i'm going to see kevin smith tonight! woo!
i also have a midterm tomorrow. no woo.
at least i finished my drafts. woo!
but the finals are due on friday. no woo.
i want an ipod mini. woo!
but i'm gonna have to wait a while. no woo.
i think i know for sure what i'm taking next semester. woo!
though if i take the hellish schedule, it's eighteen units. no woo.
i've mostly unpacked from london. woo!
still, all my clothes smell like smoke and alcohol. no w... woo!
sproul looks like ass, and there's no tabling shb on friday. no woo.
summer's only a month and a half away! WOO!
migblog
3.31.2004
3.29.2004
LONDON BABY!
i'm back i'm back i'm back!
london was "phantasmagorical" and "brilliant" and "bloody fantastic." (now that i'm not hindered by linguistic punditry, the brits all have cute and funny accents. especially when they're drunk, or when you're drunk, which makes it so that every word is unintelligible except for "yeah" and "mate" -- and the occasional "cheers.")
i really wanted to buy a pop-up map so that i can get "in" it (a la joey tribbiani at westminster abbey) but they weren't selling those anywhere. and the closest thing i got to royalty was touring kensington palace and looking at those ridiculous crown jewels in the tower of london.
in any case, london was a blast. drinking went from "in moderation" to "in excess" in a short day; it didn't stop until sunday evening when becca and derek forced the chug of the forlorn carlsberg.
(indeed, what ensued next was of paramount hilarity: after chugging, becca chubby-bunnied kit kats, and derek chubby-bunnied goldfish crackers. the chub was "sweet-yeah-ugh" -- we'll get to that later.)
i discovered that i was a museum buff, thanks to the imperialistic notions of the now-defunct british empire; i spent most of my time admiring classic art by raphael, michelangelo, and titian; also the designs and decorative arts in the victoria and albert museum. the british museum mesmerized me with the greek and classics exhibits; the science museum was amazingly intriguing; and the london transport museum was as interactive as it was fun.
there was the issue of cost and expenses; for the most part, london was expensive, but still wonderfully affordable to those willing to sacrifice a few things.
i memorized the tube map for central london. i can even say i've gone to the end of one of the lines. and that i'm extremely envious of the efficiency and caliber of the public transportation system in london proper.
our roommates were weird. they were all sorts of crazy characters: gordo, the irish australian; adrienne, the filipina from uva; chris, the malaysian foreign exchange student from northwestern; joe, the stanfurdite who became the unstalwart fourth member of our group; amy and hannah, the canadians; zana, from wellesley; and the weird masturbating dude who didn't stop whacking off in the middle of the night and kept both becca and derek awake.
and there were plenty of misadventures. (once i get pictures from becca and derek, i'll post them somewhere in a gallery so you can see our crazy antics.) mind you we had a lot of fun shooting perspective shots.
i walked a lot.
i ate a lot.
i drank a lot.
and even though it sounded like the trip of sin and excess 2004, it was in fact one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. i'd love to go back sometime -- soon, i hope -- and go have another round at it, even more excessive, even more in moderation.
jetlag, unpacking, homework, and obligations. miguel's got a lot to take care of in the next two days, so don't wait up.
london was great. and to think, the next spring break's only a year away...
i'm back i'm back i'm back!
london was "phantasmagorical" and "brilliant" and "bloody fantastic." (now that i'm not hindered by linguistic punditry, the brits all have cute and funny accents. especially when they're drunk, or when you're drunk, which makes it so that every word is unintelligible except for "yeah" and "mate" -- and the occasional "cheers.")
i really wanted to buy a pop-up map so that i can get "in" it (a la joey tribbiani at westminster abbey) but they weren't selling those anywhere. and the closest thing i got to royalty was touring kensington palace and looking at those ridiculous crown jewels in the tower of london.
in any case, london was a blast. drinking went from "in moderation" to "in excess" in a short day; it didn't stop until sunday evening when becca and derek forced the chug of the forlorn carlsberg.
(indeed, what ensued next was of paramount hilarity: after chugging, becca chubby-bunnied kit kats, and derek chubby-bunnied goldfish crackers. the chub was "sweet-yeah-ugh" -- we'll get to that later.)
i discovered that i was a museum buff, thanks to the imperialistic notions of the now-defunct british empire; i spent most of my time admiring classic art by raphael, michelangelo, and titian; also the designs and decorative arts in the victoria and albert museum. the british museum mesmerized me with the greek and classics exhibits; the science museum was amazingly intriguing; and the london transport museum was as interactive as it was fun.
there was the issue of cost and expenses; for the most part, london was expensive, but still wonderfully affordable to those willing to sacrifice a few things.
i memorized the tube map for central london. i can even say i've gone to the end of one of the lines. and that i'm extremely envious of the efficiency and caliber of the public transportation system in london proper.
our roommates were weird. they were all sorts of crazy characters: gordo, the irish australian; adrienne, the filipina from uva; chris, the malaysian foreign exchange student from northwestern; joe, the stanfurdite who became the unstalwart fourth member of our group; amy and hannah, the canadians; zana, from wellesley; and the weird masturbating dude who didn't stop whacking off in the middle of the night and kept both becca and derek awake.
and there were plenty of misadventures. (once i get pictures from becca and derek, i'll post them somewhere in a gallery so you can see our crazy antics.) mind you we had a lot of fun shooting perspective shots.
i walked a lot.
i ate a lot.
i drank a lot.
and even though it sounded like the trip of sin and excess 2004, it was in fact one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. i'd love to go back sometime -- soon, i hope -- and go have another round at it, even more excessive, even more in moderation.
jetlag, unpacking, homework, and obligations. miguel's got a lot to take care of in the next two days, so don't wait up.
london was great. and to think, the next spring break's only a year away...
3.24.2004
i am in london right now.
i'm staying at the hyde park hostel in bayswater, which is at the west side of town. it's decent; there's a nice little subculture of twentysomethings and under here, from all over the world (for example, you can hear german and a slew of other languages in the breakfast room, and one of our roommates in our ten-person suite is from malaysia).
there's a few things you have to know about london:
1. london is not a serif town.
every street sign and official document is in a sans font. it gives the city a certain character and some sort of extra zhoozh that only a sleek, chic sans font could give (even the computer i'm using is a very sans computer, if that at all makes any sense to you).
2. london is wonderful because of its drinking age.
two days now, and i've had three drinks. tomorrow, we head towards the pubs for a marathon beer event, and afterwards we're going clubbing (i'm not an alcoholic, no). but i do appreciate the fact that i'm nineteen and responsible enough to know where my limits are as well as to enjoy something alcoholic when i want it. so cheers!
3. london underground is fantastic.
the underground surpasses bart in efficiency, speed, cost, and character. there's almost always a train on the minute, and everything's really easy to navigate. with a week pass to all zone one stations, you can get around the city rather easily without having toshell the standard £2 every time. and it's all in line with the inter-airport express, as well as the railway to other cities in the region. this is why public transportation is fucking awesome.
4. london has a lot of things to see.
day one in london was spent doing what we called "tourist tuesday" -- basically, anything that's been on a london postcard, we've seen in person. starting from order of visitiation, we saw the tower of london, tower bridge, southwark and its surroundings, the gaia building, the millenium bridge, the tate modern, shakespeare's old globe theatre, jubilee fields, the national theater, the london eye, county hall, the house of parliament, big ben, westminster abbey, buckingham palace, and the tate britain. today, we headed towards leicester (pronounce: less-ter) square, trafalgar square, the national portrait gallery, the national galery,and the west end for a show (we saw chicago). tomorrow,we head to soho, and who knows where we'll be come friday.
5. london is hella expensive.
note how a meal in mcdonald's might cost $5. in england, the meal costs £5. now remember our evil friend the conversion cost, and you got yourself a $10 "value meal." the pricing scheme likes to be on the american side, and then you tack on £ instead of $ and everything comes into perspective just exactly how much things cost this side of the atlantic.
it's past midnight now, so i'll be getting to bed. no need for me to elaborate: it's been a long two days, but i've had the time of myself so far.
oh yeah. becca and derek say hi.
i'm staying at the hyde park hostel in bayswater, which is at the west side of town. it's decent; there's a nice little subculture of twentysomethings and under here, from all over the world (for example, you can hear german and a slew of other languages in the breakfast room, and one of our roommates in our ten-person suite is from malaysia).
there's a few things you have to know about london:
1. london is not a serif town.
every street sign and official document is in a sans font. it gives the city a certain character and some sort of extra zhoozh that only a sleek, chic sans font could give (even the computer i'm using is a very sans computer, if that at all makes any sense to you).
2. london is wonderful because of its drinking age.
two days now, and i've had three drinks. tomorrow, we head towards the pubs for a marathon beer event, and afterwards we're going clubbing (i'm not an alcoholic, no). but i do appreciate the fact that i'm nineteen and responsible enough to know where my limits are as well as to enjoy something alcoholic when i want it. so cheers!
3. london underground is fantastic.
the underground surpasses bart in efficiency, speed, cost, and character. there's almost always a train on the minute, and everything's really easy to navigate. with a week pass to all zone one stations, you can get around the city rather easily without having toshell the standard £2 every time. and it's all in line with the inter-airport express, as well as the railway to other cities in the region. this is why public transportation is fucking awesome.
4. london has a lot of things to see.
day one in london was spent doing what we called "tourist tuesday" -- basically, anything that's been on a london postcard, we've seen in person. starting from order of visitiation, we saw the tower of london, tower bridge, southwark and its surroundings, the gaia building, the millenium bridge, the tate modern, shakespeare's old globe theatre, jubilee fields, the national theater, the london eye, county hall, the house of parliament, big ben, westminster abbey, buckingham palace, and the tate britain. today, we headed towards leicester (pronounce: less-ter) square, trafalgar square, the national portrait gallery, the national galery,and the west end for a show (we saw chicago). tomorrow,we head to soho, and who knows where we'll be come friday.
5. london is hella expensive.
note how a meal in mcdonald's might cost $5. in england, the meal costs £5. now remember our evil friend the conversion cost, and you got yourself a $10 "value meal." the pricing scheme likes to be on the american side, and then you tack on £ instead of $ and everything comes into perspective just exactly how much things cost this side of the atlantic.
it's past midnight now, so i'll be getting to bed. no need for me to elaborate: it's been a long two days, but i've had the time of myself so far.
oh yeah. becca and derek say hi.
3.22.2004
i'm in london for spring break, with no access to my cell phone, my buddy list, nor definite access to my email account (let alone the internet).
if you want to make me feel loved, leave me a comment.
or if you want to make me feel more loved, leave a message on my voicemail, send me an email, or write me a letter.
you will all be in the back of my mind, since london sure is at the forefront.
hopefully i'll have access to a computer sometime while i'm there to let you kiddies know how i'm doing. if not, then i'll see you when i get back next monday.
let's see who loves me most.
and oh yeah, neener neener neener.
if you want to make me feel loved, leave me a comment.
or if you want to make me feel more loved, leave a message on my voicemail, send me an email, or write me a letter.
you will all be in the back of my mind, since london sure is at the forefront.
hopefully i'll have access to a computer sometime while i'm there to let you kiddies know how i'm doing. if not, then i'll see you when i get back next monday.
let's see who loves me most.
and oh yeah, neener neener neener.
3.21.2004
you never really realize how many clothes you have until you do your laundry and then afterwards have to be really selective about which set of clothes you'll be wearing for six days, keeping in mind that the weather's going to be cold and british, but at the same time keeping a reserve pair just in case the sun does decide to shine.
packing is such tedium. and all of it should fit in this teeny little baggage thing i'm lugging, along with a backpack that holds together the rest of my life.
by this time tomorrow, i will be waiting to board my plane with becca and derek, hopefully caught up with sleep and all that. you'll hear from me sometime between then and when i get back, i'm sure. but if you don't, just assume i'm having the time of my life.
my phone's going to incur hilarious roaming fees if i use it in london, so here's the deal: don't call me!
gotta finish packing first!
packing is such tedium. and all of it should fit in this teeny little baggage thing i'm lugging, along with a backpack that holds together the rest of my life.
by this time tomorrow, i will be waiting to board my plane with becca and derek, hopefully caught up with sleep and all that. you'll hear from me sometime between then and when i get back, i'm sure. but if you don't, just assume i'm having the time of my life.
my phone's going to incur hilarious roaming fees if i use it in london, so here's the deal: don't call me!
gotta finish packing first!
3.19.2004
spring break why-two-kay-plus-four in t-minus four and a half hours.
I'M SO EXCITED!
but first: linguistics homework, meeting, performance, lecture, then...
freedom. sweet, sweet, ten days of absolute freedom.
LONDON, BABY!
I'M SO EXCITED!
but first: linguistics homework, meeting, performance, lecture, then...
freedom. sweet, sweet, ten days of absolute freedom.
LONDON, BABY!
3.17.2004
i feel really good that someone close to me can call me up and say, "i wanted to see how you were doing, because i really care about you."
i really like that.
i really like that.
becca and i attended a talk over gay marriage and its sociolegal ramifications, replete with a university employee who recently got married in san francisco and two outstanding professors in the fields of sociology and political science.
it spurred a conversation that would have the two of us, very open-minded people, mulling over what the consequences would be once the legality of same-sex marriage gets hotly debated over. it took america ninety years after the abolishment of slavery to accept blacks as equals; forty years later, we're mulling over the equal standing of people with a non-heteronormative sexual preference.
"it's somewhat counterintuitive that what we think to be rational never turns into law."
something so fundamentally basic as equality for everyone, and we can't even decide if it's all right for two people of the same sex (who have a relationship) to own something together, to pay more taxes which would jumpstart the economy, to have the right to be in the hospital for their partner and have some say over what happens to their partner... all of these benefits, maybe even more (the list in california is over one thousand forty items), that we're basically denying.
equality's all we're saying, yo. it's not tough.
it spurred a conversation that would have the two of us, very open-minded people, mulling over what the consequences would be once the legality of same-sex marriage gets hotly debated over. it took america ninety years after the abolishment of slavery to accept blacks as equals; forty years later, we're mulling over the equal standing of people with a non-heteronormative sexual preference.
"it's somewhat counterintuitive that what we think to be rational never turns into law."
something so fundamentally basic as equality for everyone, and we can't even decide if it's all right for two people of the same sex (who have a relationship) to own something together, to pay more taxes which would jumpstart the economy, to have the right to be in the hospital for their partner and have some say over what happens to their partner... all of these benefits, maybe even more (the list in california is over one thousand forty items), that we're basically denying.
equality's all we're saying, yo. it's not tough.
3.15.2004
i aced my midterm, jizzam! (that one was for the bones.)
and i'm somewhat relieved that spring break comes in less than a week. i'm really, really excited about what can happen in london.
i can only imagine the things i'll be doing when i get back:
-putting an unnecessary 'u' in certain wourds, even thouse that doun't need it
-calling fries "chips" and calling chips "crisps"
-lifts and lorries and flats, oh my!
-looking for the nearest hmv instead of tower records
-calling the head of my country "prime minister" instead of president, and with that, calling congress "parliament"
-asking for alcohol because of the drinking age
-navigating perfectly fine through weirdly designed roads and streets
-eating weird food like sheep bits and cow stuff
-have an urge to colonize everything i see
-BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
-BUGGER BUGGER BUGGER
-other random fun british bad words (cf. shag, bollocks, wanker, etc)
-saying r's like "ah" instead of "ar"
-telling people i go to cal, the number one university in the nation, only to be smacked and get told that they go to oxford, the number one university in the entire world
-getting the urge to drive on the wrong side of the road
-calling bart the "metro"
-paying everything in sterling pounds
-wooing people with my american accent
i'm excited, can't you tell?
i already have a feeling that i'm gonna want to go back after spring break.
six more days... it seems so far away, but it'll be here in a breeze.
london, baby.
and i'm somewhat relieved that spring break comes in less than a week. i'm really, really excited about what can happen in london.
i can only imagine the things i'll be doing when i get back:
-putting an unnecessary 'u' in certain wourds, even thouse that doun't need it
-calling fries "chips" and calling chips "crisps"
-lifts and lorries and flats, oh my!
-looking for the nearest hmv instead of tower records
-calling the head of my country "prime minister" instead of president, and with that, calling congress "parliament"
-asking for alcohol because of the drinking age
-navigating perfectly fine through weirdly designed roads and streets
-eating weird food like sheep bits and cow stuff
-have an urge to colonize everything i see
-BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
-BUGGER BUGGER BUGGER
-other random fun british bad words (cf. shag, bollocks, wanker, etc)
-saying r's like "ah" instead of "ar"
-telling people i go to cal, the number one university in the nation, only to be smacked and get told that they go to oxford, the number one university in the entire world
-getting the urge to drive on the wrong side of the road
-calling bart the "metro"
-paying everything in sterling pounds
-wooing people with my american accent
i'm excited, can't you tell?
i already have a feeling that i'm gonna want to go back after spring break.
six more days... it seems so far away, but it'll be here in a breeze.
london, baby.
3.14.2004
is there anything you can tack after the word "weekend" and make it an adjective? like, "weekendic" or "weekendian"? anyway. put whatever you have after that in front of the word "insanity" and that fully explains what's been going on recently.
thursday evening was spent with the one and only miss beth prouty, just the two of us (rather literally) in the theater laughing our asses off watching club dread. it was awesome. one of the guys' names in the movie was rolo.
my parents arrived on friday afternoon, just in time for the uc men's octet spring show in wheeler auditorium. i knew the overtones were going to sing, but i didn't even know that oregon's on the rocks would be there (a pleasant surprise!). the show was awesome. i'm really proud of the fact that people were blown away after my brother sang his solo.
afterwards, we all had dinner, and then i got somewhat rudely reminded that this is why i live here and not with them on a daily basis. ("they" being my aunt, my grandma, a family friend, and my cousin, who all decided to tag along with my mom and stepdad.) i was a little miffed -- you know how it goes; it's like a rule that you're not supposed to spend more than eight hours at a time with family.
the next day, we headed out to what we thought was going to be the city, but instead turned into an impromptu stop at sausalito. it was ridiculously pretty, especially with the weather. the ambience was great. everyone there was really nice, and really eating ice cream.
my mom and i decided to watch the second night of the spring show again. this time, since on the rocks was competing at stanfurd, they brought on cal jazz choir. (sabrina's solo was really awesome.) and yes, even more people blown away by my brother's solo, and afterwards, more people telling him he should have gone on american idol. (my brother can actually say he's had no formal training in singing.)
today, i lunch with the southern california miguel's family organization (heretofore known as "them") and stroll around berkeley one more time before we say goodbye. i have no idea what i'm doing afterwards, but i sure hope i have enough time for my homework and my laundry.
i guess this is ouchies, but i can't really complain since i've been getting free food and sleeping really well the past two nights.
everything in moderation!
thursday evening was spent with the one and only miss beth prouty, just the two of us (rather literally) in the theater laughing our asses off watching club dread. it was awesome. one of the guys' names in the movie was rolo.
my parents arrived on friday afternoon, just in time for the uc men's octet spring show in wheeler auditorium. i knew the overtones were going to sing, but i didn't even know that oregon's on the rocks would be there (a pleasant surprise!). the show was awesome. i'm really proud of the fact that people were blown away after my brother sang his solo.
afterwards, we all had dinner, and then i got somewhat rudely reminded that this is why i live here and not with them on a daily basis. ("they" being my aunt, my grandma, a family friend, and my cousin, who all decided to tag along with my mom and stepdad.) i was a little miffed -- you know how it goes; it's like a rule that you're not supposed to spend more than eight hours at a time with family.
the next day, we headed out to what we thought was going to be the city, but instead turned into an impromptu stop at sausalito. it was ridiculously pretty, especially with the weather. the ambience was great. everyone there was really nice, and really eating ice cream.
my mom and i decided to watch the second night of the spring show again. this time, since on the rocks was competing at stanfurd, they brought on cal jazz choir. (sabrina's solo was really awesome.) and yes, even more people blown away by my brother's solo, and afterwards, more people telling him he should have gone on american idol. (my brother can actually say he's had no formal training in singing.)
today, i lunch with the southern california miguel's family organization (heretofore known as "them") and stroll around berkeley one more time before we say goodbye. i have no idea what i'm doing afterwards, but i sure hope i have enough time for my homework and my laundry.
i guess this is ouchies, but i can't really complain since i've been getting free food and sleeping really well the past two nights.
everything in moderation!
3.12.2004
as much shit i gave you as a teenager, as many times as i stormed up from angry outbursts, as often as i gave you this annoyed, confused look when i didn't agree with what you were saying, and of course, as much as i wanted to just slap you for you to shut up, i thank you.
as much as i wanted to remember you when i was a child, as much as i wanted to talk to you about stuff that was going on, as much as i wanted to grow up with you, as much as you've forgiven me time and time again for the stupid things i've done in my liife (and i've done quite a few), i appreciate you.
as much as an adult i want to think i am, as mature as i think i should be, as organized as well i should be, as grateful you've made me, as much as you've taught me the value of true friendship and loyalty, as much as you've given me insight to the future, as much as you've taught me how to share and be open, as much as you've accepted me for who i am and what i've become, i still want you all to myself.
as much as i've said over and over again how much i hate your guts, as much as i've proven your point by whining and crying and acting like a little kid, as much as i've disagreed with you and tried to grin and bear it but couldn't, as much as i wish sometimes that there was a volume control button on you somewhere, as much as i wish that sometimes i didn't know you, i love you from the bottom of my heart.
so here's to you, mom. happy birthday. i love you.
as much as i wanted to remember you when i was a child, as much as i wanted to talk to you about stuff that was going on, as much as i wanted to grow up with you, as much as you've forgiven me time and time again for the stupid things i've done in my liife (and i've done quite a few), i appreciate you.
as much as an adult i want to think i am, as mature as i think i should be, as organized as well i should be, as grateful you've made me, as much as you've taught me the value of true friendship and loyalty, as much as you've given me insight to the future, as much as you've taught me how to share and be open, as much as you've accepted me for who i am and what i've become, i still want you all to myself.
as much as i've said over and over again how much i hate your guts, as much as i've proven your point by whining and crying and acting like a little kid, as much as i've disagreed with you and tried to grin and bear it but couldn't, as much as i wish sometimes that there was a volume control button on you somewhere, as much as i wish that sometimes i didn't know you, i love you from the bottom of my heart.
so here's to you, mom. happy birthday. i love you.
3.11.2004
aaaaaaaaaand addendum, thanks to jake. (somewhat sexist pig.)
unless you've been living under a rock, you know that two things are rocking all of america: american idol, which is captivating the hearts and minds of everyone below thirty, and gay marriage, which is captivating the ideologies and political outsets of everyone over eighteen. (notice that there's a nice overlap that concerns both issues in a certain age group.)
to quote our dear friend margaret cho, "love is love is love."
ever notice how in protests against same-sex marriage, there's the guy in the back that has the "jesus will save you" placard, with all these quoted bible verses under it? and then you have to remember that there was this clause in the constitution called the first amendment that says "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." -- mind you, this is the first thing in the amendment, even before free speech, freedom of the press, assembly, and petition. i'm saying, if bush is proposing an amendment, no thanks, says the constitution.
and he has the balls to say "sanctity of marriage." if marriage is so holy, why is the divorce rate so high? why are there so many single-parent homes in america? how can he explain all those jerry springer moments when cousins and sisters and brothers all "love" each other? and to quote marriage being more natural between a man and a woman because of family -- ha!
i'm all for equality. civil unions are pretty much worthless. i'm just hoping that the clause that comes after the decision in the courts is not "with all deliberate speed" since we all knew what happened to brown v board of education fifty years ago.
would this count as a sexual revolution? back then it was pretty clear who was what -- yellow, red, brown, black, white -- but now, there's a giant umbrella tag (lgbtiq) that basically tries to say "not straight." and it doesn't matter what color you are. it doesn't even matter who they go to sleep with; it's the matter of they're second-class citizens now, and when is that going to change?
this is what watching sixty minutes last night makes me think.
to quote our dear friend margaret cho, "love is love is love."
ever notice how in protests against same-sex marriage, there's the guy in the back that has the "jesus will save you" placard, with all these quoted bible verses under it? and then you have to remember that there was this clause in the constitution called the first amendment that says "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." -- mind you, this is the first thing in the amendment, even before free speech, freedom of the press, assembly, and petition. i'm saying, if bush is proposing an amendment, no thanks, says the constitution.
and he has the balls to say "sanctity of marriage." if marriage is so holy, why is the divorce rate so high? why are there so many single-parent homes in america? how can he explain all those jerry springer moments when cousins and sisters and brothers all "love" each other? and to quote marriage being more natural between a man and a woman because of family -- ha!
i'm all for equality. civil unions are pretty much worthless. i'm just hoping that the clause that comes after the decision in the courts is not "with all deliberate speed" since we all knew what happened to brown v board of education fifty years ago.
would this count as a sexual revolution? back then it was pretty clear who was what -- yellow, red, brown, black, white -- but now, there's a giant umbrella tag (lgbtiq) that basically tries to say "not straight." and it doesn't matter what color you are. it doesn't even matter who they go to sleep with; it's the matter of they're second-class citizens now, and when is that going to change?
this is what watching sixty minutes last night makes me think.
3.10.2004
and then it seemed everything was right with the world, because of this beautiful, beautiful weather we're having (it's warm enough for shorts!) and the laughter that ensued thanks to starsky and hutch (oh, ben stiller and owen wilson, you two are too funny).
and when in times of dire stress or extreme nervousness, cigarettes are my best friend.
there have been four recent calls to my cell phone from people in southern california whom i don't know. it pisses me off since "how the fuck did they get my number" and "why are you calling again when i just told you it's the wrong number"?
thanks to all of you, though, who left cute little IMs for me to peruse when i got back.
laundry day will be fan-tastic.
and when in times of dire stress or extreme nervousness, cigarettes are my best friend.
there have been four recent calls to my cell phone from people in southern california whom i don't know. it pisses me off since "how the fuck did they get my number" and "why are you calling again when i just told you it's the wrong number"?
thanks to all of you, though, who left cute little IMs for me to peruse when i got back.
laundry day will be fan-tastic.
3.08.2004
the stupid thing is, i'm too nice.
the weird thing is, i'm used to the waiting.
the nice thing is, i get what i want.
the bad thing is, i fall a hell of a lot deeper afterwards.
the sad thing is, i realize it's all happening but i don't do shit about it.
sigh.
the future doesn't come fast enough.
the weird thing is, i'm used to the waiting.
the nice thing is, i get what i want.
the bad thing is, i fall a hell of a lot deeper afterwards.
the sad thing is, i realize it's all happening but i don't do shit about it.
sigh.
the future doesn't come fast enough.
3.07.2004
my favorite song is here we go by jon brion from the punch-drunk love soundtrack.
some people say that music now is edging towards corporate. i can't say that they're wrong, but i can't say they're all that right, either. i guess it's just the scene around here's more independent than usual.
i'm gonna hop on the bandwagon and just say i really, really, really like maps by the yeah yeah yeahs, even though the song's been out for a long time now, and although i haven't been quite the hermit when it comes to popular shit (goodness knows i'm a fan of american idol), i must admit, where was i when the yeah yeah yeahs all of a sudden turned awesome?
i believe my situation would be likeiwise in the case with rilo kiley; "takeoffs and landings" was an awesome album even though it was lackadaisical, musically. i personally thought that go ahead was the best break-up song that i could ever use, if need were to arise. but i liked the song too much to use it -- i think ever -- in that situation. sooner or later i'm humming about robots inside a grid or someday we'll meet beyond the time and the bars and it'll be away from here. it was the lovelife i had always wanted, in one great little cd.
i don't know if you've heard their song with arms outstretched, but if that were a person, i would be making out with it right now.
there's something about all of these songs that makes me just want to listen to them over and over and over again, too: from the simplest bass grooves (think n.e.r.d. and their song she wants to move) to the greatest exploitation of disco violins (can we say the ten-minute version of don't let me be misunderstood from the kill bill soundtrack, thanks to santa esmeralda?), from simple melodies (joao gilberto's vocals over guitar in desafinado) to layered, complex sounds (2 + 2 = 5 none other than radiohead). i can go off on just aural pleasure, but i think some songs most especially have some wonderful sentimental value attached to them.
take elliott smith's waltz #2, for example. i barely know the words to the song. but i've listened to it seventy-odd times today. i've come to associate the song with my troubled frustration. and it helps.
dave matthews' crush is another one i have to say i have to be a little sentimental about. melodically, it's genius; lyrically, it's genius. it's the romantic in me wanting to say this so much to someone that i basically did. (but leave it to me to have them hear the song instead.) i think you know that i'm talking about you when you see this; i always considered this 'our song' after that.
but sucker for suckers, i'm saving the best for last. high school graduation, even though i've written about how much the whole high school experience sucked, deserves its own mix. i cemented my friendships on that last day, and kept, however tentative, some ties that i think would be nice, since i get to say "i knew them when."
for starters, greenday and semisonic both make the list, respectively for time of your life and closing time (i know, so cheesy!).and then comes the wondrous angst of our teen years: third eye blind, the great one-hit wonder of harvey danger, thrown in with some 98 degrees and the inevitable k-ci and jojo (don't tell me your freshman year dances didn't have all my life on the playlist because every dj basically did).
there's a lot more songs that add to the day-to-day that make it more interesting. wilco's melodies make my day seem at ease; the corrs are a nice throwback to my high school summers; phantom planet is a nice hearken bac to socal; morcheeba is the soundtrack of who my friends are.
it's amazing to me that songs have that much pull over you. i won't even listen to yellow by coldplay sometimes because i just can't bear to reminisce about it playing in the background while i read liam's note.
maybe i'm just reading in the songs too much, but i can't help it.
and your favorite song is?
some people say that music now is edging towards corporate. i can't say that they're wrong, but i can't say they're all that right, either. i guess it's just the scene around here's more independent than usual.
i'm gonna hop on the bandwagon and just say i really, really, really like maps by the yeah yeah yeahs, even though the song's been out for a long time now, and although i haven't been quite the hermit when it comes to popular shit (goodness knows i'm a fan of american idol), i must admit, where was i when the yeah yeah yeahs all of a sudden turned awesome?
i believe my situation would be likeiwise in the case with rilo kiley; "takeoffs and landings" was an awesome album even though it was lackadaisical, musically. i personally thought that go ahead was the best break-up song that i could ever use, if need were to arise. but i liked the song too much to use it -- i think ever -- in that situation. sooner or later i'm humming about robots inside a grid or someday we'll meet beyond the time and the bars and it'll be away from here. it was the lovelife i had always wanted, in one great little cd.
i don't know if you've heard their song with arms outstretched, but if that were a person, i would be making out with it right now.
there's something about all of these songs that makes me just want to listen to them over and over and over again, too: from the simplest bass grooves (think n.e.r.d. and their song she wants to move) to the greatest exploitation of disco violins (can we say the ten-minute version of don't let me be misunderstood from the kill bill soundtrack, thanks to santa esmeralda?), from simple melodies (joao gilberto's vocals over guitar in desafinado) to layered, complex sounds (2 + 2 = 5 none other than radiohead). i can go off on just aural pleasure, but i think some songs most especially have some wonderful sentimental value attached to them.
take elliott smith's waltz #2, for example. i barely know the words to the song. but i've listened to it seventy-odd times today. i've come to associate the song with my troubled frustration. and it helps.
dave matthews' crush is another one i have to say i have to be a little sentimental about. melodically, it's genius; lyrically, it's genius. it's the romantic in me wanting to say this so much to someone that i basically did. (but leave it to me to have them hear the song instead.) i think you know that i'm talking about you when you see this; i always considered this 'our song' after that.
but sucker for suckers, i'm saving the best for last. high school graduation, even though i've written about how much the whole high school experience sucked, deserves its own mix. i cemented my friendships on that last day, and kept, however tentative, some ties that i think would be nice, since i get to say "i knew them when."
for starters, greenday and semisonic both make the list, respectively for time of your life and closing time (i know, so cheesy!).and then comes the wondrous angst of our teen years: third eye blind, the great one-hit wonder of harvey danger, thrown in with some 98 degrees and the inevitable k-ci and jojo (don't tell me your freshman year dances didn't have all my life on the playlist because every dj basically did).
there's a lot more songs that add to the day-to-day that make it more interesting. wilco's melodies make my day seem at ease; the corrs are a nice throwback to my high school summers; phantom planet is a nice hearken bac to socal; morcheeba is the soundtrack of who my friends are.
it's amazing to me that songs have that much pull over you. i won't even listen to yellow by coldplay sometimes because i just can't bear to reminisce about it playing in the background while i read liam's note.
maybe i'm just reading in the songs too much, but i can't help it.
and your favorite song is?
3.06.2004
i think i needed today.
and today was a day well spent, a nice throwback to the naive, enthusiastic freshman that i was when i first arrived ehre at berkeley.
today was the women's pac-10 basketball tournament in san jose, and i went with a select few to play for our girls who had a successful night before. and the bus ride was great, since i got to talk to amy and sam to catch up with both, because god knows our schedules obviously seemed to hate each other.
the game itself was less than spectacular; we were more transfixed at the rally comm flag dude (dan, i think his name was) more than the game. but even though we lost, it was a night of emotion nonetheless, when coach horstmeyer, in tears, came up to us after the game to thank us personally. and for some, it was their last ever basketball game with the cal band.
like i've said before, it matters more that there was a score, and that we tried our best no matter what. especially for the california women's basketball team, who have tried and tried so hard to bounce back from the loss of our dear alisa lewis, we won, even if only in moral victories. it doesn't matter at the end of the day if we win or lose -- we try our best, we cheer our lungs out, and after all, we make the university proud of what we do. we are mindful of who we are and what we represent, a basic tenet of the cal band, and i think this is what made me feel today was a day well spent.
afterwards i went and had dinner at berkeley thai house with great company -- daniel, rachel, dylan, alice, christine, katy, and sam. while we engorged ourselves on rice and the goodness that was thai food, we all seemed to appreciate everyone's presence. even though i'm sure a few of us barely even knew each other, it was great to have some sense of community the whole time, reminding ourselves that we're all equals here.
a day like this is exactly what i've needed in a long time. it may not be much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
the days are turning from cloudy milk tea into sparkling citrus beverage with natural pulp. and damn, this is already better than last week.
and today was a day well spent, a nice throwback to the naive, enthusiastic freshman that i was when i first arrived ehre at berkeley.
today was the women's pac-10 basketball tournament in san jose, and i went with a select few to play for our girls who had a successful night before. and the bus ride was great, since i got to talk to amy and sam to catch up with both, because god knows our schedules obviously seemed to hate each other.
the game itself was less than spectacular; we were more transfixed at the rally comm flag dude (dan, i think his name was) more than the game. but even though we lost, it was a night of emotion nonetheless, when coach horstmeyer, in tears, came up to us after the game to thank us personally. and for some, it was their last ever basketball game with the cal band.
like i've said before, it matters more that there was a score, and that we tried our best no matter what. especially for the california women's basketball team, who have tried and tried so hard to bounce back from the loss of our dear alisa lewis, we won, even if only in moral victories. it doesn't matter at the end of the day if we win or lose -- we try our best, we cheer our lungs out, and after all, we make the university proud of what we do. we are mindful of who we are and what we represent, a basic tenet of the cal band, and i think this is what made me feel today was a day well spent.
afterwards i went and had dinner at berkeley thai house with great company -- daniel, rachel, dylan, alice, christine, katy, and sam. while we engorged ourselves on rice and the goodness that was thai food, we all seemed to appreciate everyone's presence. even though i'm sure a few of us barely even knew each other, it was great to have some sense of community the whole time, reminding ourselves that we're all equals here.
a day like this is exactly what i've needed in a long time. it may not be much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
the days are turning from cloudy milk tea into sparkling citrus beverage with natural pulp. and damn, this is already better than last week.
3.05.2004
i've fallen into the lull, and i can't seem to get out, as hard as i try. (sound familiar? i thought so too, and then i realized it was the truth.)
someone particularly expressed this feeling of just being here. after class, i seem to just want to go home and not deal with anything. i really don't, and that sucks, because i'm missing out on so many things going on outside this janky apartment. i don't get excited about certain things anymore, i don't feel as if i can contribute enough to the next pressing issue. i hate this, this blankness. i feel like a waste of space.
i'm going crazy. and i mean it this time.
i guess it doesn't help me any that i'm somewhat sequestered from the wonderful atmosphere of the surrounding environs of berkeley. outside of campus, i haven't really left the house for anything interesting. no cavorting in a museum, no ogling great masterpieces of renaissance artists, no hearing the majestic strains of celli and oboes in symphony orchestras. nothing, zip, zilch, nada. my form of entertainment boils down to kqed and my cd collection, and i'm starting to somewhat get irked by my supply of cds.
there are so many things that occupy my mind, but when i sit down and want to think about them, it all goes back to the blankness.
blank blank blank blank blank
i give up.
someone particularly expressed this feeling of just being here. after class, i seem to just want to go home and not deal with anything. i really don't, and that sucks, because i'm missing out on so many things going on outside this janky apartment. i don't get excited about certain things anymore, i don't feel as if i can contribute enough to the next pressing issue. i hate this, this blankness. i feel like a waste of space.
i'm going crazy. and i mean it this time.
i guess it doesn't help me any that i'm somewhat sequestered from the wonderful atmosphere of the surrounding environs of berkeley. outside of campus, i haven't really left the house for anything interesting. no cavorting in a museum, no ogling great masterpieces of renaissance artists, no hearing the majestic strains of celli and oboes in symphony orchestras. nothing, zip, zilch, nada. my form of entertainment boils down to kqed and my cd collection, and i'm starting to somewhat get irked by my supply of cds.
there are so many things that occupy my mind, but when i sit down and want to think about them, it all goes back to the blankness.
blank blank blank blank blank
i give up.
3.02.2004
3.01.2004
i was wearing my red-yellow-orange plaid shirt, and my green-blue-yellow plaid boxers around the apartment. i caught a glimpse of myself at the mirror, and i thought, "wow, i look like a picnic bench with really bad tablecloths."
and then i listened to astrud, joao, antonio and stan calm my nerves.
happy march, everyone.
and then i listened to astrud, joao, antonio and stan calm my nerves.
happy march, everyone.
you feel so small sometimes
miguel
- 21.08.84
- manila | anaheim | berkeley | new york
- facebook
places
- alison
- beth
- chris
- christine
- cindy
- gina
- hanalei
- jay
- jooho
- kat
- kim
- nate
- nathan
- ngoc
- poursh
- ratha
- sam
- tristan
- will
recently
- migration!
- oysters for dessert
- jardiniere
- un menu pour ngoc et dave
- chez panisse had to happen sometime
- two a's. america gets two a's.
- next door
- sixteen slices
- how it went down, aka, four desserts.
- looks like
archives
- 08.02
- 09.02
- 10.02
- 11.02
- 12.02
- 01.03
- 02.03
- 03.03
- 04.03
- 05.03
- 06.03
- 07.03
- 08.03
- 09.03
- 10.03
- 11.03
- 12.03
- 01.04
- 02.04
- 03.04
- 04.04
- 05.04
- 06.04
- 07.04
- 08.04
- 09.04
- 10.04
- 11.04
- 12.04
- 01.05
- 02.05
- 03.05
- 04.05
- 05.05
- 06.05
- 07.05
- 08.05
- 09.05
- 10.05
- 11.05
- 12.05
- 01.06
- 02.06
- 03.06
- 04.06
- 05.06
- 06.06
- 07.06
- 10.06
- 11.06
- 12.06
- 01.07
- 05.07
- 06.07
- 07.07
- 08.07
- Current Posts
