[FREE.] GRAMM[E]R.

I'm not sure exactly how to type out my thoughts because my ideas are very basic, but I can narrow my thoughts down to one sentence. It's surprising how grammatically impaired some people are, given their age and level of education. By high school, you'd expect people to have in mind the most basic level of grammar. It seems like you're and your are the most common mistake, as well as the most annoying. People can say things like "your mad" it just makes me want to retaliate like "WHAT ABOUT MY MAD!?"

I guess all of this just applies on the internet and texting, but that's not a good enough reason to ignore something you should've learned in elementary school. Some people may argue that it's just the internet, not school. WRONG. On the internet, you are still projecting an image of yourself. So if you type like this: 0mg bby gurl u r s0 kyo0t! I'm pretty sure people are going to think more negative things about you than positive.

Another thing I don't get, people who try and correct other people's grammar are also looked down upon.. They get called a 'Grammar Nazi' and made fun of. I don't get whats so wrong about trying to better someone's grammar. I say that the people who get corrected say thank you and keep in mind what their mistake was so they don't do it again in the future.

My point is, there's no excuse to ignore basic grammatical rules. Unless you're immature or in middle school, in which case.. you'll grow up eventually.

[FREE.] Definition of Success?

Every so often I stop and think about where I'm going in life. I ask myself questions like what do I want to do? Where do I want to end up? To this day I still haven't been able to answer those questions and a crucial part of my life is slowly creeping up on me. Life after high school. My original plan was to take a year off from studying and go out to explore. It's a very broad desire but something that I'm very passionate about. Though something tells me that it'd be a hard goal to achieve, based solely on how money is a big problem. I'd have to get a job for a few years to be able to travel the way I want to. But I know one thing in my future that I want for sure though, to be successful.

Successful. Isn't that what everyone wants to be? Well yeah of course, but in this modern way of thinking the general definition of successful is having a good paying job, a family, and overall stability. When your life is set and all you have to do is take care of yourself and your family without any troubles, you're successful. And if you're successful, people are automatically going to assume that you have lots of money. But my definition of successful is different. I believe that being successful is basically being happy and being satisfied with where you are. The general population could look at a man living in a mansion and come to a conclusion that he's successful but if they look at a man with less fortune, he'd be less successful. But what if that man with less fortune is happy to be where he is and wants to stay like that? To me, that man is also successful.

So that's me. All I want to do when it's time to live the rest of my life, is be happy to be where I end up.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Finale.

Photo by Alvin Lee

The rest of this trip was a wild ride. I had adrenaline pumping through my veins as we went downhill, uphill, and downhill again in what seemed like a neverending cycle. There were a few close calls when the downhills would curve and we would go into that curve with a ton of speed. In several turns there were times where we came as close as a foot away from hitting an oncoming car. In exchange for such an adrenaline rush, we were rewarded with some of the most breathtaking scenery I've encountered in my life. There were roads and paths with tall trees evenly spaced on both sides, making it feel like you're riding directly inside of a tropical forest. And because we were so high up, when there weren't any trees all we would see is an overhead view of Oakland.

We got lost in somewhere along the road and had doubts about whether or not to keep going or turn back to try and go back from where we came. We decided against going back because of the hike we would have to endure once again so we kept going. I could feel civilization near as I saw more and more houses and at that point I was just wanted to get out. I had enough of the thrill of an adventure and just wanted to be someplace familiar.

As we approached a downhill, I saw the words 'STOP' on the road and knew that a stop sign was going to be at the end of the downhiill. I realized that I was going to fast to come to a controllable speed and began to panic a little. There were cars in front of me, so the possibility of crashing into one of them was high. Going further down the hill I realized that I was about to ride right in the middle of the intersection. I couldn't stop. I had no choice but to keep going, so I rushed right in the middle of the intersection and made a hard left into the closest street I could find. I finally got to a stop and looked up to realize where I was. Oakland Zoo! Alvin and Sandy got through the downhill safely and were waiting for me on the other side of the street.

We regrouped after from the jungle of our adventure and took familiar streets in Oakland to find our way back to Alameda. The only word I could use to describe this adventure would be insane.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Pt II.

Photo Credit: Alvin Lee

After what seemed like an eternity, the inclines were slowly starting to disappear and it became possible for us to get back on our bikes and start riding comfortably. I can safely say that we shared a wave of relief. It didn't feel like we were supposed to ride on the streets but while we were hiking up, we saw a bunch of cyclists speeding downhill, so that was kind of a nice reassurance that we weren't riding someplace we're not supposed to be.

The hike didn't seem all that bad now. Especially since we got to see some gorgeous scenery. I was actually surprised to see houses up there. Some of the houses looked really luxurious too. The fanciest ones had a gate, fountain, and a huge balcony. It was one of the last things I would expect from an area such as that. You can get an idea of what the view and some of the urban houses looked like, just look at that picture!

The ride was sort of choppy from here on out, we came to points where it'd be another uphill but the momentum from a downhill made it a lot easier to climb. Half the time I felt like I was in a forest participating in some major race like the Tour De France because all I could see around me were vivid green trees and surrounding foliage.

These downhills got me crazy speed and I already had enough trouble putting adequate pressure on my pedals just so I could slow down enough to a speed I could control. Then I got a sudden realization. This is where the real fun is about to begin.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Pt I.

Photo Credit: Alvin Lee

I've been to so many places on my bike I could practically say that I've been just about everywhere. I'm always looking for new places to go, craving that adventure and trying to immerse myself in a new environment just so I could slowly figure out my surroundings. Sometimes, I don't know where I'll end up and I'll get scared, but part of that experience is conquering the fear of the unknown. I journey to become lost and make it my quest to find my way back. I found that experience during the summer--a trip I'll never forget. Enter Joaquin Miller Park.

Sandy, Alvin, and I. I suppose you could call us thrill seekers that day. We planned to go to someplace far, someplace unfamiliar. Joaquin Miller Park. I wasn't a complete stranger to those parts, I went on occasional field trips in elementary school to do some environmental stuff but I really couldn't remember much about that area. The way there was a good build up of excitement. I've never biked down Fruitvale before and it was an uneasy experience to begin with. The drivers in Oakland aren't exactly the most friendly people on Earth, let alone that whole Fruitvale area, but we got through it without much trouble. We reached a checkpoint and took a break to gather ourselves for the rest of the way ahead.

This part of the trip was absolute hell. The inclines were steep that none of us could bike up. Mind you I'm on a fixed gear with a high ratio while both Alvin and Sandy had not-so perfect gears. Most of this essentially became a hike. Constant breaks and what seemed like an endless set of inclines made it really hard on us. We were completely unprepared for what we were about to encounter..

[FREE.] SUP again.

First things first, I think it'd be proper to do another introduction because of all the new faces this year. It's the same Sutherland giving us the same old same old, but with a set of new twists this second time around. Not only that, but it's a set of new faces that I'd love to share ideas and collaborate with.

As you might be able to tell already, I like to start off my [free] posts with a picture. The picture can either be random scenery/landscapes or something pertaining to the post ahead. At times it might even be a quote, like I once did last year. My posts can be quite random, because I never really got over the fact that my mind keeps jumping to different things and I never really have much time [or focus] to write about one thing for too long. Nevertheless I hope some of the stuff I'll write throughout the year inspire/impact/enlighten anyone who comes across it. It's a huge accomplishment for me when I know I had an influence on my colleagues.

 About myself? Well, I love to ride my bike practically everywhere. "Practically everywhere" includes San Leandro, Oakland, Bayfarm, Emeryville, and Berkeley. I could get a lot more into that but this blog will have a lot of it soon enough. I can get really passionate about anything I feel is worth putting effort into. I was really into photography at one point but a couple of setbacks put that hobby on a hiatus. I'm more of an optimist than a pessimist because life always seems to turn out better when you maintain a positive outlook on everything.

That's just a gist of what's to come. I hope this year is going to be as good as the last time and I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you!