My Giuliano

How could I not love this man? :)

Grace Cathedral Yoga

It was a happy accident that I saw my neighbor friend Shannon in our home lobby this evening as we quickly caught up on the latest happenings in our lives, we always have some kind of life commonality whenever we see each other, funny. Out of the blue, she asked me if I wanted to go to a yoga class with her at the beautiful Grace Cathedral - I didn't know they had this sort of thing there! So we went on the spur of the moment as first-timer yogaians at Grace, and we did yoga with a class of about a dozen people in the middle of the labyrinth inside the Cathedral amongst the pews and stained glass - amazing! As we stretched, dog-downed, posed, arched our backs, we could hear the sounds of the City, the ding-ding of the cable cars, the sirens whizzing by and the dong-dong sound of the clanging church clock at 7 o'clock. It was relaxing and invigorating at the same time to do this familiar activity in such a magical venue. Spontaneity rules! Now Shannon and I will do this every Tuesday evening!

People We Meet

Just thinking about the people I've met recently here in San Francisco and on my recent trip to Costa Rica...they all came into the picture for some reason unforseen, but they've added beauty to my life if only for a brief moment, a few days or starting now destination unknown - Elizabeth from Santa Fe, Dara and Marina from Canada, and Allan from San Francisco. For some reason, someone up there sent these people to me to talk to me, to open up my mind, to listen to my story and to keep me company on my journey through life right now. Or maybe I was sent to them? Either way, I am grateful for their flavorful presence into this already spicy life of mine.

# 1 Single Fan

I am no longer single, in a long-distance international relationship now with an end to its hardships soon - but I do completely enjoy watching Lisa Loeb's show on the E! Channel "#1 Single". I was single for a long time and ran into some of the same dating challenges that Lisa faces on the show. Am I living through her in a way? Maybe. It is a fun way to get perspective on how my life used to be, how it is on the other side of the coin, plus she's just fun to watch! Go Lisa, find love!

"Viva the Asians!!"

...As Giuliano's friend Danielo yelled out one day during my visit to Costa Rica - ha! Sometime during the week before Giuliano met me last year, he and Danielo were talking about women, different kinds of women, and they commented that Asian women seemed sweet, more family-oriented and warm, although neither of them ever dated an Asian woman before, only observed them from a distance as Asian women seemed scared of Italians both in Italy and Costa Rica. And then as Giuliano says, boop! I came along! - with a big smile, hee hee.

Now after meeting me, his Italian friends and I have tried to converse, gotten to know each other over the two weeks I was there earlier this month, and now they all say, "Viva the Asians!" along with Danielo and of course, Giuliano. So, one day, while walking around town and noticing an Asian male tourist, I whispered to Giuliano, "Viva the Asians!" and he said, "No!", jokingly, "Only the women." Ha! My funny Italian-now Costa Rican man!

Nostalgia at Full Circle

Today was my 3rd day at my new job in South San Francisco, my 4th job in the eight years I have been living in the Bay Area. 1998 was the year I moved here to be completely on my own for the first time, got my first real job at a company also in South San Francisco. I had my first apartment to myself in San Leandro all the way on the East Bay and I used to take the BART and shuttle back and forth to South San Francisco like it was nothing. Of course, I was only 26, a baby, green, baby green to the world.

Now I am literally down the street from my original old company in 1998, and I am taking the same BART and shuttle I did 8 years ago. As I rode the BART out there from San Francisco for the first time this morning, a rush of memories of the person I was then, of the innocence, of the life of Maile at 26 came rushing back. Wow. And even more so when I was waiting at the same BART station to come home to San Francisco, I smiled to myself with satisfaction at the growth I have experienced over the years, at how far I've come to this point in my life. Amazing, just amazing, smiling to myself knowing what I know now.

The Story of Two

April 2005, I flew to Costa Rica for a week of vacation with a friend, bitter, done with men, just done, trying to be at peace with the thought of being single for the rest of my life not ever finding that one love...true love. We toured, relaxed and enjoyed the ways of the Costa Ricans for a few days escaping to the hotel pool for a dip and swim every moment we got in the sweltering heat. One day, needing some space and air, I went to the pool solo - ahh, I had the waters to myself or so I thought as I noticed a man sunning himself on one of the beach chairs in the corner. I'll just slip into the water quietly so as not to disturb him and so that he won't notice me, just slip into the...damn, he woke up and saw me get in. Well, maybe he'll just go back to sleep, paddle paddle. He goes to the pool shower to rinse off but it doesn't work, I remembered the water wasn't running before I left my room - "No agua ahora" I said. He acknowledged me with a smile and appreciated that I noticed his look of question at the non-dripping faucet.

He smiles, "Where are you from?" I detect an accent of some kind. "Uh...San Francisco. You?" "Italy...Milan" "Ahh...nice." He didn't speak much English, and my Spanish es poquito. We struggled to converse a little, sign-languaging when necessary when we could, somehow we talked about our home countries, family, work, friends, why we were in Costa Rica, he wants to start an Italian restaurant. After some time, running out of things to say in my high school Spanish, I said, "My birthday is in July." "Me too", he said, "What day?" he prods. "July seis, sixth"..."What? Me too!!" No way, no he's pulling my leg...no it's true. Wow. And from that point, we struggled some to meet in the middle as he asked me out, went out and had a wonderful time together. There was a pull between us that was indescribable, unimaginable...it just happened, and there is no language barrier to love. Somehow he and I just knew...

After I came home, we emailed, text messaged each other, he said he loved me. I said I loved him too, but I really didn't know, just didn't know after spending only 3 days together. Yet he knew, so I had faith. Months and months of corresponding went by, and he wanted to come to San Francisco to see me, but was it really going to happen. I waited, not a complete angel, but something in my heart told me that when he came here to me, it would be something special. When he told me he would be here in December for a month, my prayers were answered, and I knew everything was going to be fine. It was more than fine, it was wonderful, and as he and I learned about each other, still struggling to communicate sometimes, we fell in love. Love!

A month after he left, I went to Costa Rica to see him again, and it only re-confirmed our love, stronger than ever, so hard to leave his arms to come back here to San Francisco to finish what I started, to save money, to clean up all the loose ends towards a future together forever. He and I know what we've got is special, and it shows through in our smiles together in the sun of Costa Rica. I love you, my baby! Kisses, besos, baci, love.