AND THIS IS HOW I'M STARTING OFF MY 2018!!!

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

SINCE KAHEALANI RETURNED BACK TO HAWAI'I, I WAS BACK TO MY LONELY LIFE ALL OVER AGAIN...  LOL!!!  SO I STARTED TO REFLECT ON MY YEAR IN 2017 AND I MUST SAY I DID PRETTY WELL...  I TRAVELLED TO WASHINGTON D.C., LAS VEGAS, LOS ANGELAS, NEW ORLEANS, AND NUMEROUS TRIPS TO ANCHORAGE, INCLUDING, JUNEAU AND FAIRBANKS!!!  I ALSO GOT KNEES SURGERIES WHICH IS NOW STARTING TO FEEL ALOT BETTER.  IN FACT I THINK I'M READY START RUNNING SOON!!!

ON THE FLIP-SLIDE I ALSO REFLECTED ON MY CIRCLE OF FRIENDS & FAMILIES AND ONE OF THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO DO WAS BEING REALLY HONEST WITH MYSELF AND ASK MYSELF WHO REALLY ARE MY REAL FRIENDS THAT STOOD BY ME WHEN I WAS STRUGGLING WITH MY PERSONAL DEMONS, WHO STOOD BY ME WHEN I WAS ALL BY MYSELF AND LONELY, ETC.  AND THEN THEY ARE FAKE FRIENDS WHO ONLY SHOWS UP WHEN THERE ARE FREEBIES, FAKE FRIENDS WHO BELIEVED IN RUMORS ABOUT ME VERSUS BELIEVING IN ME, FAKE FREINDS WHO PRETENDED TO BE LOYAL TO ME WHEN IN REALITY THEY WERE ONLY LOYAL TO THE NEED OF ME, ETC.

SO I DID WHAT I FELT WAS BEST FOR ME AND MY FUTURE...  CUT OFF THE FAKERS AND TAKERS...  AND IF ANYONE READING THIS CURRENT BLOG ARTICLE IS FEELING OFFENDED OR UPSET OR IS WONDERING IF THIS PERTAINS TO YOU...  I'LL MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO ALL OF YOU...  THIS IS DIRECTED AT YOU IF YOU ARE A TAKER  & FAKER!!!  SO GET LOST AND LETS NOT WASTE EACH OTHER'S PRECIOUS TIME, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO UNSUBSCRIBED FROM MY BLOG AND I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE LIVES.





 

AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE UNIVERSE AND MY STARS WERE ALL STARTING TO ALIGN ITSELF AND THINGS WERE ALREADY STARTING TO LOOK UP FOR ME!!!

HERE'S TO STARTING OFF 2018 ON A GOOD TRACK!!!

ME & AZARA EATING AT KANSHA'S RESTAURANT!!!

LOCO-MOCO, MISO POKE BOWL, AND SPAM KATSU MUSUBI...  IS WHAT'S FOR DINNER!!!

COSTCO SHOPPING WITH SHANNA AND AZARA.

AFTER SHOPPING WE ALL HEADED OVER TO BUFFALO WILD WINGS TO GO WATCH THE UFC FIGHTS!!!

AFTER THAT WE ALL HEADED TO CHILLKOOTS CHARLIE'S FRO SOME POOL AND DJ MUSIC.

VICKIE THE POOL SHARK!!!

AFTERWARDS WE ALL HEADED OVER TO MAD MYRNA'S WHICH I DON'T HAVE ALOT OF MEMORY OF, LOL!!!  BUT AFTERWADS WE ALL ATE AT DENNY'S WHICH I DONT HAVE MEMORY OFF EITHER...  LOL!!!

ME, AZARA, LAMON, SHANNA, AND VICKIE.

OPEN WIDE!!!

AWWW...  MY VICKIE!!!

ANOTHER ANCHORAGE TRIP JUST THIS PASSED WEEKEND I TOOK VICKIE AND DENISE OUT FOR VALENTINE'S DINNER AT "LAS MARGERITA".

THESE TWO WONDERFUL LADIES ARE DEFINITELY MY FREINDS FOR LIFE AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM IN MY CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, THEY EARNED MY LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR LIFE!!!

AFTER DINNER VICKIE AND I HEADED OVER TO MCGINELY'S PUB FOR SOME DRINKS!!!

 

WE ALSO MET THESE TWO WONDERFUL LADIES, MALARIE & ALAINA!!!

AFTER CHUGGING A HUGE PITCHER OF GUINESS, WE HEADED TO ANOTHER BAR, THE CABIN TAVERN TO PLAY SOME DARTS!!!

AND THE SCORE IS 2-2 FOR NOW AND THE GAME WILL CONTINUE AGAIN.

DAMN...  MORE GUINESS PLEASE!!!

AND THAT CONCLUDED MY SATURDAY VALENTINE'S DATE NIGHT AND BACK TO BETHEL I WENT, THE VERY NEXT DAY.

AND BY THE WAY...

Some of you may or may not know that I was planning a trip to Moscow, Russia late last year.  It all started when Depeche Mode announced early in 2017 their Global Spirit Tour.  They were hitting many cities in the United States as well as other foreign countries.  At the time, I chose and bought a ticket to go see them in Chicago scheduled for late August 30th, 2017.  But my knee surgeries prevented me to go as recovery was slower than expected.  I asked for a refund but they also could transfer my ticket to a future concert.  When I heard they were going to perform in Moscow, Russia in 2018...  I immediately chose that concert.  Another cool factor was my ticket value went up due to the currency exchange from the US Dollar to Russian Ruble!!!  Which means my original Chicago Ticket which was worth $105.00 and my seat was pretty far away from the stage.  Now here is where I'll be at the Moscow Concert...

"Front Row at the Fan Zone" and its now valued at $517.00 US Dollars if I wanted to sell my ticket, but hell no!!! 


But this was just the beginning...  I had no fricken clue how difficult it is to get into Russia, why is it difficult... because its a Communist country.  Russia along with North Korea and Cuba are very difficult to get in.  Trust me, I learned the hard way and here's my story...


​
In order to visit Russia, I had to fill out a form that asks for vital national security information such as where you went to high school, your last three places of employment, your parents’ names, and how many cavities you have (Ok, I may have made that last one up...  lol!!!).


The point, though, the visa application was very shocking, such as asking me if I have knowledge in chemistry, explosives (does lighting fireworks on Chinese New Year count???, I sure hope not!!!), and firearms (well I do own a pretty nice arsenal for fun).  And the most difficult task was the necessity of getting an invitation from a company or a local inside Russia, knowing your exact dates of entry and exit, and listing my itinerary!!!  Sheesh...  I just want to go to a fricken concert and have couple vodka shots with Vladimir Putin while playing chess at his home if that is not too much to ask.  


In the mean time I'm also looking at flights and hotels and I came across this hotel that does VISA support and I say to myself, "AWWWRITE!!!", my troubles are gone!!!  Its a 5 star hotel and its literally walking distance to the concert arena.  I immediately book myself using my awesome Alaska Airlines Discounts and reserved a sweet room and paid in full!!!  

Yup...  this is the 3rd best room I choose and I don't need a suite either, but this room is huge and for the price I got with my Alaska Airlines rate, I really shouldn't say because you then might say I should've got the suite instead.  but back to my adventure in Getting to Russia.  So after booking my room I then sent an email to the hotel and requested for VISA support and in the mean time I then book my flight to Moscow...


Bethel, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska to Portland, Oregon via Alaska Airlines.
Portland Oregon to Amsterdam via Delta Airlines.
Amsterdam to Latvia to Moscow via Air Baltic

I know right???  Gotta love working for a major Airlines Company!!!


I then receive this email reply from my earlier email to my hotel,


​
Good afternoon!

Thank you for your interest in AZIMUT Hotels.

Unfortunately ,temporarly the service is not available. Russian Tourism didn`t prolong our license.

If you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,                                                        
Lapaeva Darya
RESERVATION DEPARTMENT
AZIMUT Hotels Moscow
​


You can imagine how effin furious I got after reading this!!!

    
Honestly...  I make this guy look like Tweety Bird.


So now what, I get on the phone and call this gal, Lapaeva Darya hoping to get any other options and an alternative VISA support.  Yeah I'm pissed off and I'm damn well aware of paying $2.49 a minute for making international calls to Moscow!!!  After going through the voice automated options, I finally got ahold of Lapaeva Darya...


When she answered the phone and spoke in Russian, it was like listening to the most beautiful sound and voice I ever heard, and all of a sudden I'm not mad, I literally was not angry anymore...  WTF!!!  I only could reply, "Uhhh...  do you speak English???"  And she then she replies, "Yes I do speak English, how can I help you" (with a strong Russian accent, even better!!!)


I couldn't help myself but I was so calm and nice and pleasant to her and I politely ask if there is any other way for me to get VISA support.  She pulled up my reservations and looked up my information and was able to direct me to contact the Russian Consulate Office located in Seattle, Washington and they can help me with my VISA, all in her sweet and beautiful Russian accent.  I thanked her for her time and help and didn't want to hang up but at $2.49 a minute, I better hang up.  I wonder what she looks like???

Well I can at least imagine it all on my own...  lol!!!


So next thing I do is I call the Russian Consulate in Seattle, Washington and OMG, another beautiful lady voice speaking Russian and YES...  she speaks English too with... a strong Russian accent, and this phone call doesn't cost me anything!!!  I'm taking my sweet ass time getting all the vital information I need in order to get my VISA.  And one of the question she asked me, is my visit to Russia was for business or pleasure???  I replied back to her and said I'm going to the Depeche Mode concert in Moscow, and she literally got excited and said she's so jealous and she wished she could go.  I'm not gonna go into details as to what else was said between us after that.


So after receiving all the information on how I can get a VISA, I was at a tough fork in the road, there were only 2 options for me, the expensive option of joining a tour group that runs around $300.00 US dollars and that is not including the VISA fees which is an additional $218.00 or get an invite from a local Russian resident who can sponsor me while I'm there and all I have to do is pay the VISA fees.


Now who the hell do I know in Moscow that will sponsor my visit???


The only option I could think off was hitting up my blog fans and send out a web-email asking for any help in getting me to Russia.  Would you believe in 2 days I got an email response from a lady in London who has subscribed to my blog and been following my blog for years.  She first of all thanked me for inspiring her on planning out her vacation to Hawai'i with her boyfriend and because of my blogging in Hawai'i was very frequent, they both flew to the Maui back in 2013 for 2 weeks and they were very thankful for all the information that I often shared in my blog.  So her name is Alice and she said that she is originally from Moscow and then moved to London for college and has been living there since she landed a good job after college.  She added that her father still lives in Moscow and she's going to ask him if he is willing to sponsor me.  I gave her all my information, my flight, hotel, and concert itinerary with confirmed dates of arriving and departing Moscow.  She said she'll forward all of my info to her father and now I just have to wait.

​


And in less than 24 hours...

Just like that, I got me a sponsor and from a local Russian resident, how much better can this get.  I immediately express mail this to the Russian Consulate in Seattle, along with my passport, itineraries (flight, hotel, and concert), and a check for $218.00 for VISA fees.


and after 3 days, I finally received this email below from the Seattle Russian Consulate,



From: Maria Izosimova <maria.izosimova@ils-usa.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 3:53 PM
Subject: Russian visa
To: BRANDON.WAIPA@gmail.com


​

Hello Brandon,
Your application for Russian visa has been processed January 30th
Your visa will be ready February 8th and sent out that day back to you via UPS Ground.

-- Best Regards,
Maria Izosimova
Representative
Invisa Logistic Services LLC
2226 Elliott Ave Suite A Seattle, WA 98121
E-mail: maria.izosimova@ils-usa.com
Phone: 206 452 17 39; Fax: 206 452 17 90 www.ils-usa.com

 

Moscow, Russia...  Here I come!!!

Cheee Huuu!!!

AND ONE MORE THING...

I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME!!!

SEE YOU WHEN I GET BACK!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...

AWWWRITE!!!

WAIPA