The Closer

Finally, Daniel Lee Soon has woke up in 2009! Great blessings have come from the past year & I look forward to pushing myself to a better future. One that I have to leave behind the great memories from 2008 & the confusion that is entering the real world. Like the end of the D-Money era @ Chaminade, & the beginning of a long rest of my life. Before that, my year looked promising. I did all that I could have wanted to do, & then some. I went to New York City as an added bonus. There were also many good decisions & bad (no comment on the bad) ones. But overall, I was stoked to meet & chill with different people throughout the past year. Also reunite with people I haven't seen in years or months. I also said my last goodbyes to friends I may never see again. But I will grow stronger as I gained a lot through others as they gained a lot through me over my years in college & @ social events to get my name out there. I am due to have a breakthrough year & there should be fewer distractions. I thank the lord for the many blessings in my life thus far. I am now 22 & a half & look forward to the challenge of getting a new job (since being an assistant manager @ Sears sucks) & start graduate school. I will try to leave a light on for those who want back in my life as I move forward. But I can only hope for the best in the next year. Gotta work tomorrow, but have 2 days off afterward. Hope 2 have a great tomorrow & live for today everyday. Peace.
-Daniel Lee Soon aka D-Moro

The End has come

Its time to move on from a great friendship. I am about to go 3/3 in chilling with three of the first girls I met my first semester (after a long time away from chilling with them). One has been here all summer & just graduated. One went home & came back to work & graduated with me. The third came back just for graduation. The third girl I chilled @ The Varsity with & partied like the good old days. The second I was thrilled to take to a concert & we had a great time. The first was the one I really got to know over the past 4 years, including several concerts we had a blast @. All three are great friends & we had great memories, but its time to say goodbye to all three. I did what I had to do with the first 2. But tonight, I will say goodbye to one of my best friends after meeting up with her. This is going to be good. The eve of New Years Eve will go down as one of the most interesting moments of 2008. Can't wait to see what final memory I can make before 09. I will miss them all, as will the great year of 2008. New Blog before the New Year coming. I leave you with a life lesson through this music video. New Stuff.
-D-Money

Ready for 2009?

2008s coming to an end. 2009 is fast approaching. Before I look forward to 2009, here is what I can be thankful for in 2008 (top 10 & honorable mention, & of course no bad memories incl.):

10: Incubus Concert & pre-show, Mar 19-21. Went to preshow with Silversun Pickups as well as concert w/ them & Incubus. Great show & afterparty.
9. Awakening Weekend, Apr 4-6. Able to overcome tough struggle to staff my final retreat.
8. Bayfest Hawaii, July 5-6. Able to return home & see 3 Doors Down, Everclear, & Live @ Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. Live was on my plane & got to re-meet 3DD on my birthday!
7. Hoobastank & Secondhand Serenade Concert, November 26 & December 19. Two great shows, four great acts, & got to chill with each of the artists before & after show!
6. Industry Parties, Dunno. Went all over, met cool people, good times.
5. North Shore trips, December 4 & 12. Sunset Pro, Eddie Aikau kickoff, & Pipe Masters!
4. Commencement Ball & Kokua Fest, April 2008: Saw good concert, chill with good friends, & was announced as Senior of the Year @ the ball (like HS king).
3. Reunited, December 10-11, 15, 19-20 2008. Hung out with the best of friends, chill with new ones. Got to see my good friends finally walk the line & homies return. Also Disco!
2. New York City, June 26-July 5. Went to NYC & went all over! I ran NY!
1. Graduation Weekend, May 9-13, 16. Partied hard like there's no tomorrow. But I completed my goal of graduating on time & making my time last!

Honorable Mention: 311 Concert, Chris Brown Concert/ Pro Bowl Week, Heavywater Parties, NP Concert, & other stuff I could mention but don't remember.

2009 will be the year I take control of my destiny. This is where I don't lie down for no one. My friends have moved on, & now I am more motivated than ever to get to where I want to be. The industry the people i have met in the past year will play a larger part in determining my future, as I will be driving again after a 6-month hiatus. I also plan to leave Sears & start grad school (likely April now). Looking back @ 08, it could have been better, but I have no excuses for why I could be in a better situation except to work harder & smarter. 08 was great, 09 will be devine!
-Daniel

Mele Kalikimaka...

from the 808! Hope everyone has a great christmas. Great to have a great christmas & hope all is good. Hate that I work early tomorrow but since I am manager @ Sears, it goes with the responsibility until I can find better work. Like I said, I am planning to leave Sears sometime within the next three months since the economy is expected to improve & Sears has nowhere to go but in the "right" direction (you know what i mean, downhill!). Well I did enjoy the Disco last week & after work tomorrow, I'm gonna get what Santa forgot (but thrilled to have a new phone) & go chill with my homegirl for her b-day & take advantage of a few open bars around town. I am featured in a photo with Hoobastank, taken right after the concert @ Dennys. Check it out:
http://www.dennysallnighter.com/index.php/site/blog-entries/aloha_from_hoobahawaii
Photos of the best of 2008 coming, as well as a new years resolution. Til Next time!
-D-RoMo

Affirmations

Things I have to say about top friends that graduated this semester (& last):

Kristin- You were an awesome friend. You are so funny too. Coming from a small town to the 808 you are all i appreciate. Will miss chillin. Best memory: Almost got taken out by softball as well as few drunken nights.

Angela- Since Day 1, you were an interesting person. Despite being busy all the time, you found a way to make it through & hang out whenever you can. Funny I run into you all over @ times but good times when we did. Best Memory: Gwen Stefani & 30 Seconds To Mars concerts.

Anina- Another friend that has been there since day one (& we made it through 4 years on time). Great person to talk to & not too hard to convince. Love those random moments whether @ beach or house parties. Best Memory: 2ndhand concert after a being MIA since grad day & those great parties (close second). Props to your best friend Katie too.

Bhasie- Got the street kred. But like a bro to me through Awakening & Campus Ministry. Good chilling in class as well as around the clubs. Best Memory: Awakenings.

Andrew- Cool dude. Got to hangout a lot & chill with different people from different walks of life. Still gets around & knows anyone & everyone. Best Memory: Long night drifting on campus.

Gabe- Known since day 1 @ Chaminade. Though you went to UH we were cool through retreat as well as off-campus. Will still see u around & prob @ games too. Best Memory: Awakening 14.

Hale- Lucky kid. One of few people who actually get close to action better than me. Works it out too but he is cool to chill & hangout with whenever. Best Memory: kickball.

Tim G- This guy does a lot & gets away with a lot too. Best of friends since year 2 for me. Good chillin @ random places & all over. Best Memory: U2 Concert & random photo nights.

Chris Rags- Great to work with, fun to chill with. Best memory: All-nighter on Halloween.

Derrick & Grant: 2 almost never separated (cept w/ their girls) but great to hangout since that boring photography class. Best moment: Clubbin!

Props to all those that I missed for graduating, & good luck to y'all. X-mas in less than 2 days!

-D-Romo

P.S. Rock & Money, my two favorite nicknames (sorry no D-dog)

Walkin The Line

Congrats to my good friends for finally finishing their Education! Bhasie, Angela, Kristin, & everyone I forgot to mention or gave lei to welcome to the working world! Had a blast being friends with all y'all since day one. I will be coming up with quotes & affirmation of my friends next blog as I prep for work & get ready to possibly jump ship. Stay tuned!

-D-Romo (Rock & Money mixed!)

For A Pessimist I'm pretty Optomistic...

I thought so much of the last week.

1. I thought that I was missing out on Maui for not going for the tournament. Turns out i made the right decision. Chaminade got pasted by #1 UNC who went on to win the tournament.

2. Work was going to suck for many reasons. But it was better than I thought, since I got to meet my sales goal while dealing with interviews, ass-hole customers twice my age & older co-workers who don't show up for work. I always have a back-up plan in mind when the heat is on. I deliver in the clutch to help make my workplace better even though I may not be @ Sears much longer. I also am happy I don't work over 40 hours since my pay is nearly as high as theirs.

3. Thanksgiving was great. All that hard work preparing a family meal & keeping a clean house was worthwhile even though I was tired from the Hoobastank concert the night before.

4. I am a rising star on the scene. My name & game has evolved after leaving Chaminade & I tend to be on the scene fast. I go everywhere to see whats good in the 808 (surf contests, concerts, parties w/ good deals, etc.). I help to promote events through spreading the word any way possible. I do what I like during my down time so I am never bored. I do get exhausted, but it beats any dull night alone. Yes work does get in the way, but this is my ticket toward starting my own business after I get my masters degree by 2011.

5. I still can make great deals. I buy tickets to events only to get my ticket paid for. I sell my bought tickets for just below the door price & even bring in a random person who wants one as well. I get covered & make a nice profit too. I managed to sell my Mickey Avalon ticket since I wasn't willing to stand through a sweaty crowd but @ least I heard a good deal outside.

6. I have grown up & moved on. I don't like to deal with assholes & people who are too immature & boring. Those types of people can really make your life a living hell. I know this because I deal with them @ work daily. I have had to end friendships also since people I know aren't straight or like to bs & play games & don't have my back when I need them.

7. There's always room & time to start anew. As in meeting new people & making new friends while moving on from the old & adding the new. I won't be dealing with the young ones as much who are not established but with the people that I can really get aquainted to well & can fill my needs instead of just their own.

8. I can do a lot with a little. Like I said, I go places & have many resources to help me get what I want & make it through in life. I have done so without my car & I am able to secure a ride home.

9. I have a lot to look forward to over the next 3 weeks. Friend's graduating, me learning my fate that I qualify for financial aid for grad school, longer hours @ work, industry parties, & of course, christmas & new years! I also will be revealing a new years resolution that would pretty much sum up change & maturity.

10. 2008 was a great year for me. Despite many setbacks I made sure that I could pull through & I will continue to be thankful & learn from the bad & do more good.

Can't wait to see what the final month of 2008 will be like.

-D-Money

It's Time To Turn a new page...

All throughout my college life I believed that I could believe I could be a part of something and be able to contribute and be a leader. I was able to do that in a couple of clubs that gave me a good amount of respect & knowledge. But one group that I was a part of since my second semester has done nothing but pull me down. I wanted to find myself, fit in, & find meaning. I thought that by continuing with this group after a great experience, I could contribute & be a leader like the other clubs I have been a part of. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I was never able to move up the ladder & have been nothing but pushed around (kinda like a mid-major getting left off the big-boy table). I thought those three years in that circle was like family to me. Now after I graduate, I pledged to contribute, but they seem to keep moving without me as if I was never important. The buck stops here. After this weekend. I will no longer be involved with them anymore. I thought I could find good in this group, & that my time would come. It never did. It never will. I will always be friends with most of the people I met in this circle. But I need to move on. I have held on for too long & now I need to let it go.
I have a good job that could be better but @ least I am moving up. I also work with Matty Liu in promoting Friday & Saturday Night surf Themed Events @ Red Lion University & Playbar Waikiki, respectively. I am bummed that I won't be able to work as a concierge this year due to the weak economy, but @ least I have been able to meet & hang out with different celebrities & nice people I have gotten to know over the past few months in my free time to make up for it.
As I move forward, I need to continue to find myself & trust in god so that I can make the right moves & be with the right people. I am not a party person all the time, it just so happens I meet people in different situations. I have also cut back on negative things & not regret missing out on things I planned on doing in advance. Like finding a job right away (but that's why I'm going back to grad school), & going to Maui for the hoops tournament (tickets were too expensive & there isn't much to do & the weather sucks this weekend) & that work is giving me more now for even better things later. Before I close out, i want to say to those in that group, I don't mean to offend anyone in any way, shape, or form, as you will always be a colleague of mine. I just need to keep my life in order so I can really find what I am looking for somewhere down the road & look to things that will really help me see & bring out the best in me. Until next time, have a happy thanksgiving & be thankful for what ya got!
-D-Money

P.S.:Here are a couple of Songs that I have learned about myself & hope that others can learn from it.
Hoobastank - My Turn

Lifehouse - Broken

Three days later...

I'm not surprised that Obama was picked. This shirt that I saw one summer day in NYC said it all. It's ringing true now. It will be interesting to see what will happen next. The economy is bad. Hopefully a new administration will equal better jobs & improved living for all. Especially me, since I have been hit hard with not finding a job. I will go to Grad School & be able to support myself and be able to stand on my own better than I did receiving my bachelors degree back in May. I can only hope good is coming with that change...

Anyways I got to enjoy a day off. I ran, went to da mall, then went to Kailua for a farmers market, then went back to town to check out "Da Boat," a ferry ride from Aloha Tower to Kalaeloa boat harbor. It was a neat ride. Then caught the bus back to town @ The Varsity, where I chilled with a few friends n drinks. Then left to go to a Metromix promo, where I write regularly @ honolulu.metromix.com and got passes to see that new James Bond Movie (heard it may not be as good as the others). Then home so I can work my butt off tomorrow. Well, hope all is well in your world. It is in mine. Late.
-D-Money

Sorry it took so long...

But life has moved pretty fast since I graduated from Chaminade University. It's hard to find a real full-time job, but 1. I have a job, & 2. I will be going to grad school in January, 2009. But if that's not enough, I also survived an interesting Halloween, a trip to New York, & have been on the scene & hanging out with the big boys & girls. Doing anything I can not to be bored. Well, the Surf Season is upon us & so is the holidays. I'm still planning on going to Maui for the hoops tournament & other big events are coming.

So Halloween 2008 came & went. It was a crazy friday. Spent the day recovering from a bad cold, then went to Chinatown for Hallobaloo. It was crazy with people in costumes ranging from Phelps to fish & other interesting creative designs. Chilled @ da usual downtown spots like Indigo, Bar 35, & thirtyninehotel. Talked story & took photos then it was off to Waikiki (with a brief stopover @ Dave & Busters) in bad traffic. I walked up & down for about 4 hours. Saw many friends in costumes & other crazy stuffs @ da clubs/ bars & streets. Stayed out until 4am (since I needed a ride) & was able to enjoy saturday off as well (to recover from a "new" illness). Well, upset that UH lost but no big deal. People were too bus up to notice anyway. Well hope y'all had a great halloween. I sure did.
- D-$

Decisions, Decisions...

I have a lot going on in my life. I need time to settle down. I am faced with a tough decision: leave Sears or jump to Nordstrom. I will likely jump to Nordstrom. The only question is when is the right time to do so. I have to also plan out time to relax the next few weeks. My parents will be out of town so I can have a party or two @ my house. Lots going on. So little time. Big events in da 808 include: Punahou Carvival, Pro Bowl, The Police, & more. What to do this weekend. Easy. Work & play. Next weekend? We shall see...

My Final Semester Begins...

My last semester is one I hope to go out with a bang. I have a schedule that sets up nicely (w/ the option of still making one class online so that I can go to class everyday but friday). Last semester was nice, but this semester could be even better! I have to like the fact that I made it through the last three years of my college life and I hope that it never ends. Sadly, I graduate in May. I have done so much yet experienced so little. At least I can claim that I went to Chicago, visited a sister school of Chaminade (University of Dayton) & went to historic places & went to concerts & sporting events. I have also met some cool yet interesting people I now call friends.
But now it's time to focus hard. Yes I will come across more new people (a few of which dig me already) & go to the best shows (Kokua Festival, Incubus w/ Silversun Pickups, The Police, & more) as well as go to places that I can now freely experience now that I am 21, & go to da beaches that are literally in my backyard. Like Sean Kingston, I can take you anywhere in da 808 because I run it! Anyways, I need to get it on with my studies & get focused on trying to start up the next chapter in my life, & get a great job after my college life is over. I will take the first step of a million more but @ least I'm moving forward...
Soundtrack to my blog:
Sean Kingston, Take You There
Staind, Everything Changes
Hoobastank, Moving Forward
Papa Roach, Time is Running Out
Foo Fighters, Long Road To Ruin
OneRepublic, Stop & Stare
Matchbox Twenty, How Far We've Come
Buckcherry, Everything
Three Days Grace, Never Too Late
Skillet, The Older I Get