out of his Zen and was furious. But it worked because the Lakers had some great calls their way (and so many others that wasn't very good). In my Vlog on this Blog I mentioned that the Lakers won the game and inspired by Kobe's efforts to put a winning smile on Jack Nicholson and the many LA Fans -- my Smile was Great! :-D I was very happy they finally beat Boston. Still, it's going to be a tough series. We'll see how it goes from there. As I mentioned in my Vlog, the Lakers should win all their home games and go back to Boston and rob the Celtics of their Glory of many championships and rob Red of his record, and allowed the Lakers to bask in the Glow of the California Sunshine with yellow rays. Hopefully the California sun will be out in Boston and allow the Lakers to clinch a much deserved championship, only if the other players of Kobe's team can score and play solid defense. Like I said: let's see how it goes from here.

GO LAKERS!

My Nephew Jake

On January 29, 2007 Jake Michael Franks was born. One year later on January 29, 2008 he celebrated his 1st Birthday. When a baby is born in the world, we are all fascinated by the miracle of life that one can hold in our arms and be amazed by how fast time flies and before one knows it the baby is big and is able to walk, and babble. I am proud that my sister Christina Franks and my brother in law, Larry Franks had Jake and amazingly enough they are a small but Big-time loving family. When Christina and Larry got married, I was happy and I know that Jake will make our lives happy throughout his life. I am sure will grow up to be a wonderful young man. I hope he keeps his zeal and smiles, and bubbly personality forever when he grows up.

I am Jake's Uncle and I am sure he knows it and since I am here and they are over there, I am sure he knows it. I wanted to post something about my nephew because when he grows up he can be able to see this and now that his Uncle was always thinking about him. This is Jake on the right side playing the piano. Perhaps someday he will be a musician. Perhaps he will be a baseball player and love sports like his Dad. (Or me for that matter -- a fan of sports, but don't really play all that much.) So, maybe he'll be a musician like Christina and I were in band. Her playing the clarinet in elementary school band and I, playing the drums, perhaps a musician? Who know what young Jake will be interested in when he grows up.

All I know is that Jake's life will be filled with love and happiness as we can see him playing the keyboard on this film. His Grandpa Garcia loves to film Jake and you can see the joy in his filming of Jake, his Grandson. This makes me feel blessed for our little family in our lives. With every day that Jake grows an inch or two more, he will be young man on a journey of life as much as we all are on right now. The only difference is that his is just starting. And that idea only makes me smile even more.

Much love to my nephew Jake and the parents raising him. Also much love to my parents as they see how their first grandchild make them smile even the more everyday.

For Christina and Larry, Jake's Parents, wish you luck in being part of a young child's life and to be able to anticipate the many challenges that will come - especially with education and the choices this young man might make in the future. I love you and your family, and may Jake's journey be similar to all of us that has gone through so much in our lives. May Jake have his chronicles and experiences.


Wherever you are, whatever you do: I Love you Jake, my nephew.

My Second Vlog - News From Palo Verde, UCI

Hello everyone! This is my second attempt at Vlogging. As you see from my earlier posts there is a vlog that I tried for the first time. Here is my second Vlog and I titled it "News from Palo Verde, UCI." At the University of California, Irvine we live at the graduate Housing apartments of Palo Verde. Palo Verde is where my girlfriend Candice Chavez and I, along with our two dogs Shumae and Paris, reside for awhile already.

In this Vlog I talk about our two dogs Shumae and Paris. I mentioned about my upcoming auditions at Disney this Saturday. Also on the same day my girlfriend Candice will be flying to the East Coast to stay at Cape Code for a month for her research field. Should be a nice setting by the coast of the Atlantic ocean and while she is gone, I hope to be working at Disneyland.

Another thing I talk about in this Vlog is the Celtics-Lakers match up tonight at LA Staples Center. Hopefully they can sweep at home and come back to Boston and grab one more for the championship! We'll see.

At the end of the Vlog, I talk about keeping in touch with Candice either through video phone, IM, or other means. We'll see how that goes. I will miss You Candice, for I love you very much. Ah, she will gone for a month :-( But time will fly by fast and she'll be home before I know it.

Well, here it is my second Vlog: News from Palo Verde, UCI.

Thanks for watching! More posts in my Blog: The Chronicles of Gilberto will be upcoming. Enjoy your summer and congratulations to all the graduates -- Remember the key to opportunity lies in the fact that education will open many doors to your dreams. Kick back, get a good book, hit the beaches and enjoy your summer! Cowabunga! Surf's Up!

School is Out - Welcome Back Summer

Summer days are here again, and I feel like this will once again be a hot one. (And probably an expensive one - what with the gas prices and all!) Nevertheless, summer has always been an adventure filled with surprises and fun. Starting off my summer will of course be the auditions at Disney this Saturday! I am so excited about this! (I hope I can be a character, perhaps Mickey Mouse himself - who knows!)

This Summer there is going to be my cousin Regina's wedding in New Mexico in July. I think that will be fun. I have always love New Mexico. It's so beautiful out there. New Mexico is where my family is from, but I'm a born Californian. That's why I think I love Summer. The sun, the beaches, and the feel of perfect weather to be outside with a good book and a cold glass of iced tea.

Summer time is nice at night too -- the cool breeze from the Santa Ana winds, the nice skies of twinkling stars, and the big moon overwatching us. The summer nights are wonderful because its usually is the welcome guest of the hot days.

Another thing I love about summers are the movies! I enjoy going to the movies. Candice and I, hopefully we will go see a movie or two this summer. I love the idea of going to the movies and enjoying it with one you love. Its the best feeling in the world. The scent and taste of popcorn, the big soda drink to satisfy the thrist, and the loud sounds of the movie soundtracks -- its Hollywood at its best: on the Big screens during the Big holiday months of Summer.

Now school is out, summer is in and the fun begins. What does summer hold in store for me? Disney? Movies? Wedding bells ringing? Trip to New Mexico? Only time will tell. As time does fly by quickly, so does the fun. Time flies by as the fun builds up to an all time high. The closer the days get to my audition, the higher the excitement to probably get a job for the summer. For school is out, I'm officially on break from UCI till the Fall, and which is why I am looking forward to summer in hopes to work as Mickey. Oh summer time, but oh oh what about those summer nights....yes, summer is here again. Welcome back old friend.

Now how about a bike?

My First Vlog

Here it is: This is my First Vlog. For those of you who are bloggers and are new to Vlogs ... like me! I am new at this blogging and now I discovered how to make Vlogs. Video Blogs. Since the Deaf world rely on visual cues to communicate -- what better way to promote their words through the language of ASL through Video. With Vlogs, sort videos can be a diary of identity of what one wants to communicate across to an audience out there on the world wide web.
This is one of my first experiments at Vlogs and I know it probably will not come out as well, but I tried! I hope this Vlog will be something I can continue to do in the future, but I love to write. Maybe more vlogs will be on the way if I can train myself to do a professional job next time. As for now, the Vlog I give you is my first, an introduction to the Vlog blogosphere. It was fun, and I hope to do more in the future, Enjoy!

Hope that was good. Well, as I said in this Vlog in ASL was that I am basically at UCI, studying in the single subject English credential program. Hoping to teach perhaps Middle school or High School. Also, I said I went to CSDR where I graduated in 1995 and there it was my Deaf identity that I obtained and now I am hoping to someday have my name published in my own works, perhaps a book. I am Gilberto Garcia, and hopefully I can create more Vlogs as these. Bye bye.

That was my first attempt at a Vlog and this was something I thought long and hard about because since Vlogs are becoming the current trends in blogging for the Deaf world, I figured I'll try my hand at one of these. As I mentioned, more will come if I figure out how to tweak it to look better. Thanks for reading this "Chronicles of Gilberto" and I will continue to take you on the journey through the Deaf World as well as my World: The Chronicles of Gilberto. Peace and See you soon!

CSDR - Home Away From Home

CSDR - Home Away from Home

Just sitting here thinking about my past, thinking about how much time has flown by. Here I am sitting here at UCI in the Education Resource Center, eating my lunch and reminiscence about the old days. Thinking back to when I was a teen and being in a school at Riverside, California where my roots were planted and where my personality grew to become who I am today. I look at this picture and recalled - Chet, Enrique, and Brian who stood next to me and we graduated Middle School at CSDR. Behind us was our dorm, Rubidoux, and this was where I stayed -- my home away from home.

The reason it was home away from home was because Riverside was far away from Barstow, California. I stayed at this dorm Sunday Nights to Friday afternoon -- where we took buses or vans to transport us from our homes and to school where we stayed in our dormitories. This was life for me from 1989-1995. These friends I made, there people I learned from and had great enlightened conversations with. Now, I think back to where they are right now? What are they doing? As I sit here at UCI and thinking back to what I wanted to be when I "grew up." Of course, I wanted to be a writer or an actor. Things can change through the years and who I am today is due to our childhoods and what we went through as adolescents. The maturity level that we went through as a student at CSDR was due to the major independence in living in a Dorm and learning to live with others in the same room. The only negative impact of living at CSDR was missing one's family, being away from home. A lot of growing up with Mom and Dad, and siblings was greatly missed. Was my time away at CSDR worth it? In many ways I would say yes due to me learning about the Deaf-World, and learning about the language of ASL.

The connections of missing home and family due to being at the dorms at CSDR and attending school was a way to think back to the then and respect and embrace the now of my life. I am obtaining goals and learning so much at UCI, and I believed I have grown since my days at CSDR. CSDR gave me my identity as a Deaf person, who is able to achieve whatever I put my mind to. CSDR has been my home for a lot of years and I made a lot of friends. I even respected the establishment that teachers and counselors who were at the school because they were part of my experiences in growing up. To be matured at this age and think back to the past and thank CSDR for being my Home for awhile. Now living here at Irvine, California, I think that the belief that Deaf people can do anything they want -- except hear is proven true. I can't hear as much as the average person, but I do listen to the past and hear that I was once young and went to CSDR, but now I am ambitiously trying to be a teacher to be able to give back to others who have the opportunities as I do in the future at this wonderful school. I do hope they take advantage of their "home away from home."

Audition at Disney

Hello everyone, I am excited to say, I will be on another adventure in this chronicles of gilberto. I am searching for a summer job since I will be on a break during the summer. I was looking into many job opportunities, and this one came with persuasion of people who are close to me. I thought "well, I can try it out and see what happens."

So I went down to Anahiem, and went to the Casting office in the back lot of Disneyland. I was excited because this is a "dream job" really. I always wanted to try to work at Disneyland. So i went for the job, and applied at their computer center over there. I was amazed by how many people were over there -- young and old, and many various races. I was amazed to see how many people want to work at Disney -- I am sure it was their dream job as well as mine. So I applied and got to go into this room where they showed a film on "the Disney Job" and how we are suppose to be happy workers for Disney to continue Walt's Dreams of making others Happy. I thought so far, so good. I am able to do that. So, continued the film on how we are suppose to present ourselves. So far, so good. Then we took a personality quiz and I guess I answered it good because we waited a bit for another person to talk to us in their small office. One by one people who want to work for Disney came in and out. Some came out excited and some came out disappointed and you can bet you know what that meant.

My name was finally called and I went in and they told me, they want me to come back and talk to someone else. So I came back that afternoon and talked to a casting agent and he interviewed me and said that I would be able to audition for a character. I was so excited, this is exactly what I wanted to do.

The Most happiest place on Earth, and I might one day be working there!

"I'm going to Disneyland!"

I will keep you all posted!

The Language of the Deaf - ASL

Hello again to everyone, I am complete with a persuasive paper that I have worked on for one of my classes. The topic was ASL, of course, and I acknowledged that ASL is indeed a language. ASL is one of the many beautiful languages out there. In my persusasive piece I labled ASL as a language in it's own right. For many centuries when ASL was evolved from the basis of French Sign Language by Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet who formed one of the first Deaf Schools in America. After the evolution from FSL to ASL as we know it today, alot of people didn't comprehend that ASL was a language -- they thought it was just gestures that Deaf people used to communicate with one another. Since William Stokoe, from Gallaudet who is a Linguists and he came up with ways to document the grammar, syntax and certain characteristics that indeed recognizes ASL as a language.



So in this case, I wrote my paper on persuading the readers of my paper to accept that ASL is indeed a language. With cultural perspectives of a community of Deaf people who go to the same schools, share the same stories, and share a common trend in the language they convey a respect among each other. This respect is knowing ASL as a language. In short, ASL lets Deaf people come together (and hearing people who know the language as well). With ASL being the thread that holds all Deaf people together, wether they know each other from schools, communities, and other places. The idea that ASL makes the human race that are Deaf (or Hearing) can be one of the most beautiful thing about the Deaf-World. ASL transcends over time to pass on knowledge, cultural beliefs and ideas to one another. It's a generational idea of passing on things from the past to the present and onward to the future. With ASL being labeled as a language, this gives the power of Deaf Culture a continuous message that Deaf people can continue to be able to connect to one another through their language.



Recall ASL is a visual language and to be able to see and understand the language of the Deaf, is to be able to understand the culture of the Deaf-World. Now that is why ASL is a language and it will always be one of the many forms of communication that connects us all as a human race that can not only hear, but understand the whole world around them. If one doesn't understand what ASL is, then they do not really understand that there is a world known as the Deaf-World. That's the only thing an outsider will be able to understand that it's not a physical world that exist, but a world that is visible by the language of the Deaf -- ASL.

My Hands - A Poem

To be able to comprehend the notion of ASL for Deaf people, we must be able to express ourselves through ASL and that is itself a visual language. This is why vlogs (video blogs) are catching up in the Deaf-World. With the idea of sign language and video, Deaf people are able to share ideas with the world. The idea of the Internet has caught up with vlogs, and this is something I might want to explore someday. For right now, since I am a writer at heart and I love the English language I want to continue to express myself through the use of blogs and poetry. This is one poem that I got publish through poetry.com. I added this poem here for the expressive purpose of what ASL means to me. As I continue my Chronicles of Gilberto, I will be able to express all of these ideas and opinions of ASL and the Deaf-World. After all, it is a part of who I am.


My Hands

Signing with my Hands
Trying to make you understand
Your eyes follow what I say
What I want for you to understand
Is that I will love you always
My hands that tried to show
How much I love you so
The language I speak with my hands
To Words I say with my heart
Longing to hear the words that
Will never keep us apart
My ears cannot catch the sound
Which I was never around
For as long as the silence remains
Then my heart feels the pain
Why, with my wondering eyes
Do I feel the love that you provide?
We don't need words to express feelings
We need only the simple touch
With our hands and heart--we'll never be apart.
Gilberto Antonio Garcia
Copyright ©2008 Gilberto Antonio Garcia

*[a.] Barstow, CA [title] "My Hands" [pers.] "My Hands" was created to demonstrate the need for communication in any form--spoken, written, or sign language--the most beautiful of all is sign language. Sign language is a visual language as poetry is the Internet with the eyes and ears. Most of all, poetry should be interpreted with the heart. I have been writing poetry and short stories ever since the written word intrigued me, or the written word is as magical as music to an audience of Beethoven listeners. Thanks to my family, for their love has continued to inspire me to write poetry.

From: http://www.poetry.com/Publications/display.asp?ID=P1492857&BN=333&PN=1

Deaf Can

Since I was born with some hearing and able to pick up speech, I was able to fit in with the world of hearing. Sometimes, my identity of who I am was a constant struggle. Fitting in with the world that depended on voices to be heard was hard. I could hear a bit with the assistance of hearing aids. Since I was 2 years old, wearing hearing aids made me be able to grow up in the hearing world. Once my hearing beginto decline, I had to rely not on hearing the speech, but reading people's lips. This was a "guessing game" by how the words are formed on the people's lips when they talk to me. The hearing aids allowed me to hear only a small percentage of sounds, but with my being able to read lips helped a lot.
Now, I am able to fit in the hearing world, but still my struggle of identity came about when I joined CSDR -- and this was the beginning of my journey into the Deaf-World. It was at this world that I knew that my identity was that I am Deaf. Being able to communicate with both speech and ASL was to me a blessing. I was able to communicate with my friends from the Deaf-World and be able to communicate with my family and friends from the Hearing World. This path from CSDR to many things in my life, bridged the gap between these two worlds. Being at CSDR has allowed me to grow as a strong person, and be able to be successful in both worlds. Within the gates of CSDR, the knowledge of culture and language has allowed my identity as a human being to grow. I am blessed to know that these two worlds are actually a part of who I am. With my family I am able to speak, with my friends and others I am able to sign. Oftentimes, I find myself finding a comfortable environment at any place that is our world. Being with my family and friends I am able to communicate because I can hear a little bit. I am able to do sign language which to me is a beautiful language. But I always think to myself, what if I can't hear at all anymore? What if I can't hear the speech and what will happen to this "hearing world" that is not able to do sign language? Will my identity of who I am be gone? Not really.
I believe that being Deaf has allowed me to have a positive outlook in life and I am able to succeed in any place in the world. I am now attending UCI, and doing something I love. I enjoy going to school and being around various people -- this allowed me to be able to travel from one world to the next with the ability to speak and sign.
With the ideals of Deaf people in a Hearing world, they should always think they can do anything they put their hearts and minds to. To be successful in anything they dream of, is to have that positive outlook on everyone and everything in their life. I believe that I can do anything. Deaf can -- Deaf I am, and Deaf I always will be. But these two worlds I stand on the bridge between the two and in a way, I am content.
Further on in my Blogs, I will talk about the challenges and dreams that I have. I will talk about standing on that bridge between the Deaf-World and the Hearing World. I will talk about the many posiblities of living a life as a Deaf person, but with the many strengths and endeveors of being able to communicate in both ASL and speech. This is not a political blog, nor is it a blog that will shatter the barriers of the Hearing World and the Deaf-World, but rather it is a blog to connect my place in this world through the use of words. These worlds are beautiful, these worlds are a part of who I am, and these worlds are all around us. Come, take my hand and we begin the journey right on this very bridge between the two worlds --come and learn about language, culture, and about who I am: I am Deaf and I am part of two worlds that is connected through languages: ASL and English.

My First Blog

So, for my first blog I have decided to tell you a little about myself. My Name is Gilberto. I am in the credential program at UCI. I would like to be a high school English teacher which is weird since I am Deaf. If you don't know, American Sign Language (ASL) is NOT English. I am currently writing a persuasive essay arguing that ASL is in fact a language. Believe it or not, spoken languages are not the only languages. I went to the California School for the Deaf in Riverside (CSDR) through junior high and high school. It was there that I learned ASL. ASL was the bridge that connected me to the Deaf world because I am actually from a hearing family. I am the only one in my family who is Deaf and the only one who uses any sign language. Since my family does not use sign language, I rely on lip reading when I am with them. I am able to speak well because when I was young I had a lot of residual hearing. My ability to lip read has helped me be part of the hearing world while my ability to communicate in ASL has helped me be part of the Deaf-World. With these chronicles of Gilberto, I hope to share with you my perspective on living between both worlds. With that, I hope this blog is off to a good start and I will post again soon.