late night on youtube

so i'm staying up late for no reason... maybe b/c i've got a GOOGLE EARTH PRO training tomorrow. i have trouble using that program, i'd like to be better at it. but work is paying for it so it's kind of cool. apparently there are secrets that everyone can use especially architects...

but i started to go on youtube to look up stuff on the "the hills." i know i bet some of you are going "oh geez, you watch that show?!" or some of you are going "oh my gosh, spencer and heidi are so annoying, they deserve each other!" or maybe even "chrisss... chrisssy... tiff..." but i like the show. i guess i would call it, as leia would say, "my guilty pleasure."

anyways so i was looking up that stuff and then i found this guy and he's not half bad. and the song is really good too.

alright time for bed...

on your marks...

matthew racing tita larnie

get set....GOOO!!!

it's official. my blog has turned into the baby blog...



YAY!

ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!

DUM DUM DUM!!!!


aiden riley doing his best Dr. Evil impersonation.

oh madre...

a couple of weeks ago my mom got a position at work and along with the new job she got a new pager from work. i know, a pager? how 1995... but it's one of the fancy kind that sends you data messages, like the weather and sports scores and stuff like that. i don't think that VA is going to cover that but anyways...

so i ask her:

andrew: do you know to use your new pager?
mom: no
a: did it come with an instruction manual?
m: no, but it says on this sheet that you can get in on the WWW
a: (scratching my head and thinking:what the heck is the WWW?) you mean the internet?

oh mom... she's too funny

that's mom and dad on the canals in venice, california, not italy here's a fun architectural fact: venice was originally called Ocean Park and concieved as a beach resort by tabacco billionaire Abbot Kinney. And it's famous canals were modeled after those in venice italy.

Happy Baptism Aiden!

i can't believe how much he's grown! since i last saw him he's put on 5 lbs and grew 3 inches!!! and seriously each day he gets cuter and cuter!!!

well this weekend i was fortunate enough to take part in aiden's baptism. as his godparent i'm supposed to be one of his spiritual guides, so he can grow in his faith. definately a big undertaking, but i think i'm ready.

The happy Boquiren Family

happy birthday steve...

here are some images from your birthday party... hope all of your birthday wishes came true...

<3 andrew

steve and andrew...looks like we're listening to some kind of serious toast...


hanging with meredith, andrea, and tyson from all-american rejects
(j/k, just a guest! but it kind of looks like him if you just glance a little bit)


the boys, andrew, jason, steve and trevor


what's a party without manders!


andrew and katie (you did a great job katie!)


one of my favorite pictures from that night...

today is your day to shine!

lol...congrats larnie on getting hired at crossroads as a new physical education teacher and an athletic trainer for the sports program. maybe we can carpool to work... yay new roommate!

don't forget to make your bed...

chillin' with matthew...

just this past weekend, i finally saw matthew and to my surprise he got a haircut! he's just too cute. i have a feeling that when aiden and matthew start playing, matthew's got to be delicate with aiden b/c aiden is so delicate, matthew might trample him!


playing with uncle mando's remote control monster truck...



with auntie larnie...


being carried by uncle andrew (it doesn't look so comfortable for matthew, but i'm trying!)

speaking of poopy diapers...

speaking of babies and poopy diapers, i was at church the other day, saying "hi" to god, as cecile would put it, and taking in the environment. admiring the decorations, these pastel colored drapes from easter, and all of the pretty people that go there, enjoying the music, and kind of not listening to the sermon. and of course taking in the smell of the church. so i took in a deep and i was like... dude... it smells like a poopy diaper...

and you're probably thinking, there was probably a baby in close to me, but there wasn't, only adults. there was a baby like down the way, but it was so far away that i couldn't have been him.

so while i was kneeling in the pews i took anther whiff and i found out it was the lady in front of me... and older woman with her daughter... maybe she was wearing a diaper...

Introducing...

AIDEN RILEY BOQUIREN

Sunday April 22, 2007
at 8:27 am
5 lbs 9oz, 18 in.

those of you who are wondering i did hold him and it as really... MAGICAL! j/k. but it was really cool to hold my new nephew. i didn't do it till an hour before i was headed to the airport, b/c he's so small! i was kind of scared that i was going to break him or something. i don't thing i even held hayden till he was like 10 lbs. or if i did i was sitting down on a couch and jean was like a foot away from me.

for the looks of him, i think he's definitely got more of the galura genes than boquiren, but i'm sure in a few more months he's going to start looking like a boquiren. while i was in vegas visiting, i could have sworn that he started looking more and more like my brother. maybe it's in his small expressions, but he's starting to look like his daddy.

having a new nephew is pretty exciting, all of his aunts and uncles get to teach him so many new things! i mean i can't wait to teach him now to play basketball, so we can do drills and hoop it up with uncle mando, and auntie larnie and auntie jen. and we'll talk about the celtics and the rivalry between larry bird and magic, it's going to be so much fun! lol. i guess i can teach him the importance of taking care of his skin and where to go in l.a. if he wants to go eat someplace kind of cool. i'll figure it out.

here are some pic of alvin and minette's new bundle of joy:

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762399910311&pid=&wtok=YJM97UM0RamdC3knDmu7mw--&ts=1177904235&.src=ph

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762400614969&pid=&wtok=i_MJSke5SjpVRs6w0IHBNw--&ts=1178478698&.src=ph

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=alvinboquiren&aid=576460762402071695&amp;amp;amp;amp;pid=&wtok=Ny9Po71nfEDuWaCQhXjPMg--&ts=1179624880&.src=ph

Aiden and his Uncle Andrew

Come and Support!

i know i've been back for a while now, and i'll finishing showing pictures at a future date, but here's something that's coming up THIS WEEKEND!

Come support the talents and efforts of PATRICK BALLESTEROS and friends (Ja Tecson, James Landas and Andrew Boquiren) as they exhibit their art and photography at the KUTTING ROOM in Santa Monica....

therme vals

so what did i do with steve and his mom? just got one of the bests spas in switzerland! what else? it's actually a very beautiful place. Therme Vals (http://www.therme-vals.ch/?__locale=en) was revamped up by Peter Zumthor, a native of switzerland. he does amazing things with simple materials like wood, concrete, glass and metal. you can see how he plays with light in this building too. it was so serene to walk in the building.

and don't me started on our seven course meals,

the views from our rooms,


the rooms,


the beds and the chopard toiletries,



the chocolates made fresh daily that were placed in a silver bowl,

and the terry cloth robes...

it was really an amazing time. and to be able to share it with special people made it even better.

zurich

scheduling at sci-arc has always been, how do i put this, fluid. sometimes things happen, sometimes they don't, sometimes there are a million things happening at one time. the whole studio was supposed to go to therme vals on tuesday and that's where i was supposed to meet up with steve and his mom, but when that field trip got canceled i decided to get to zurich, where steve and steve's mom,marie, were at, a day early. steve was going to get in that evening, i was going to get there in the afternoon, but marie had arrived early that morning. so i thought, since i'm here and marie's here we should hang out and get to know each other a little bit better.


so while i was trying to enjoy the view, i was on my cell phone trying to call marie. it was seriously a race against time. i didn't know how long these views would last before we would enter a tunnel and i would lose all connection. so i got to know the staff at the golden arch hotel (which sounds like a mcdonalds, b/c there was a mcdonalds attached to it) prettty prettty prettty well. i called atleast 10 times asking to be transfered to marie's room.


anyways to make a long story short, we met up at around 2pm, walked around zurich, which i would still like to explore, had tea, shared some chocolates, and exchanged stories. she's a pretty amazing woman. 4 kids, 5 grandkids, she's got a master's degree in public health and she's traveled the world. i have to say that i was kind of nervous to hang out the whole day with her, but it turned out to be a pretty cool day and i'm glad we got that time.

later that evening we met steve at the zurich hauptbahnhof... and this was just the beginning of my adventures with steve and marie...

it's been a while since i've actually posted, this thiing called school got in the way... j/k. but it got busy... these are just a few images from the tuscan countryside of siena... it really was beautiful.

i kinda miss it now...



a famous town bath, you're not allowed to go in b/c you'd probably get something nasty...





a monkey grinder!!! this town, has the best gelato ever! grapefruit champagne... YUM!!


scootin' in siena!


scooter posse


the duomo in siena. one of the most beautiful that i've seen. it was just so different from all the other ones that i've been in.


here's the group minus jonathan. we think he was below us roaming the piazza below. not totally sure why he wasn't there... you all know who i am, but from left to right is leili, ross, kari, steph, jody, lisa and yoolee


yoolee is the best model ever. it just comes naturally to her...

surprising outburst

it's one of our last days in florence and going to the batisteri is a definate must see. we go inside to rest our feet after another long day of sight seeing and kari, yoolee, lisa and i are all enjoying the gold leafed walled and intricate frescoes when all of a sudden...

someone totally cut the cheese!!!

GEEZ!!! have some respect!!! it's the house of god!




so we looked around for the culprit and spotted a lady covering her face and nodding her head in disappointment at the man next to her who sat with his arms crossed and a slight smile.

there was nothing else we could do but laugh...

a pretty amazing experience

i got a chance to explore the city by myself. it was nice to get away from everybody. you know get some andrew time and not have to worry about people needing to go to the bathroom or not wanting to go to a certain place b/c they're too tired or whatever. you know what i'm talking about... anyways...

it was late afternoon and i headed to one of the highest hills in florence. i got hot from climbing stairs, dodging cars and scooters, and when i got to the top i found out there was more to climb. there was this church at the top of the hill...



it was very unassuming. not as fancy as the duomo, but still nice. i went inside the dark church and heard the most amazing sound... monk chanting. it was like dream. as i made my way down to where they were i realized that i had stumbled upon a mass. and the thing that i didn't realize til i left was that it was being conducted in latin! it was strange, they conducted mass behind this fence. it didn't really make sense to me. i guess we were in the small chapel of the church.



i felt refreshed. it was nice. so i got outside and got this view...



another beautiful tuscan sunset...

the best steak EVER!!!

this was seriously the best steak ever! the guy come down and showed us the 1.5 kilo (3.3 lbs) steak and then cooked perfectly... brown on the outside with the grill marks, seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper and i know this sounds gross and i don't even usually eat steak this way, but it was totally BLOODY!! YUMM!!! it was totally good...



so if you're ever in florence stop by osteria de benci. it's right on via de' benci. pretty close to some pretty cool bars and a mexican restaurant... (btw, the mexican food, really isn't mexican food. i ate there and it was alright. it doesn't really compare with the mexican food back in la, but a good effort. it certainly hit a spot)

Via De' Benci, 13/R
Florence, Italy
055 2344923

Florence

after having traveled norther italy, we finally stepped into the city where the renaissance began... FLORENCE... i had visions that it was going to be this amazing place filled with art, culture and endless amounts of "great" architecture...

i was traveling with the people in my studio, and with the way things were going this trip was going to be a stressful one. we got lost in the morning. there was an unusal fog floating around the autostrade which made for difficult navigation. but lucky for me, i don't drive stick and i didn't have to navigate so i slept in the back, waking up to take a bathroom break or listen to someone's ipod trying to learn italian. btw, i'm not to sure about the berlitz method or brand, i didn't learn too much from them. plus they're a little bit difficult to follow.

anyways we get to florence and the hotel is nowhere to be found. florence has an interesting address system. certain colors stand for a private residence and businesses, but you can also have the same number on the same streets too. odd. so finally we just park, a few of us go search for the place. we find out that the hotel is actually located in this office tower on the fourth floor, next to an attorney's office and some other random things.

the area we were staying in was kind of shady, but alright. it's a good thing that we were in a group and that usually means that no one walks alone. which is good, so people can watch your backs especially around the gypsies around the area.

here are just a few of the images from florence...

the view of the florence duomo. gruesome and grotesque, but pretty amazing...

lisa and i at the top of the duomo with the city as the back drop...

view of the uffizzi and the tuscan hillsides...

Monte Generoso!!!

while being in europe is a highly academic experience (seriously!) sometimes you just need to get away and go outside, especially when the weather is so good outside your window. since we were still on a traveling kick since munich and doing things on the fly, a few of us decided that we would go to the top of monte generoso for shits and giggles.

me, lisa, kari and john on the summit of monte generoso

taking a look at vico morcote from the top of monte generoso

all roads lead to: GREAT VIEWS!

you can't tell right now but the von trapp kids are on top of this hill...


another place for amazing views, and of course animals!!! what is it with me, foreign countries and animals?


this one is for you steve!