#182 Mision Integral
01 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
“The soil has life,” Alier motioned. “Well, of course, we know about the microorganisms and things living in the soil, but it also has the components of our lives. This is how we eat. How we grow sustenance.”
Manos a la Tierra is a more experienced group that @plantwpurpose works with in the mountains of Nuxiño.
I spent a whole afternoon with Alier, Esperanza, and Sra. Perez watching them demonstrate their process of growing saplings in a nursery from a small seed bed, to planting trees across a whole hillside, to seeing the flourishing crop diversity that comes further down the line. This group was dedicated- they worked knowing that those lines drawn by Alier between the quality of their soil and the quality of their life was all too real.
I arrived in Oaxaca on a rainy night and it rained pretty much every day since. The region is hopefully coming off of a five year drought which only increases the urgency around this current planting season.
The way they still took the time to invite me into their process throughout all that was extremely generous. Their soil tells the story of their lives.
#183 Oaxaca
02 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
Good morning from El Zocalo, the beating heart of Oaxaca. At any hour of the day you can come and find the sidewalk restaurants, the street performers playing Mixtec windpipes, vendors showing impressive woven shirts, and people just being here because it’s the place to be.
I love getting to know the soul of a city and I think Oaxaca is a pure artisan. Not the brooding, cryptically sensitive artist we know in the Global North. In Southern Mexico, there’s more awareness of the connection between artisanship and ancestry, craftsmanship and community. It’s why every element of Oaxacan style both goes way back while feeling completely fresh.
At every level, this place is committed to its craft. The locals tell me that there’s no food like Oaxacan food, and it seems like every one of them can give me a taxonomy of mole. The bright colored textiles reflect the sun kissed earth’s materials used to make the dye. The shapes on the sides of buildings harken back to Zapotec legends.
Have you ever been to Oaxaca? How would you sum up its personality?
#184 La Ruta de Mezcal
03 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
My mezcal video is now live!
I knew this was going to be a fun outing, but I didn’t expect:
• to learn so much about the Filipino contribution to the history of mezcal
• agave to be so wildly diverse
• so many possible distillates of agave- from puntas with its 80% alcohol volume to the kombucha-like pulque
• the romantic tragedy of ancient Mexico’s agave goddess
• to discover the best at-home bar ever
Among other things!
This was a really fun video to make- and definitely a fun one to go out and shoot. Big thanks to @ramblingspirits for the adventure… be sure to reach out to them when in Oaxaca!
#185 Trebol Halls
04 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
When I lived in Eugene, Oregon, there were a ton of Thai restaurants around. At least a couple dozen in a city that really wasn’t that big. Strangely, however, I don’t think I met a single Thai person. Not even in the restaurants.
Turns out, this trend is consistent in Santa Barbara, Arizona, Alaska, and all over the U.S.- not to mention several other countries. In most places you won’t have a hard time finding Thai food. But Thai people? That’s a different story.
What’s going on here? It turns out there’s a reason Thai food is so much more prevalent than the Thai population, and it’s fascinating. It’s all part of Thailand’s global strategy to assert itself in the world by means of noodles, fish sauce, and lemongrass.
#186 Don Carlos
05 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
I’ve decided to try and make a mini travel guide of the places I visit from here on out. The things you’ve got to eat, the absolute must do’s, the overrated tourist traps, and so on. The twist? I’ll try and make them in the form of one minute videos.
One minute? How am I going to do some of the world’s most fascinating places justice in a minute?
I won’t.
But the truth is that even a three hour documentary or 500 page travel guide will leave stuff out. There is no all-comprehensive way to capture life in a place because the moment you’ve gotten some of it written down, it evolves again.
So instead, here’s what I would say if I had just one minute to transmit to you as much info as I could in order to enjoy your time in… Oaxaca.
#187 El Carrizal
06 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
Astonishing hospitality.
I have no words to adequately describe what it’s like to be welcomed into a community with open arms and a full fledged feast, except to say that it’s something I hope everybody can experience at least once. I’m endlessly grateful that this is something I’ve ran into a few times but each of them left a profound impact.
El Carrizal is up in the mountains. It’s a small community of about 300 people. And they wanted to have a feast. They’ve been wanting to for a year.
Barbacoa- the kind where you prepare a goat underground and overnight takes effort. The goats are precious. The labor that goes into this is communal. So it’s usually reserved for when dignitaries or governors pass through, which isn’t all that often, especially in the last year.
This kind of feast is a big deal, so when they prepared one for us while we came to visit? I felt so undeserving but grateful for every bit. They made sure we were stuffed!
My belief is that this kind of hospitality radically makes the world better. It’s impossible for me to have gotten such a reception without wanting to welcome others with all the warmth of an underground barbacoa pit.
#188 Señora Gregorio
07 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
One of my favorite food discoveries lately, huitlacoche. Esperanza, a Oaxaqueña farmer introduced me to it.
It’s an edible fungus that grows underneath certain corn husks.
Tastes like a mushroom (I mean, duh) but with a bitter, garlicky edge.
#189 pLANTING FOR kIRSTIE
08 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
After my friend Kirstie suddenly passed away in an accident, a bunch of loved ones rallied together to donate trees to be planted in her honor.
Friends, family members, people I’d never met, coworkers, vendors, and interns we managed all pitched in.
In the end, over 30,000 trees were donated- to be planted in the communities she got to visit in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
When I learned that my trip to Mexico might coincide with the planting of these trees, I really hoped to see it in person. But this was no guarantee. Oaxaca finally had a good rainy season after a five year drought, and the planting window was slim.
But this moment was meant to happen.
Our @plantwpurpose team in Mexico went above and beyond to make the event a ceremony, complete with banners and they invited me to share a few words, alongside our Country Director, a farmer from a group Kirstie had met, and the gentleman who owned the hillside we were planting on.
Then they invited me to plant the first tree.
Everything seemed to swirl around that spot on the hillside where I put that sapling into the ground. The warmth of the sun. The sweeping view of the watershed. The hospitable spirit of the staff and community gathering the rest of the tree starters.
Healing is a remarkable thing. Healing is a real thing.
#190 Oaxaca to Tijuana
09 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
As it’s my first time traveling outside the U.S. post-pandemic*, thought I’d share some observations and thoughts so far.
*post-pandemic is gonna have to wear that asterisk for a while since the world is at very different & unequal stages.
Mexico is somewhere in between. Vaccines are being rolled out fairly widely and most restrictions are loosening up. Case counts are low, including in Oaxaca, where I am.
I’ve been told that the sense of ease is a pretty recent shift.
Currently, the vaccine roll-out has reached most people 50+, with rollout to the 40-somethings coming soon. With a few other provisions, age brackets have been the main consideration for distribution.
I’m also pleased to see that rural areas are having vaccine access. My first morning I got breakfast with these villages agents who were about to pick up some adults from the mountain areas to get vaccinated in a nearby municipality.
For the most part, I’ve been able to do a lot of things that wouldn’t have happened 3-4 months ago. Walk through fairly crowded marketplaces, some indoor dining and coffee shops, more relaxed mask use.
That said, on the whole, people are still being very conscientious. Around the center of town, mask usage is around 80%. A bit more lax in rural parts, but you’ll also spend more time outdoors and in less crowded areas there.
Masking is still obligatory in most shops. Wait staff will wear masks, though diners are uncovered, even indoors. Again, a recent shift and a sign that masks are almost as much a social courtesy than a safeguard for many.
I’m trying to be courteous and aware of my privilege and early access to the vaccine. I mostly wear masks around crowds or when indoors, though dining is an exception and I’ve been doing a lot of that here.
#191 Church Meeting
10 July 2021 // Oaxaca, Mexico
Just started an artist residency with Inheritance Magazine and so far I’ve been loving the work.
Being in an Asian American progressive faith community sharing creative projects has been right up my alley.
I’m ever grateful for the ways I’ve been able to take so many things I love doing and turn them into full on endeavors. Happy to have another example.
#192 Silver Strand Beach
11 July 2021 // Coronado, California
That’s right… Lazaro, party of five.
Six if you’re dog friendly.
#193 Yellow Blooms
12 July 2021 // San Diego, California
I’d never made it to Olympic National Park before this year and fell in love with my first visit. I love that this park has so many different types of spots- from snow capped mountain ridges, to waterfalls, to thick-mossed rainforests.
This easily makes a shortlist of my favorite National Parks.
In the meantime there’s a more complex conversation about our National Parks to be had.
#194 sLIDERY
13 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Thank you all so much for the congrats and well wishes! Life is gonna be very, very, very, very full.
Growing up as an only child, I always wanted to have a large family. My mental image of joy was a bunch of people all packed into a big house- think of the breakfast scene from Muppets in Space. Never thought I would get there quite so overnight!
There are so many thoughts and humongous questions looming! We gotta find a new place to live that can fit us all, stat. Does living in a Top 10 cost-of-living city make sense anymore? What does our babysitter lineup look like? I’m gonna have to manage them like a bullpen. And you’re telling me Rhys is gonna be the BIG brother? Yoooo. And how do we integrate this into our values of adventure, service, travel, sustainability, creativity, etc. when every minute is triple booked?
I’m a stubborn optimist who tends to think nearly anything can work out with enough creativity and persistence, but sho ‘nuff, we’re about to put it all to the test! And I don’t want all the chaos of having three-under-three (possibly three-under-two) make me lose sight of this simple fact:
I’ve had dreams come true on top of dreams come true. And this is about to be possibly the sweetest season of my life. One I thought might not be possible, not long ago.
#195 Teralta Grass
14 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Some books that make feel like traveling:
Factfulness, Hans Rosling
Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter
The Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner
A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
Forever the Road, Anthony St Clair
Can’t wait to grow this list more!
#196 Red Sea Work Lunch
15 July 2021 // San Diego, California
We just shared the fact that we’re expecting twins with the world.
I love being able to bask in the anticipation of it all. A few people noted that this added some much needed joy back into their worlds at a challenging time.
I wouldn’t mind that being the impact of our family. Restoring joy and justice at a time where it feels far or forgotten.
#197 Marlborough & Polk
16 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Holding my Haitian friends close right now.
The assassination of President Moise puts Haiti in a very concerning place. This has less to do with his politics or effectiveness as a leader and more to do with the reality that a situation which was already extremely fragile just got a whole lot more uncertain.
To properly Haiti’s current situation, one needs the context of white supremacy, French and American imperialism, and the environment since the 1700s. However this current moment of uncertainty really worsened about two years ago.
An economic crisis converged with a spike in gas prices, triggering riots, crackdowns, and a constitutional referendum attempting to greatly expand presidential power. (There’s a lot more, but the basic picture is a domino effect of stressors)
By the time COVID came around, it could only rank so high on a list of concerns amidst everything else going on. But it too contributed to the chaos. As leadership became a lot more fragile, people tried filling the power vacuum. Both politically and in the streets via gangs.
Due to the pandemic, ongoing political crisis, and now the assassination, a large number of high government positions are vacant.
Roadside kidnappings became common. To the point where many Haitians were taking small boats around the perimeter of the island to deliver goods.
Now the uncertainty has reached new levels. With a vacancy in power, there will likely be many efforts to claim authority and it would be naive not to prepare for some of those struggles to turn violent.
My teammates in Haiti’s cities are sheltering at home for now.
I hate that these are the things people know about Haiti. It’s important to pay attention, but the Haiti I know is more. It’s Nael and Dieula and Messoyel and Ramon and Gernita…
…in 2018, just before things went downhill, I paid a visit to Haiti. It was after a long stretch of trying to become parents, realizing health concerns might prevent that, and feeling very discouraged.
These people shared so openly with me their hardest moments. The earthquake. Losing a brother in a car crash. Losing control over alcohol. Yet they didn’t give up. Their stories were the dose of hope I needed. Sending hope back.
#198 fESTIVE dEAD eND
17 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Ever wonder how art theft works? I often do. Like, let’s say you manage to steal the Mona Lisa, something famous, well recognized, and extremely valuable. What’s your next move?
The next day every headline is gonna be about how the Mona Lisa was stolen. The fine art community, who would typically be your consumer market, can’t stop talking about this. There’s a big reward out for your capture. So how do you sell this thing? You can’t go list it on eBay or anything.
I know illicit trading happens often, but art that you can’t really display seems to lose a ton of its value. And a product that you can’t properly market because you have to hide from 99% of its potential buyers loses a ton of value too.
After all, isn’t that how NFT’s work? Everyone knows who the rightful owner is even though we can all right click or screenshot jpegs?
I suppose someone who steals art just might not be money motivated. But even vanity isn’t fully satisfied when you can’t put your loot on display. It kind of leaves you with only one possible motivation.
To impress a girl.
#199 Survivor’s Gazebo
18 July 2021 // San Diego, California
“The more places I see and experience the bigger I realize the world to be… the more I realize how relatively little I know about it, how many places I still have to go, how much more there is to learn.”
This is one of my favorite Bourdain quotes. Actually, it’s one of my favorite quotes ever, because I think it so perfectly speaks to the true spirit of being a humbled explorer and a grateful adventurer.
I saw Roadrunner the other weekend and no surprise, I loved it. Morgan Neville’s got such a gift at digging into complex lives.
Three things in particular stood out.
I was struck by how old Bourdain was when he did, well, just about everything. Becoming a dad in his early 50s, taking up jiu-jitsu at 58. But most of all, he never really traveled much until 43. And his name is kind of synonymous with adventurous travel. A helpful reminder for someone who often feels like a lot of life’s early innings went by fast.
I also felt a deep sense of gratitude for every place I’ve been. I don’t have Anthony Bourdain’s passport stamps, but mine definitely put me in one of the most privileged groups of people. All the eye opening conversations and experiences that bring you to life are so valuable. And what a gift to find ways to bring others with you.
I also thought appreciated the human empathy they brought to discussing the troubles of his final years. It’s true that sometimes you never know what someone’s going through, but it’s also true that a large portion of the time you see signs that things aren’t going okay. Always reach out. Check in. Look out for your people.
#200 Mad at Sis
19 July 2021 // San Diego, California
You know the thing about anger and outrage?
It’s super powerful when channeled in the right direction.
It’s super profitable (to someone else) when indulged mindlessly.
Scroll with that in mind.
#201 Stories aRE tHE sPARK
20 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Okay… this isn’t a diss track against National Parks. I’m pretty sure I’ve thoroughly enjoyed 100% of the minutes I’ve spent on our public lands.
But- truly loving a place also means owning up to the injustices that shaped them and figuring out how to right past wrongs. Pretty much every line on a map is an opportunity to do just that, and our National Parks are no exception.
Zion, Yosemite, Glacier, etc. are wonderful, but they raise big questions about who we consider human, how we define nature, and how the two are interrelated.
#202 bASEBALL bOOKS
21 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Decided to hit a lighter note with my reading over the past month and go with a trio of books revolving around baseball! And even though they were “lighter” in theory, the three I read still dove in deeper to focus on parts of the game that go unseen.
Stealing Home dives into the story of how Dodger Stadium displaced hundreds of LA’s Mexican American families living in what is now Chavez Ravine, and all the crossing paths and personalities that led to their displacement. This book was so well researched and personal, and very much an LA book.
Doc was all about one of my favorite players to watch, Roy Halladay- and the way I read it, it shared so much about the human behind the hero, what happens when we make it hard for our heroes to be fully human, and how much of the sport and what happens beyond it is a mental game.
The Wax Pack had a real fun premise- opening a random pack of baseball cards from 1986 then taking a cross country road trip to find all those players and see what they’re up to now. Beyond all the fun, it’s also a good look at having a dream after a dream, and navigating a restart in life.
#203 pROUD fRIDGE aRT
22 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Rhys’ preschool has him doing more arts and crafts- usually meaning having him make a handprint or footprint with paint and turning it into an animal.
That means we wind up with a lot of take home art, and I get the treat of being a proud fridge dad.
#204 sTEALING hOME liNES
23 July 2021 // San Diego, California
One of the things I like a lot about baseball is how multicultural the game is. I mean, definitely not as global as soccer, but if you play baseball you’re going to have a lot of different cultural interactions, there’s no way around that.
For the Dodgers, it’s hard for me to think of another team with as solid of a Chicano fan base. From the iconic LA hats around Boyle Heights to the makeup of the stands during a game. I love it.
It’s easy to think of the Dodgers as the team on the right side of history, a lot of the time. Going back to Jackie Robinson. It’s easy to think about how its multicultural roots might go back that far. But the weird thing is that it wasn’t always that way.
Fernando comes from rural Mexico. He has this crazy pitch- a screwball. It’s like a curveball that moves in reverse. And it’s nasty. He’s striking guys out. He starts the season by winning eight games in a row.
It’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always like this. These days, half the fans at Dodger Stadium are Latino. But prior to Fernando Valenzuela, that number would’ve been like 10%. And many LA Latinos were actually pretty opposed to supporting the Dodgers.
So why would Latino families in LA, who today make up a large bulk of the Dodger fanbase have been so against the team?
It was because the Dodgers kicked a number of them out of their houses.
Taking on this subject in an upcoming video.
#205 pLAYGROUND bRIDGE
24 July 2021 // San Diego, California
It took one month for all the COVID optimism from this year to head in the opposite direction.
One of the things that the saga of these past two years has shifted in me is seeing personal responsibility as the be all, end all answer to everything.
On paper, it seems fine to say, I don’t care you… get vaccinated, take climate seriously, vote, etc. You do you, let’s be at peace with each other, and avoid conflict.
Thing is, we share the same planet. We breathe each others’ air. And that means our actions and choices affect each other. There are limits to simply hoping we all make the right choices and leaving it at that.
A strong belief in personal responsibility seems like a way to have it both. Total freedom and autonomy make for great talking points.
But we are far too interconnected to be using this as a canned response each and every time. I know you also don’t want a scenario where every behavior is forced, where mandates for every beneficial thing become the norm. We’ve seen past efforts for this go terribly wrong.
But I refuse to think we aren’t creative enough to do anything other than these either/or scenarios. This is probably a tension worth always working through.
#206 golden Meetup
25 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Hip hop has lost some ICONS lately. Especially sad to hear about Biz Markie.
Also really proud of my 1 year old for having a Biz Markie song as his first ever favorite song. And yes it’s this one: Pancakes & Syrup.
#207 Rhys at the Wheel
26 July 2021 // San Diego, California
I’m hoping to find somebody who does batek tattooing. Preferably in Southern California.
Looking for something minimalish- but need some help w/ incorporating storytelling motifs. Looking for someone who gets the cultural history & significance.
Also- I don’t necessarily need or even want the bamboo style of batek. Just an understanding of the visual symbols.
#208 Studio WALLS
27 July 2021 // San Diego, California
Ever since our apparent "racial reckoning" in the summer of 2020, it seems like so much has happened yet so little has changed. That brings a whole bunch of mixed feelings, from disappointment and frustration, to resolve, and even hope.
There's also a whole lot of noise that happens in discussions around race in the U.S. and globally lately, and it can get real easy to get caught up in the noise.
#209 We’re Listed
28 July 2021 // San Diego, California
House hunting in San Diego in this marketscape and with the time pressure of twins 15ish weeks away is not much fun.
Feeling pretty priced out of this city- esp at a time where we need all the extra funds for daycare, babysitters, etc.
#210 Digital Didal Drawing
29 July 2021 // San Diego, California
The Olympics this year have been complicated to say the least.
Double standards over cannabis and mental health, discrimination against Black bodies, sexual abuse in fencing team and ableism in swimming. Then there’s the whole fact that the host city largely doesn’t want this happening during a pandemic and is hearing the burden.
But, as in life, there are also all kinds of moments of triumph, joy, and breaking down barriers to celebrate. Most things come with both flavors.
The thing that got me hyped this round were the real memorable performances by #TeamPHI.
From @hidilyndiaz working her way from not finishing in 2012 to bringing home the Philippines’ first gold medal…
…to @margielyndidal apparently having more fun than anybody else, despite hailing from a country where skate parks are real hard to come by…
…to @knottyourcheese making me excited to see her future in the world of running…
…to @neshpetecio dedicating her W to the LGBT community.
And with more time, Eumir Marcial’s skill and sportsmanship are worthy of note. And Lee Kiefer and Kayla Sanchez turning out for the US and Canada.
Growing up, the sports fan in me and my Filipino heritage used to seem worlds apart. Love seeing that gap dismantled year after year.
#211 San Diego Belching Beaver
30 July 2021 // San Diego, California
It’s been a weird and difficult time, but I think it’s worth it to celebrate the things I feel good about getting through right now.
A very big one is that I’ve managed to keep up with it all: the creative projects, the climate communications, and most of all, looking after Rhys and the family throughout this whole housing hunt.
I think I appreciate the way I’ve learned to show up in the world with more empathy, curbing my natural optimism to first meet people where they are.
#212 Torta Shop
31 July 2021 // San Diego, California
I don’t want to be known as a hot takes guy. I don’t want to be the kind of person people turn to when they want confirmation bias. I do, however, want to be someone people can turn to in search of clarity, hope, and healing. I do think responsive comments to moments of crisis can do just that.
I also remember that because of my lot in life, I can speak up in ways others can’t. I won’t be a perfect amplifier, but I do my best to remember that my voice has access to freedoms and opportunities that others don’t. Must steward that well.