The year 2021 was not quite the dumpster fire that 2020 was. There’s a lot that I am thankful for about this year – my supportive family, good friends, my health, meaningful employment, quad skating, baked goods, and so much more! Here’s some of the best bits. Rik to Riki This year, among my friends…
Category: Family
Riki: My new / old name
Several months ago, I started going by “Riki” instead of “Rik.” It began almost subconsciously as I was meeting new people at the skating rink. I didn’t know why I was suddenly introducing myself as “Riki” but I just went with it. Slowly I started expanding this practice, and now in informal settings, it’s just…
Celebrating My Golden Birthday with Pastries, Skating and Jazz
This year, I was so happy to get to celebrate my birthday with actual physical gatherings with my loved ones. As a theme, I decided to lean into this being my “golden” years with a couple of very sparkly gold outfits. The festivities began on the morning of July 3 at my favorite SF bakery,…
Christmas, 1978
That is one happy kiddo!
Growing Up as a Coconut
I spent most of my childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. That sounds like a great cultural landscape to grow up within, with its diverse mix of races and peoples from all over the world. My reality was quite different. Specifically I grew up in Pleasanton, California, a large town about an hour away…
Dad and Nana Olen, 1968, Manila International Airport
This is my dad in 1968 with his mom, about to get on his first plane ride in his life from his home in Manila to Phoenix, Arizona, USA, a place he knows nothing about. When I think about doing something scary, I want to remember what this must have felt like for him to…
2019 in Review: Turning 50, Disney Fun, Changing Jobs
I have a lot to be thankful for in 2019, most notably turning 50, getting a fantastic new job, and surviving my first scooter accident. Here’s some of the highlights of the past year. The Big Five-Oh The biggest milestone of 2019 was turning 50 years old in July. I don’t know what I was…
2018 in Review: on Sabbatical, Dancing for Fun and Profit, Baking Incessantly, Asia-hopping
Well 2018 was QUITE the year for me. Certainly not what I expected the year to be about. Quick 2018 Stats Jobs Lost: 1 Countries Visited: 2 Dance Competitions / Showcases Entered: 4 Dance Competitions Won: 1 Theme Parks Visited: 2 Parties Thrown: 3 Number of Pastries Baked: MANY Losing my job was certainly not…
If only these moments lasted forever….
This weekend I had a lovely Easter picnic with my cousins in Walnut Creek. Watching my niece Aria and little cousin Malia playing just fills my heart with happiness. While the moment can’t last forever, at least the gif can keep playing on and on and on.
My 2017 Year in Review: Pies, Dancing, Safaris, Pastries, and More Dancing!
Okay I am WAY late to this, but I felt compelled to throw something together tonight. Here’s my 2017 year in review. Quick 2017 Stats Freestyle Dance Videos Shot: 7 Number of Marches and Protests: 3 Number of Pies Baked: 5 New Hobbies Acquired: 1 (rock climbing) Dance Competitions Entered: 5 Countries Visited: 1 (South…