Jennventures

bye for now

2011-12-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

Great Wall, August 2011 - I can't believe so much time has passed!

Quick note: my VPN expires on December 31st, American time, and I decided not to renew it since I'm home in 11 days (!!!!!!) anyway. Psh, who needs Facebook and Blogger? So this is my last post 'til then, but don't worry - I have tons more in my little post bank to update when I get back, and lots of pictures to add to previous posts! I am SO excited to finally be going home. Lately, I've been sitting on the subway ride home from work daydreaming about the prospect of sleeping in my bed, walking Molly, going out for brunch with my parents, hanging out with friends, and finally seeing Wilson after 6 months. Crazy how when you're away from home for so long, the littlest things that you usually take for granted become the biggest things that you miss. But I'll stop there since I've probably said that, like, a bajillion times already. Thanks for following along with me, guys. See you at home :)

Hello, 2012!

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I can't believe a year has passed already - at this time last year, I had no idea that in a year 6 months, I'd be in Shanghai. So what a crazy year it's been. Super eventful - I met lots of new friends while teaching and traveling, and learned so much more about myself, my family and this country I temporarily call home. I think that you learn so much about yourself and how to really appreciate what you have when you try to carve out a life for yourself in a foreign country. Not that it doesn't happen at home, it's just more noticeable because the learning curve is much higher and you're kind of forced to go with the flow even when you have no idea what's going on. Definitely brings out parts of yourself you never even realized existed. Anyway, enough with my self-reflection, which leads to my resolutions for 2012:

1. Get started on my career. I knew I wanted to get into publishing before I came to Shanghai, but after not doing it for 6 months I am itching to get back into it. Teaching has been great, but I think publishing is just where I'm the happiest. I can't wait to write, edit and lay out again, so wish me luck on the job hunt!

2. Exercise more. Extremely cliche, I know, but while I take public transportation and walk everywhere in Shanghai, I know this isn't always the case at home. I'll definitely have to make a conscious effort to get out and move. Why is staying healthy so much harder at home? (And I vetoed the whole eating healthy resolution because I know for a fact that when I get home I'll be gorging myself on Mexican food, In n Out, and Nutella brownies for at least the first month. Possibly more.) Maybe I should pick up yoga or tennis again?

3. Get back into the cello. After 6 months of no practicing, I am already wincing at the idea of how this is going to go. It's kind of like going through the stages of loss - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance... I can already see myself emoting by sawing away unsuccessfully at some Bach. It's infuriating how out of practice your fingers can get at something you've done effortlessly for years :(

4. Learn something new, or get involved in something new, and hopefully be passionate about it. I'm not sure if this counts as a resolution, since this kind of stuff usually happens when you're not looking, but I don't want to fall into the whole work/eat/sleep rut again that I was in last year.

Time to write this on an index card and stick it in my wallet as a reminder.

Since I'm quite a few hours ahead of most of you who are reading this, have a great NYE, and happy 2012! I celebrated earlier tonight by going to the Bund and Nanjing Road. It was SUPER crowded, as expected. I almost didn't go, but then I figured what the heck, this is probably the only chance I'll have to be in Shanghai for New Year's. Verdict: I prefer celebrating with friends back in good 'ol California. I'd take champagne and sparklers in the backyard over a pyrotechnic spectacular in one of the world's most crowded cities, any day.

The fireworks, car alarms, and yowling cats outside my window finally stopped. Time for bed.

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

There is a Christmas tree right by the subway stop near where I work. Every time I walk by, there are less ornaments hanging on its lower branches. I can't help but chuckle every time I walk by, but it's also a little bit sad - do the people not realize that the tree is there for public enjoyment? I took a picture but the upload took forever and did not work (story of my life), so here is a placeholder for when I return to the land of fast and reliable internet connection (yes, that is my nickname for America).

8 foot tree missing all its bottom ornaments

Christmas in Shanghai

2011-12-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

China is not big on Christmas. While the department stores deck themselves out with trees, lights and bulbs, the majority of the population does not celebrate. I asked my students if they celebrate, and what they know about Christmas, and minus Santa, Jingle Bells, and the birth of Jesus, they did not know much at all. They've never seen Elf or Home Alone (gasp!), decked out a tree, decorated sugar cookies, taken part in a secret santa gift exchange, or sung Christmas carols. They have no idea what they are missing out on! The holidays definitely make me more homesick than usual, especially since none of that stuff goes on here. Store windows are decorated and Christmas songs blare from mall loudspeakers, but its just not the same. There's no bustling Christmas shoppers and there's just not that 'spirit' in the air of anticipation and celebrating family traditions. People do get together with their families, or if you're religious, go to church, but mostly it's just another day. Most of my coworkers and students used it as another day to catch up on work, some ate with family, or went out with friends.

Luckily, technology allows me to participate in the Christmas festivities even though I'm far from home. I spent a quiet weekend at my apartment (well-deserved after that huge party) doing laundry, cleaning, and just relaxing. Melody webcammed me in for some present-opening, and Wilson was a sweetie and skyped me into his family festivities. I made mashed potatoes (been craving them for ages) and pork chops and finished it off with some yummy chocolate cake. All in all, Christmas was not as brutally homesick-triggering as I thought it would be; in fact, spending it alone wasn't all that bad. It gave me time to think and appreciate all I have in life and the people who are important. Most Christmases are so hectic that you don't have time to stop and reflect on why it's really meaningful. It doesn't matter that I'm far away, because I'm lucky and grateful to have so many people who love me and whom I love in return. And Skype makes home feel not so far away anymore. Despite this, I am promised a second Christmas when I return home, complete with candy canes and gingerbread houses!

p.s. Four Christmases is a horrible movie. What does it take to find a copy of Elf around here?!

The Tongji IEC Annual Christmas Party

2011-12-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

… is finally over. I never thought I’d be happy for a Christmas party, of all things, to be over. But when you’ve been planning the details of a party for 200+ students for over a month, you’d be glad when it’s over, too. Especially when there is free booze involved. Picking up prizes, handling the raffle, making sure the students are on track for the talent show/performance I can handle, but praying that nothing goes horribly wrong when the bar is handing out pitchers of whiskey? Thank god this night is over. Whatever happened to free (light) beer at college parties?

I'm feeling magnanimous since its the holiday season, so I'll share with you my secrets to throwing a successful party. Ingredients include: a coworker ditching the Santa costume for a Miffy rabbit one and not being afraid to dance on stage in it, a mini Azn popstar/rap concert complete with a skinny guy in an oversized sweatshirt with fangirls draped all over him, the teacher's pet screaming his soul out to some Megadeth, and a poor boy who kneeled on the stage and professed his love with a ginormous bouquet of roses only to have the object of his affections freak out because she didn’t like him. Poor guy got rejected in public.

I’ll post more pictures when I get home – It’s hard enough at the moment to upload text without freezing my temperamental internet connection by trying to load pictures. Until then, I am off to enjoy my quiet, relaxing Christmas.

China is bad for my English

2011-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Fact. Sure I'm teaching English, but most of the time this means making sure my students understand the grammar and technicalities behind the English language. Simply put, I end up explaining more complex subjects in simpler words, and hoping that they can read/write/speak at a 4th grade level. While my grammar has improved, one thing that has definitely slipped - and the same thing happened when I was in Paris - is my vocabulary. And I hate it! What I love about the English language is the expansive vocabulary available that you can use to articulate yourself so that you can convey exactly what you mean with just-right words. For example, why use 'fake' to describe the merchandise at the tourist shops in Shanghai when 'ersatz' fits so much better? Use dissonant to describe the grinding noise as the subway approaches the stop? I'm afraid that all the Chinese I'm trying to stuff in my brain is pushing out the English I already knew. Thank goodness for my Kindle-- I am that nerdy girl on the evening subway commute reading Fitzgerald and catching up with new vocabulary words.

Cheating is NOT cool!

2011-12-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

I’m not saying I’ve never done it – you’d make exceptions too if you grew up with the reigning UNO champion who plays by her own rules – but I never realized until yesterday how much it irked me. After taking a dip in the world of academia, I now understand why it drives teachers absolutely INSANE when their students cheat. As a student, I got that it was beyond unfair for one of my peers to get an A ripping off someone else’s work when the rest of us worked our asses off, but it never drove me crazy. Until yesterday, when I caught some (note: not ONE, but SOME!) of my students cheating during their weekly writing exercises. How it works is every week they are assigned a passage to memorize, and on Monday they have to write it from memory for me to take home and correct. It’s supposed to help them with their grammar, spelling and writing – although to be honest, improvement at the moment is questionable. I personally think making them write paragraphs and do grammar corrections is more advantageous, but that’s the Chinese teaching system for you – and I am totally getting sidetracked so back to cheating.

Yesterday afternoon, I caught a few of my students cheating during their memorization exercises. They were looking at their phones, at pieces of paper tucked into the side of their desks and into notebooks – you know, the oldest tricks in the book. I was – and still am – infuriatingly mad over it. When your student cheats, it’s like a personal insult. They don’t realize that A) I was not born yesterday and B) the only person they are cheating is their self. Even after taking away their phones, making them put away their stuff, and telling them I was not afraid to fail them, they still didn’t get how serious cheating is. I would rather them fail honestly then be sneaky and cheat their way to me giving them an A. I’ve been fuming about it ever since, and you know what? I’ve found a new pet peeve!!

This morning, I became that lecture-y teacher no one likes. And I held back my harsher words, because while I want them to understand that cheating is NOT okay, and in the States you’d be screwed for the rest of your career if you ever tried it at an institution of higher education, I did not want to insult their culture and upbringing. Harsh as that is to say, cutting corners is an ingrained part of Chinese society. Forget all the contaminated food scares in the news – I see it all the time in the classroom. Cutting in line is a fact of life for some of these kids, as is stealing information – I was pissed when I found a couple of students swiping my lessons of my USB without even asking me earlier this semester! The atmosphere is very first-come, first serve. I learned this first-hand when I brought cookies to share with my 6^th graders over the summer. Long story short, I directed the class monitors to make sure everyone got a piece and ended up watching in horror as a riot unfolded before my eyes. I did not bring cookies after that, and while that was a class of 6^th graders, I see variations of the same thing with these college-aged students. They don’t think twice about starting fights DURING class. It’s happened 4 times already this semester. Not in the classroom during study hours, mind you, but interrupting your teacher mid-lesson fighting. Where is the respect for your teacher and classmates? I always thought that kind of stuff only happened in the movies – I mean, a girl fight breaking out in the middle of your grammar lesson? Only in Barney Stinson’s world.

Looking at all this, I guess I can’t blame the individuals — it’s the system’s fault to begin with. How are these kids supposed to learn that cheating is never okay when the only reprimand they get is a slap on the wrist? There are going to be some kids upset with their grades this week, and I only hope that this will help the fact sink in before they learn it the hard way.

I know I’m being a negative nancy – teaching is actually very rewarding and fun, and I’ve been enjoying my time here, but it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. It’s funny how a couple of bad apples can make you forget that the rest of your students are trying hard – it’s always the generalizations in a moment of anger that lead to stereotypes, right? So let’s leave this rant where it is and I’ll go back to being a cheerful lao shr tomorrow morning.

cute overload is on my doorstep!

2011-11-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

In the States, we visit YouTube, cuteoverload.com or LOLcats to get our daily dose of heartmeltingly cute critters doing absolutely nothing except sporting a hat made out of a fruit peel or sleeping in a hot dog bun. In Shanghai, all I have to do is walk outside my apartment complex to the critter wagon and voila! Instant happiness. On any given day, there is a middle-aged lady with a bike wagon full of cute little furry creatures parked on my corner. In this wagon, you can find every cute little baby animal that is featured on a wall calendar, except at your fingertips! So imagine cages full of dwarf bunnies, ducklings, guinea pigs, hamsters and chicks — kind of depressing, no? Every time I walk by, I don’t let myself stop, because it’s just too tempting to take them all home with me. Wilson — please ignore my recent pleas for the pink teacup pig and tan non-flop-eared dwarf bunny. It’s just a phase, and I’m pretty sure it will end in 2 months. Plus, I could never cheat on Molly.

Shanghai on a dollar or less

2011-11-17T22:26:00.000-08:00

Things you can buy in Shanghai with $1 USD or less:

6.3 RMB = $1

.10 RMB: 1 black and white copy from the copy shop

1 RMB: a pen or pencil, pocket tissues, piece of fruit from the fruit stand, 1 color copy from the copy shop

2 RMB: bus fare, a box of paperclips, sticky notes, an ink pen that will do the job, bottle of water, a slice of freshly baked bread from a street vendor, a pocket protector for my transit card

2.5 RMB: 4 dumplings or 4 soup buns, a bunch of in-season vegetables at the green grocer’s, a postcard (postage not included), a can of coke

3 RMB: an ice cream cone, Chinese breakfast ‘burrito’, a Dove candy bar, a plastic disposable shower cap

4 RMB: one-way metro ticket to most places around the city, Snickers bar, a bottle of soda/juice/gatorade, a baguette from Carrefour

5 RMB: your choice from an endless selection of instant noodles and Pocky, my one-way subway fare to work

6 RMB: a piece of specialty bread from the bakery, a donut, a bag of chips, a notebook, an ice cream cone from KFC

Sure beats the stuff you get in the States. I remember a cycle of laundry at the Muir dorms being 50 cents… but they’ve probably upped it by now. You can’t even get an hour of parking for a dollar anymore :(

And just because I know you’re curious:

10 RMB: A cup of coffee or milk tea from a bakery/donut shop, average price of a bowl of noodles from a mom&pop shop, 2 potatoes/tomatoes or onions from the 'organic' section of the supermarket, a loaf of white bread

25 RMB: A box of cereal, a package of pork chops from the supermarket

30 RMB: average price of a grande blended drink at Starbucks (yes, they’re everywhere here, too, and the coffee is still horrid)

The tiger mother next door

2011-11-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

There is a tiger mother in the building next door to my grand-uncle’s. I’ve never seen her, but she’s there — I’ve heard her kid. I go over to my uncle’s for dinner practically every night (at exactly 5:45 pm), and the kid is practicing the clarinet. When I leave at around 7:45pm, her kid is still at it. Poor kid.

Boy, am I glad I am not their neighbor.

B's Chinese friends

2011-11-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hangin' out with some pandas while waiting for our flight to Taipei.

Firecrackers

2011-11-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

Chinese people and their love of firecrackers is absolutely insane but cathartic at the same time. They set off fireworks at the grand opening to any store or event, weddings, Chinese New Year, or basically whenever it pleases them. I will be watching the news at 7:30 and all of a sudden a series of explosions start going off outside your window. The first time this happened, I freaked. My exact words were “OH MY GOD there's a GUN FIGHT outside!!” (except in Chinese). Until I noticed that my relatives were unfazed and did not even seem to hear it. Kind of like when my dad’s beeper used to go off in the middle of the night when I was having a sleepover with friends, and I was the only one who couldn't hear it. The first minute it’s kind of interesting, like ‘ooh where’s the noise coming from? It sounds kind of interesting. I want to set me off some firecrackers too!’ and then after a moment it gets old really, really fast. To the point where I think I’m going insane and want to scream out the window at the village people to keep their racket to themselves. Only at that point – not before I want to pull my hair out – does the pandemonium finally stop! Too bad it sets off the gang of feral cats that lives outside my bedroom window.

the best kind of company

2011-10-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

You've all met Bartholomew. He's been my greatest comfort these past few months, because who am I kidding -- it gets lonely in such a big city. When the time difference is ridiculous and it is 4am in California, Bartholomew keeps me company. In addition to his ice cream-only diet (which is severely impacted here because of the questionable quality of Chinese dairy products) he also demands photographs with all the major landmarks of the world. Yes, I know how old I am and realize that I'm in the grown up world, but who doesn't love B? I realized last night that he deserves some recognition too -- I take him with me on my travels because he's like a piece of home. He makes strange places more familiar, is extremely photogenic and fits perfectly in my backpack. What more could you ask of a traveling companion?

did you know...

2011-10-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Some interesting things I’ve learned about China, gleaned from observation, reading the news and having conversations with my students/relatives/friends:

The imbalance of guys to girls in China is pretty widely known – about 116 boys for every 100 girls (quoting my second grand uncle, I/he could be wrong) – but there’s definitely a preference for boys over girls. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but my class of 30 students only has 5 girls. No kidding. Apparently, many parents are less willing to invest in girls and give them a higher education (past a bachelor’s degree) because they expect their daughters to marry at around 25 years old and then stay home to raise their children. Women who are around 30 and unmarried are called “shen nu ren,” which means left-over woman. Yikes.

You know how in the U.S., women still earn about 78 cents to every dollar a man makes? That doesn’t go on here – both sexes are paid equally for the same job. The U.S. needs to learn something from this. However, foreigners (say, if you are white and from America/England/France, etc.) are often paid significantly more than their Asian counterparts who do the same job.

On gender equality- I find that both sexes still aren’t really “equal” like they are in the U.S. For example, when I went camping (if you can call it that, at the Chinese military base), it was really apparent they expect all the guys to do the grunt work, but not only that, the girls are okay with it—okay with not being given the option to help out, while I was kind of offended. Another thing— I’m helping plan the annual basketball tournament for the students (about 140 students total), and there are 4 teams: all boys. When I was meeting with one of the administrative staff, she said that the girls had wanted to form a team too, but "nooo, we can’t have that." I was shocked and offended when she said that! They would have a lawsuit slapped on them quicker than anything if this was the U.S.!

Native Shanghainese are often preferred over people from outside the city (wai di ren, “outside land people,” basically people from the countryside who emigrated to Shanghai in hopes of making a better future for themselves) for jobs such as nannying or housecleaning, because they can be trusted (aka tracked down in case anything happens). They have a reputation to uphold because all their documents are in Shanghai, whereas you don’t know if people from the wai di are trustworthy, and if they do happen to screw you over, you might not be able to track them down because they have fake papers (not that they do, but that seems to be the stereotype around here).

Guns are illegal here. No one owns one. Only a specific department of the police are allowed to have them, and they often abuse the privileges (or so I’m told). They are dispatched when there is social unrest, and well, you can probably guess the rest…

There is no minimum age for buying alcohol or cigarettes. Sure, you’re allowed to drive at 18, but when you’re 10 and want to buy some baijiu (white spirit, the stuff is disgusting, kind of like rubbing alcohol), no prob. In fact, the Chinese government owns the China Tobacco Company, whose popularity accounts for about 10% of the country’s annual revenue (read in The Economist) – so of course they’re not really going to educate their constituents in the harms of smoking!

Weekend in Wuxi

2011-10-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

I spent the day fighting crowds and traffic in Wuxi -- in the cold and rain. Now I know why people stay home for the national holiday - and that's what I'm doing for the rest of the week! I'm actually kind of excited -- I'm getting a permanent wave tomorrow (besides cutting it, I've never done much with my hair, so this is BIG), and I need to do some shopping for my inappropriate winter wardrobe. I underestimated how early (or late) it would get cold, as in, not this weekend. It looks like a lightweight jacket is not going to get me through until the 20th, but no worries -- another trip to the tailor's is in order.

Anyway, Wuxi is a 2 hour's drive by car to the northeast of Shanghai, where Tai Hou, a huge lake, is located. We went and saw the lake and this huge amusement park of a Buddhist temple. I'm not kidding you -- you pay about $30 USD per person to get into this walled religious complex where there are lots of gilded buddhas, temples and places to throw money and burn incense, except unfortunately, there are no rides. You are supposed to spend more money on food, incense, and luck, namely in the form of huge fountains/pagodas/bins they strategically place around the place so you can throw all sorts of spare change in there. The pinnacle of the experience is trekking to the top of the hill, where the huge buddha is (think the Statue of Liberty) and then you're supposed to wait an hour and a half in line so you can rub her big toe for good luck. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a place for the church (monastery?) to make money off tourists. And it is living proof that if you build it, they will come -- people were lining up by the hundreds, possibly thousands, to get in here. I had lunch in the most ridiculous, ostentatiously decorated building that reminded me of the Vatican. I mean, it looked nice and everything, but then you realize how much money it probably cost to build it and all the other better things they could have done with it.

It was a cold, wet and dreary day, but way better than sightseeing on a hot and humid day. I was so cold though, by the end of the day all I wanted was to go home (the one in Los Angeles), have a hot shower and curl up with my ridiculous pink fluffy robe with some hot chocolate and a puppy. Sometimes I ask myself, if I have all those wonderful things at home, what in the world am I doing here? I need to get my head checked.

Also, I don't think I'm usually this pessimistic in my posts, but it might be the minor head cold and exhaustion from my religious pilgrimage today talking.

*note: I'll update with pictures when I get home and have access to my camera cord! I'm currently at my relative's house for the weekend.

the south bund: my new closet

2011-09-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

I went to the cloth market last week in the South Bund, where all the tailors are located, and IT WAS AMAZING. Originally, the errand was to pick up a shirt my mom wanted copied, but it turned into a shopping excursion – not the normal kind, but the kind where you wander a boundless pit where all your fashion dreams come true. The possibilities are endless! You can get traditional silk chi paos made, business suits, formal dresses, winter coats, fur coats, leather jackets, you name it. I got fitted for a wool/cashmere blend cape for the winter, and it was so fun trying on all the different styles, getting measured, and picking out the color and cloth for it – all for about $60 USD! It’s dangerously addictive, and I already know quite a portion of my paycheck will – happily- go to the tailor’s. It’s so much fun, and the price to get it done in the states would be exorbitant. The dangerous thing about this process is that I have to go back this week to pick up my coat, which inevitably means that I will once more need to ponder if I really need a replica Chanel suit for my life to be complete (the answer is YES! - which will then lead me to return the following week to pick it up, and then the cycle will start again). Which makes me very excited.

A sign that I’m slowly assimilating to Chinese culture is the fact that I don’t mind bargaining anymore. Enjoyment is an overstatement, but I have to say that it adds an element of thrill to shopping, and then there is nothing like the elation when you score yourself a pair of black flats for about $10USD. 450* yuan for a leather belt? No way, I’m not paying anything over 150! I have a feeling that the shock of American prices when I go home force me into becoming a miser – but no worries, you’ll be able to find me luxuriating in my closet, eating Poptarts and barbecue (the latest in my list of things I miss. Goodness, I don’t even eat Poptarts at home!).

*note: the exchange rate is about about 6.5 yuan to $1USD, and Wilson is now the proud new owner of a sleek black belt, which I scored for 120 yuan!

Hong Kong > Shanghai

2011-09-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this as I wait at the terminal for my flight from Shenzhen to Shanghai — I went to Hong Kong for the weekend to visit my relatives. I ate delicious Chinese food – I still don’t get how they take the most ordinary food and make it into something better than perfect – hung out with my aunts and uncles who I sadly do not get to see often enough, and reveled in the overabundance of shopping malls. Both my wallet and daily caloric intake took a beating. Thank goodness I do not live here, or else my self-control would be nonexistent (as well as my bank account and waistline).

In front of one of the most touristy destinations in HK - I made my uncles pose with me in front of the Bruce Lee statue, because that is pretty much the only thing you do at the Avenue of Stars (minus admire the skyline). It was fun and they were mortified (locals just do not get caught doing this, I had to beg them). Also, I enjoyed the ferry ride across the harbor immensely, Hong Kong is just so pretty at night!

Frozen yogurt with Ian, my little cousin. He just lost 4 teeth and is the most adorable thing when he smiles (or shares his opinions about anything in general).

Hiked down a mountain to a fish market, this place is so removed from the skyscrapers and traffic of the city!

Fast food in Hong Kong (I know, isn't it awesome?) I got curry and my uncle Eddie got pork and rice. If only American fast food were like this!

The view of the city from Happy Valley, the racetrack. One of the few open, grassy spaces you find in the city, how peaceful!

Melody this is for you -- went to get milk tea and buns at Tsui Hua (notice the headline on the daily, haha!)

After being in China for 2 months, it’s funny how I could instantly notice the subtle differences between Hong Kong and the mainland. I definitely think that Hong Kong is the more livable of the two cities when compared to Shanghai – the public transportation system is much more complete and convenient, the people more helpful and polite. Did I mention that its much cleaner and the food is safe to eat? There are normal toilets, and the people have actually heard of bleach (and use it)!!! Needless to say, Hong Kong was such a welcome break from always being on the alert in Shanghai. Having family around does make such a difference—I felt like I could relax and not worry about whether or not food was safe to eat, if I could trust someone, if I could find my way around without getting lost, or if I was ordering the right thing on the menu. Not that I consciously worry about these things in Shanghai, but I have to say that my stress level went down significantly this weekend. Now its back to the usual grind, but I’m sure once I get used to living in Shanghai (and my Chinese gets better) I’ll have a much easier time of it. I’ve recently made some friends in Shanghai that are also here from California, and a friend of mine will be arriving tomorrow to study until December, so I’m really excited to have some company! It’s amazing what a difference friends and familiar faces can make on the whole transition/adapting process - definitely makes it a lot easier.

I'm alive!

2011-08-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

On the Great Wall with some lovely girls from England that I travelled with.

I am probably now known across the web as the girl who does not update her blog, ever. I have a valid excuse, I promise. Here it is: up until I got an internet card a week ago, blogger, twitter, and facebook were all blocked on my computer. Thanks a lot, vpn that I paid for! And by I, I mean Wilson, who I will pay back with silk panda ties (sorry love, I’m not kidding, it’s sitting in my suitcase) as well as a fobbed-out wardrobe when I return for being a dear and dealing with my wanderlust ways.

Hopefully you’ve all been getting my emails or emailing me in the meanwhile because you miss me so freakin much. Anyway, after a month in Haining teaching primary school/high school and 2 weeks traveling around China (to answer your questions: Hangzhou, Suzhou, Beijing and yes, the Great Wall was mind blowing, but more on that later), I am finally back in Shanghai and here to stay. My plan was originally to be here until October but I’ve recently decided to extend my stay until January because the position I was offered at the university was conditional on me staying until the end of the semester, and I figured, why not? I have a place to stay, a wage I can live off of, and yet-unknown but probably infuriating and shocking experiences with Chinese culture to have in the near future (there are so many stories to tell I don’t even know where to start). Oh, and I’d like to perfect my Mandarin skills, obviously on the forefront of my agenda in China. Now can you see why an extended sojourn in Shanghai won out against my better judgment of going home and being a grown-up?

There’s much to catch you all up on, and I’ll start tomorrow -- after I tell my students about college life in the states, because slideshows about the educated, partying youth of America do not make themselves.

Bartholomew in a classic Chinese watertown setting. He's on a [classic chinese river] boat!

2 weeks

2011-06-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

...until I leave for Shanghai!

Kind of looks like Hong Kong, except with some different buildings?

You're all probably thinking, finally, she gets back to writing about more interesting things (as reflected in the title of my blog). It occurred to me about a week ago that I won't be able to access Facebook while I'm in China (the horror!!), so luckily you can find out what I'm up to on here.

So, until October, I will be teaching elementary/middle school aged kids, trying to learn how to write in Chinese, exploring my roots, avoiding contaminated food items, surviving the 90% humidity (I am actually dreading this one, but it will be worth it in the end!), and of course the many places Bartholomew and I will visit. Plus more, I'm sure. I've never been to China before and besides my ability to speak Mandarin and all the stuff I learned in my college days about world government/economy/politics (which is not saying much for the cultural adaptation necessary once I get there), I know next to nothing. Thank goodness I know Mandarin.

This time around, I'm going abroad to teach -- English, of course (I don't know what anybody would learn if I tried teaching Chinese). I've been saving up for the past year, will be earning enough to support myself, and overall this trip is much more un-structured than the study abroad program I did in college. My first teaching gig is for the month of July in Haining, in the Zhejiang province (about 2 hours outside of Shanghai), and then I'll have a few weeks to kill before I start teaching at a university/high school program in Shanghai until I leave in October. I'm hoping I'll make some good friends to travel with -- I haven't thought too much about where I want to go yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

In all honesty, the fact that I'm actually leaving in two weeks hasn't even hit me. With my deadlines at work and a hectic social schedule to try and see everyone before I leave (everyone is coming home for the Summer just as I'm leaving!), I've been shoving all my travel planning onto the backburner. Anyway, this is just a heads up to let you know that I'm going back to my globe-trotting ways -- Hooray!!

Molly

2011-06-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone, meet Molly:

Molly is a 2 year old miniature poodle we got in the beginning of May - her previous owners were moving out of the country, and she was almost on her way to the shelter until we found out about her from a friend. She's quickly charmed us all and assumed the position of family favorite. Her skills include escaping by jumping over the backyard wall (only to show up at the front door) and sitting on demand, and her interests are: being petted, human food, and watching/chasing (or getting owned by) squirrels, in that order. She is already up there on the list of things I will miss like crazy when I go to China -- like uncontaminated dairy products (i.e. ice cream) and arid climate -- I'm still formulating a plan on how I will survive without them. It's crazy how fast a little sheep in disguise can grow on you!

I'm on my way to becoming the crazy dog lady. Watch, the next time I see you, I'll probably whip out some uber cute Molly photos that you did not want to spend 10 minutes gushing over.

grad + bag

2011-06-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Congrats to my brainy boyfriend on his M.S.! Notice the distinctive gold collar (I kept calling it a "cape," which you have to admit sounds cooler) and what is peeking out from the bag.

And no, I am not one of those girls who subjects her boyfriend to being a purse-carrier, I just had to get a shot of Wilson and Bartholomew!

judging a book by its cover

2011-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Penguin Books commissioned Jill Tamaki to make embroidered covers for some of their Classics (printed of course, not actually embroidered ones, sadly), and this one is one of my favorites. I think I need to add this copy to my personal library.

sweet succulents

2011-04-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is the product of my afternoon (That is, after the extremely unproductive portion where I went out to run errands only to find out that EVERYTHING is closed on Easter... I swear the exact same thing happened last year). Fortunately, my mom is the owner of a variety of monstrous succulents, so I just went around snipping off tiniest ones, stuck them in the pot, and voila! This one may just have to go on my desk at work.

puppy shopping

2011-04-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

I'd like this puppy in the window, please. (also available in desktop)

I've been dog shopping lately, and I was so excited all week to see a Westie this weekend (see extremely heart-melting puppy above), except somewhere along the way, I thought about buying from a breeder vs. adopting from the shelter, and the shelter won out. (btw, what do you think about the whole adopt vs. buy thing? Animals at the shelter obviously need a good home so much more, but if no one buys the puppies, don't they end up there too? )

So today, we went to the SPCA and I met the cutest little standard poodle mix - and we can take her home on Tuesday if we want her. She's the most charming little Benji-looking pup with a slight shagginess about her. The slightly ruffled-looking ones always get me... so cross your fingers that I'll be updating my blog with a new companion on Tuesday!

I'm going green(er)!

2011-04-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

From the Threadless Earth Day T-Shirt Challenge

How do you celebrate Earth Day? In honor of the holiday I'm evaluating my non-green habits and pledging to improve on them this year. So, to observe this year, I will:

1. Make a habit of taking my reusable grocery bags to the grocery store. They're in the car anyway, I need to stop being lazy/forgetting and go back to get them!

2. Carpool to work with dad whenever possible. Built-in pro: I won't oversleep my alarm.

3. Plant more vegetables in the garden this weekend. Flowers are nice and all, but since I've discovered that our garden is capable of growing monster zucchini, why not put that soil to work?

4. Start a compost pile. I've been meaning to do this -- now is the time!

5. Support more small and local businesses. I've been trying to do this more since Christmas shopping last year, but it's tricky sometimes with all those big box stores everywhere!

I've already started on #s 2, 3 and 5. Now it's time to establish these all as habits!!

EARTH, I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU! (hey, everyone only has to do their part - how are you saving Earth this year?)

something to remember

2011-04-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

From The Great Chase by Natasha Noveski

The latter, I've found, is the story of life after college. Why wait for an adventure to come find you when you can embark on one yourself? Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and jump in. (and hope for the best)

roses

2011-02-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

Guess who got a surprise delivery at work yesterday?

that's right, me!!

What is it about red roses that spell out love and romance? Pink, yellow or white roses are just not the same. Counting down the days until I visit Wilson-- 3 more days! Thanks for the wonderful surprise, can't wait to see you!!

one day...

2011-01-27T22:23:00.000-08:00

I will see the Aurora Borealis.

Photo from National Geographic, taken in Norway

Imagine looking up and seeing the northern lights above you-- just staring at the picture puts me in awe.

(By the way, there is nothing more awe-inspiring than looking at NatGeo photos. It makes me want to drop everything i'm doing and go see the world. LIFE magazine issues, too.)

wanderlust

2011-01-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

- St. Augustine

Photo source

Hong Kong

2010-10-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I was 12 the last time I visited, I wasn't sure what to expect this time (don't even get me started on Macau). I remember a blur of lights, noise (mostly unintelligible cantonese), good food and good shopping, but nothing specific. Gosh what a waste, remind me never to take my kids traveling until they're in high school. This time around though, it was almost an overwhelming of the senses, where every experience is sharpened because it is familiar, but at the same time not.

This is how they deliver vegetables?

Bartholomew in front of Victoria Park (equivalent of NYC's Central Park)

First off, I don't speak cantonese. And I certainly don't read chinese, which puts me at a huge disadvantage when it comes to bargaining at night markets (very important), communicating with my aunts and uncles (so I can tell them about my exciting life back home and how much I have grown - and NOT physically- since they last saw me), and finding my way around the maze-like roads (when i'm not risking my life looking lef-right-left). Unlike Europe, where life is like a pretty picture and things just seem to fit into the landscape (maybe I'm just used to westernized culture?), Hong Kong is full of interruptions. It's colorful, bright, and loud-- not just the language. Buildings are so tall you can't see the end of them, and people live in such close quarters its really quite claustrophobic. People are everywhere, ants moving from place to place, just like in those fast-forward clips of Times Square in Tokyo.

Hong Kong at night

And the food-- it's like the chinese food you find in LA, except hyped up on steriods, better than you thought your dimsum/chow mein/roast duck experience could ever get! Flavors and textures of foods I grew up with are more refined - and also foreign, in a way, to what I know. I've discovered that there really are gourmet chinese restaurants, not the hole-in-the-wall places in LA that seem to have questionable preparation methods (eat, don't question). Don't get me wrong, still still have that in Hong Kong, but at the same time you can buy lunch for less than $3 USD. Clean, elegant restaurants with fishing boats hanging from the ceiling, better soup dumplings than din tai fung (not to mention the people in the window making them are actually Chinese), and tastefully hung paintings. Who woulda thunk?

The best duck I have ever had!!

dim sum-- it looks the same as the stuff here, but it certainly doesn't taste like it.

Shop selling lots of dried goods that I would never eat.

Dear Mr. Jones,

2010-09-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

There is a limit to practicing your right to free speech and at some point, it is better to shut up and keep it to yourself. Such an example is Mr. Jones, the pastor in Florida that wants to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of September 11. I think that this man is an absolute idiot, and it makes me shake with anger and frustration that he would endanger the lives of others in order to prove his own point. Watching the news last night, I wished that I could have the ability and power to prevent him from what he’s about to do- talk sense into him, shake him, whatever.

At this point, embassies around the world are on the alert for any violent activity that might occur as a result of this Koran-burning. So are our troops. I’m perfectly fine with people expressing their opinions, but it is when other people are at the risk of getting hurt at that expense when a line needs to be drawn. Mr. Jones, our troops and overseas representatives cannot die to prove your little point- they are already risking their lives to fight this war. Burning Korans will do more harm than good-- terrorists are already blowing up people and buildings without you aggravating the situation even more! There are so many people still hurting from September 11, but outright disrespect for another religion is not going to help solve anything. Unless you are willing to stand at the forefront of your opinions, burning the Korans yourself in front of a mosque in Afghanistan surrounded by Islamic extremists, don’t do it. And don’t you dare make our troops and overseas representatives pay for the consequences of your foolish actions.

emerging adult, or overgrown adolescent? neither.

2010-08-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

The New York Times recently published this article discussing the recent emergence of a new category of quasi-adulthood, or "emerging adulthood," which puts the whole (unemployed) college-graduated 20-somethings living at home status under examination. It explains research about how the mind is still developing into its 20s, and how the embodiment of our age group has transformed drastically in the last decade or so. For example, the article states that today's 20-somethings

"reach the milestones [marks of adulthood] completely out of order, advancing professionally before committing to a monogamous relationship, having children young and marrying later, leaving school to go to work and returning to school long after becoming financially secure."

So we aren't becoming the cookie-cutter adults we're supposed to be as quickly as in the past. (Minus the fact that I didn't need to read 10 pages to find out) But does this really merit a completely new category of psychological development as discussed in the Times? Is the 20-something group so different from the 'real adults' that we need a category of 'emerging adulthood,' which is really just another way of saying an 'overgrown adolescence'?

I don't think so.

Yes, there may be proof of continuing brain development in the prefrontal cortex that change as we move closer to achieving or deciding on life paths, but those who endorse a new category of adulthood don't have their bases completely covered. 20-somethings today who choose to move home, marry later, return to school, or do whatever they want as opposed to join the real world, do so because they choose to. Choose is the key word. If necessary, they would have to settle on a path that would lead them to a more stable 'journey' to adulthood. The fact is that today many college graduates don't have to, so they put it off.

For example, if my parents kicked me out of the house today, forget the castle in the air idea I have of becoming an editor... any odd job that will pay my way will have to do. Maybe I sound like a hypocrite, stating there's no "emerging adulthood" stage when i'm possibly in it, but my point is that in the appropriate situation, I would face reality and grow up. 20-somethings are not incapable of getting a grip on reality and dealing with it. We're old enough to make decisions and deal with the consequences, as people our age have been doing for centuries.

This "emerging adulthood" (that is emerging primarily in developed nations, by the way) is the product of culture. Its happening whether we like it or not, but my point is that this new 'milestone' in life doesn't necessarily merit its own clinical psychological category. We're programmed to respond to our culture and environment, and here's where it has brought us. Take away any security blanket and see how the normal human reacts-- get a job and move on with life, right? No new brain connection developments needed.

books or ebooks?

2010-08-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

photo credits

The first thing I see when you walk into Barnes & Noble is a booth selling the Nook or Kindle. Reading ebooks has become extremely popular, especially since you can access them on your ipod, itouch, phone, or whatever portable electronic device you carry around, but I don't think convenience can ever replace the real thing. Similar to how the music industry suffered from illegal downloading and mp3s, the print industry is now suffering from digitalized access, and I personally think its a shame. Staring at my laptop screen as I eat Sunday brunch with my family (in a restaurant, no less) seems ridiculous, whereas reading them in paper form is our weekend ritual. I spent a large portion of my childhood reading at the dinner table and reading as I walked home from school (no joke)-- I don't think the habit would have been as easily acceptable if my eyes were glued to a screen of some sort (I was deprived video games as a kid on the premise that it would ruin my eyes. How futile-- I probably ruined them anyway by reading in bed.).

But really, a kindle that is stuffed to the terabytes with books can't be the same as browsing shelves of books, smelling the old-bookish smell, and reading them on the swing in the backyard. I don't think convenience is the reason that kids camp out each year for the newest Harry Potter book. What's a little electronic file to the cracked spines of some well-loved books? The thickness and weight of a good book in your hands is completely separate from the device that you use daily to schedule appointments or check your emails. Its the ticket to an adventure you can choose for yourself, separate from the daily clutter in life. It's the reason I continue to tuck books in my purse and fill my bookshelf to its double-stacked edges, and I don't plan on stopping.

friendship in a jar

2010-07-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

On the ferry to Balboa Island in Newport Beach (ick, i ruined the picture)

Do you ever wish you could bottle up a day or a feeling, and put it away so that one day when you're feeling down you can just take it off the shelf, relive a memory, and that moment would come back, making the world a wonderful place again? If I could, today would definitely be in a jar. There's nothing more blissful than a carefree summer day at the beach with girlfriends. Its not even necessarily the beach, but the people that make it exceptionally wonderful-- spending time with girls who understand you, dream with you, and don't mind mulling over every thought of gladness or concern that come your way like its their own. I don't get to see these girls nearly as much as i'd like to, but each time I do, we pick up where we left off. My birthday wasn't so much about celebrating me, it was more like celebrating friendship, and thats the way it should be. After all, how miserable would life be without friends? I'd be sitting there with no one to share my cake with, and there's definitely no fun in that.

By the way, check out this cute post :)

22

2010-07-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Chocolate cake from Miette in San Francisco. I could live in Miette, its a feast for your eyes!

I was cleaning out my room yesterday and found a pair of beauty and the beast figurines in a box. They were from my 8th birthday cake. I remember walking the two blocks home from school in the scorching heat with my friends for my birthday party. Every year i'd have an ice cream cake (preferably mint chocolate chip, from 31 Flavors). We'd have the happy birthday banner hung up in the dining room, and the Care Bears tablecloth with the matching plates and napkins (I swear my mom must have had a stash). We'd play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and musical chairs, and the ooh and ah over the newest Barbie (totally hair or butterfly Barbie) and Lisa Frank stationery.

Tomorrow is just another birthday. 22 is kind of boring- and scary - I don't feel like there's anything huge to celebrate, except getting older (scary.). Can *gasp* really be an adult now? I certainly don't feel like one. One thing's for sure, birthdays aren't so eventful anymore once you start getting older. Good friends and good food, yes, but the company has improved since I was 8 (hey, it can only go up from there, right?) and the food is much better. I'm super looking forward to chocolate cake with lavender frosting from Magnolia Bakery tomorrow! I went last week, and tried their cupcakes... definitely not as good as the cake (if purple had a flavor, this frosting would definitely be it). I have no idea why there's such a huge hype about their cupcakes when purple cake is obviously so much better. people.

Verdict: cake > cupcakes. Who wants two bites when they can have a slice? And despite a beauty and the beast/care bears party, 22 is still much better than 8.

back when I was in college...

2010-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm now going to sound super old when I say that. Weiird. And I now have a B.A. in International Studies in Political Science and Sociology. Hooray for finishing college! Thank you to everyone who was a part of the great memories, friendship, and support through the years-- you're what made my college experience wonderful and unforgettable.

What makes a commencement speech resonate? Is it funny? Honest? Realistic? Hopeful and optimistic? Of course it would make sense for it to take the glass half-full approach, but I think that when its overly optimistic and theatrically sentimental, it takes away from the real meaning of graduation. Commencement has a different meaning for everyone, and when you politicize it or personalize it to yourself, it takes away from how special the experience is for everyone in attendance. In case you haven't detected, the student commencement speech at my graduation was less than stellar. It made me wish that I had taken the time to submit my two cents to share with the entire 2010 UCSD Muir College graduates.

I've had the opportunity to read and listen to many commencement speeches in the past years, and honestly, a whole bunch of them are cookie-cutter. But then there are a good few that hold your attention without effort, because they are general but yet personal enough to resonate in everyone-- take the life lessons and advice how they will.

I attended the USC College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences commencement in May, and the commencement speech I heard for the ceremony has stuck with me ever since-- it was not brimming with optimism or overrun with worldly wisdom, but real and brutally honest- no, Imight not succeed in everything I try, and my coursework realistically did not prepare me for anything in life- and did I mention full of humor? It takes a lot to write a great speech-- and not all who write them are good writers, let alone speakers. But when you do hear one, it sounds so easy and effortless, a diamond in the rough. It reminds me how words really do have the power to encourage and give hope to the masses- just like how that song of a speech has stuck with me.

Goodbye, UCSD. It's been a great 4 years, and the things you've thrown at me have me looking forward to the bigger (and hopefully better) things that follow.

college, check.

2010-06-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it-- i'm done! It really hasn't hit me yet. I finished my final and came home as usual, to a huge pile of laundry and a room that needs packing. Just like the end of any other quarter.

Except in the fall, I won't be coming back. And i'm now unemployed.

Its funny looking back, I thought i'd never be done. I remember going on webreg to look at my class requirements, and everything was in red... and now it's all blue and i'm good to go. I thought i'd never finish, let alone declare a major. Aagh time flies a lot faster than we think.

Oh, life.

21: the peak of youth

2010-06-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

My days as a college student are numbered. I can count them on one hand. And as I finish, I just have a few things I'd like to say-- i'll never stop being a nerd.

It seems that as bad as my senioritis gets, I can't help but be consumed by my studying (old habits die hard). And in doing so the past quarter, i've discovered that nutrition is really a very fascinating subject. But despite the amazingness that is the human body, I realize that I am at the peak of my well-being. Physically, anyway.

After I turn 24 (or around that time period, anyway), my bone density will start to decrease. (and because I'm female, it could possibly develop into osteoporosis, 40 years down the line) To try and prevent this, I should be drinking 8 glasses of milk a day. Which is not happening.

My cholesterol will also start going up.

My metabolism will also slow and I will not be able to eat anything I want and not exercise (not that I should be doing that anyway).

I could spout out much much more, but i'll spare you. (Even though my brain is so stuffed full of human nutrition at the moment that I can't think.)

So amidst studying for my nutrition exam, reading nutrition labels (I find them really interesting now that I know what they all mean), and eating junk, I can conclude that my sleep-deprived, special-K bar diet days are almost over. Maybe that's a good thing.

dear sister,

2010-05-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Mel!

I can't believe you turn 24 today (oldie), and that you're celebrating it at the California Institute of Sciences. You totally knew I really really wanted to go, and you invited me on facebook just to spite me. :(. Not cool.

Anyway, happy birthday, and I'm glad you're my sister even though you used to force me to play ballet studio and barbies with you. I remember when you used to tape a list of rules on your door that you made me follow before I could go in. And back when we used to share a room, you'd draw a line down the middle and not let me cross it. We still had some good times though, like when we'd turn our top bunk into a fort, and when we pulled down the living room curtain rod and got in trouble because of your stupid ballet studio. I could go on, but i'll stop here.

Have fun celebrating today-- no wait. your week-long national holiday.

love,

happy mother's day

2010-05-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Syracuse, New York, 1991

I'm the one in purple.

Thanks mom, for everything you do.

technology of the future

2010-05-03T00:15:00.001-07:00

In 5 years, 10 years, 30 years, where do you see technology? Greener, faster, more energy efficient?

free public wi-fi networks.

OLEDs.

affordable living... on the moon.

A machine that's able to xerox cells to create tissue and healthy organs for transplants.

Cleaner burning fuels with no harmful emissions.

Maybe these ideas aren't so creative, but hey, its midterms week and i'm grabbing these off the top of my head.

Anyway, onto the point... while we go at our daily (sometimes mundane) lives, there are people out there who are wrapping their minds around how they could really change the world and make it a better place. They imagine it and work to make it happen. These ideas become a reality, and down the line, transform the ways we think, live, access education, ideas, healthcare... you name it. And I'm really proud to know a group of awesome people who are working to do that exact thing. Presenting...

The grand prize winners of the 2010 Imagine Cup!

Congratulations Wilson, Jason, Helena, and Kayvon!

These four went to Washington D.C. last weekend to compete in the national round of the annual Imagine Cup competition. Their program (hardware and software), MobiLife, won the grand prize for the software development invitational. In layman's terms (i'm no scientist/computer programmer myself), the program enables medical field workers to detect and diagnose diabetes, sickle cell anemia, and hypertension in young children, just from taking a photo of the microcirculation in the eye. The images would be sent to a lab, and the results would then be bounced back. It all sounds so fast and easy... it's amazing how everyday technology like a cameraphone can be turned into a medical diagnostic tool. I really give my friends props for giving life to an idea, and after months and months of working, taking it this far. Good job, guys, and best of luck in the final round (in Poland!) this summer!

So what innovative ideas do you have that could potentially change science, society, and the world? The opportunities are endless!

imagine...

2010-04-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Do you use a metal water bottle? What about the caps? Tupperware? Our electronics. Everything we use has had some contact with plastic in its production. Most medicines we manufacture, and research we conduct all uses plastic-- goggles, pipettes, sanitary trays, and the list goes on. We've come to rely on them so much, I don't think we could live without them (unless we go back to the 19th century?). Just imagine a world without plastic.

"Plastics" - the graduate.

i would like...

2010-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

A vertical garden.

at CaixaForum in Madrid
image source

at Pershing Hall hotel in Paris.

image source

I remember walking by one when I was in Paris, right by the Seine next to the Musee Quai Branly. There is a HUGE wall there just covered in green- i was just walking along after class, and suddenly found that the wall my side was unusually covered by plants. I stopped, looked up, and WOW. The things you don't notice until you take a step back...

It definitely made the urban scene much more relaxed, bringing nature in. It is amazing what you can do with an empty wall!! There's currently an exhibit going on at the San Francisco flower and garden show with vertical gardens, if you're lucky enough to live close by you should take a look!

how do you identify yourself?

2010-04-01T16:42:00.001-07:00

photo credit

I was filling out the Census for my family last week, and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Identifying myself on paper is not such a black-and-white affair as the census makes it out to be. If I define myself strictly in terms of race, I'm Chinese. But things are never that simple, and that initial question brought on a bunch of other ones about how I identify myself...

Me: In Asia, I'm American. In America, i'm Chinese. But really, I've never been to China, and besides my ability to speak Mandarin, my communication skills are limited to writing my own name. Culturally, I'm accustomed to western ways of dress, eating habits, and even ways of thinking, but some of my values are definitely eastern. But just because I look like I fit in doesn't mean I do; Put me with a group of girls from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or China, and I'll feel as awkward as a cow on rollerskates (and stick out like a sore thumb too). Yes, we're the same racially, but culturally we're a world apart.

Race- noun.
1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.
2. an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.
3. a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.
4. any people united by common history, language, cultural traits, etc.: the Dutch race.

I had this discussion with a close friend too, who is half Hispanic and half Caucasian. What does she identify herself as under the census? "Other," or just the half that you identify with most? When I was filling it out with my parents, I asked my mom what she wanted to put down. She told me she felt she couldn't put down she was Taiwanese, because racially she's not, but then again she was born there. She has mixed feelings towards the U.S. Census commercials on T.V. encouraging people to fill in "Taiwanese"... which is what I usually tell my friends she is because it's just easier that way rather than explaining it all. My grandparents were all from China, so I suppose that makes my entire family Chinese by default... but we are definitely not your quintessential definition of a Chinese family.

After processing this in my mind for all of 3 minutes at the kitchen table, I checked the box for Chinese. In retrospect, I identify myself as American, but a) the census assumes that, right? and b) blood runs thicker than water... at least if you use the definition of race as reference.
c) Realistically, it's not that simple.

a picture with words

2010-03-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Picture this in your head: an ice-blended glass of fizzy-grapefruit orange peach mango on a nice sunny day.

Don't little bursts of color go off in your head as you read that? It sounds just like summer! Sometimes, words don't need pictures-- they sound wonderful enough by themselves.

Oh, and its homemade. Just get some diet grapefruit soda (safeway/vons kind), add some Dole orange peach mango juice, and ice. Blend.

spring

2010-03-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

my delphiniums!

Nothing says spring like a visit to the garden center-- I went yesterday with my mom, and we picked out some sweet peas too. Seeing all the plants and flowers made me want to transform our backyard into a wonderland of vegetables and flowers. But I finally settled on my choice: delphiniums. Their prettiness won me over.

Which got me thinking-- we don't really have a purpose for flowers. We can dry them for tea and they're used for medicinal purposes, but some are poisonous and others don't even smell very nice. We put them in our gardens for the sole purpose of beauty- isn't that wonderful for such a simple yet complicated organism? It makes me want a garden full of delphiniums, jasmine, azaleas, calla lilies, daffodils, and hydrangeas... then I'd just sit in the grass and admire them.

snap from the past

2010-03-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

It probably brings back memories for him

Bartholomew and his Moroccan friends, taken in Agadir, Morocco.

(captions by Wilson)

is this... my.. home?

No, B, those are camels.

You were born in Florida

...I guess shelves all look the same to him.

Now back to studying... can you believe I was out riding camels and off-roading at the base of the Atlas mountain range just 3 months ago?

Spring!

2010-03-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Today was an absolutely perfect day.

the result of a productive study break!!! (post- writing an 11 page final exam.)

I would know. I watched it go by outside my window as I was studying my life away.

The worst temptation was when I was driving home with the wind blowing through my windows smelling of flowers, backyard bbqs. All I wanted was to go to the beach, but no...

Really, all I wish right now is that my 25 page paper on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species would write itself so I can go on spring break already.

No huge plans yet, but doesn't freedom to enjoy spring sound absolutely lovely?

news flash: neighborhood watch isn't working

2010-03-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

Lately, there has been a ruckus in San Diego over all sorts of things- racial tensions at UCSD, lack of funding for the public school system, all the way down to not-so-important issues like LT leaving the Chargers, and poor sleep-deprived students surviving finals week (me included). Another disturbing story to add to the mix is the discovery of the bodies of Chelsea King and Amber DuBois. Sadly, their stories hit closer to home than the many hundreds of other cases that occur each year. The close proximity of sex offenders to where we all live, work, and play has made me aware that these stories don't just happen to the people we see in the news-- it could happen to any one of us-- scary thought.

I find the deaths of these innocent girls extremely disturbing- also because of the lax sentences that are given to these sex offenders. John Albert Gardner III, who was tried last week for the rape and murder of Chelsea King, is registered as a sex offender. He was released from prison in 2008, serving only 5 of his 6-year sentence. Originally, the psychologist hired for his case recommended he be given a harsher case, but that obviously didn't happen. This brings up the question of why these offenders are not given harsher sentences that they obviously deserve, as well as the validity of life sentences without parole and the death penalty.

There is much controversy in the use of the death penalty- who are we to say who can live and who can't? But in situations like these, I don't see what society would be gaining be keeping child sex offenders around. You put them in jail, let them out, and they do the same things over and over again, hurting innocent members of society, and in this case, children. Why not take them out of the genetic pool? They've obviously proven themselves useless in the responsible citizen category. The other option? Keeping them in jail (for life, preferably) with our tax dollars. I know it takes many more tax dollars than necessary in giving someone the death sentence, but sometimes aren't sacrifices necessary?

Of course, this is a democratic country and realistically death sentences issued on mass-scale would never happen. These are just some thoughts- I don't even know if I fully endorse the death sentence in all situations, especially where those who are wrongfully sentenced are involved-- i'm just trying to process these events in my mind and make sense of the system that governs it. If you have any perspectives on this issue, please comment, because I'd really like to hear your side of it.

When it comes down to it, the entire situation just makes me uncomfortable. Think of it this way: while these offenders are released back into communities, your sisters, friends, and neighbors walk to school with eyes wide open.

dear media, you are going overboard.

2010-02-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know if any of you have noticed the uproar at UCSD over the student ad for a "Compton Cookout" party in parody of Black History Month last weekend, but its created an absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary amount of press. In the past week, i've read about it in the LA Times, NBC, San Diego Tribune, Digg, etc. The latest article made me laugh with disbelief. Check it out:

"At a forum attended by hundreds of students and faculty Friday morning, the Black Student Union issued a list of demands, including mandatory diversity sensitivity classes, increased African American enrollment in students and faculty and the creation of space in central campus considered "safe for African-American students."

- article from NBC San Diego, read the entire article here.

Really. Up to this point, I hadn't noticed that we were victimizing African American students to such a large degree on campus. Um, isn't your presented solution basically SEGREGATION? And endorsing the whole controversial affirmative action issue? The media is completely narrowing the focus and spotlighting the black community as victims of this event.... but the solution that the campus comes to? Let's shut down the all-campus TV station!

Like that's going to shut people up. Why don't you shut down the newspaper and radio while you're at it? UCSD, the media, and the public are completely missing the point. You don't punish 27,000 students because a select group of of them have committed an erroneous mistake. The bad publicity has basically now labeled UCSD as a racist institution, when in reality UCSD does not discriminate against anyone (nor do we take part in affirmative action). Low African-American admittance, retention, and graduation rates at UCSD? I highly doubt its intentionally done: the UC system simply takes those who reach the bar and qualify under UC standards. How P.C.

Oh, and get a load of the title of the piece: Racial Tensions Boil at UCSD.

Excuse me, people. As a student at UCSD in the last 4 years, I have never personally witnessed any kind of racial targeting or discrimination by any student group towards another. The drama over this entire thing has become completely overblown way out of proportion (And no, I haven't had my head in a hole for the time i've been at UCSD). In the 2+ years i've been involved in the MultiCultural Greek Council and The UCSD Guardian (all-campus newspaper), racism and discrimination have never been issues that we've had to deal with as a campus. In fact, I think that we've actually made steps towards improvement, admitting more diverse student groups under MGC, and having all of these organizations work together to participate in all-campus events. I highly doubt that the student organization that hosted the event had racism in mind when planning it (targeting their hatred at another group) - they are all diverse organizations in themselves. In the pool of "night-after", "highlighter", "office hoes and CEOs" and countless other themed parties that go on around campus, do "red-neck white trash" or a "chinese laundress" themed parties need to be held in order to counter this one? Students throwing the party were fully aware of what they were doing in their description of the "Compton Cookout." Hate speech? I don't think so... more like gross stereotyping.

Read an article published by the UCSD Guardian here.

valentines

2010-02-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

"One of the things I miss most about first grade is the exchange of valentines. First-graders know how to handle love, and that is to give your heart to everyone. It's like boxing the trifecta at Santa Anita. You allow for almost every possibility."

-Chris Erskine, read his LA Times column

Aren't these vintage valentines adorable? I wish they still made them like this, as oppposed to the Hannah Monatan/Dora the Explorere ones they have now... ick.
credits

I remember those days. Valentine's day was one of the brightest spots in my Februaries. It meant cupcakes with heart rings on the frosting. Carefully picking out my favorite boxed valentine cards to pass out to my classmates. Making mailboxes for your valentine messages on "art day." Reading through your valentines, and picking out the thickest ones for last (candy!). Red heart minnie mouse suckers, cinnamon candy hearts, boxes of conversation hearts, and pink frosted cookies. I miss those days.

credits

Lately, I've come to the conclusion that Valentine's Day as you get older is like asking a girl out to prom, or getting engaged... since when did it become so complicated? Many of my friends have boyfriends this year, and we've spent evenings chitchatting about what their plans are, or gifts special enough. Dinner? A picnic? The art museum? Not to mention all the magazine and newspaper articles that boast "the perfect gift" or "planning the perfect evening." I don't get it. I'm fine celebrating love the other 364 days of the year too-- when flowers and chocolate are not ridiculously overpriced, and love is just a part of everyday life... because really, that's what life is all about, right?

credits

Since its not first grade anymore, and I now know how to use the internet (and type- that took a few years), here's my valentine for you:

Happy Valentine's day, and thanks for making my life wonderful, all 365 days of the year.

I'm going to go eat a cupcake now.

credits

bucket list

2010-02-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

inspired by one of my best girlfriends, i thought i'd do one too.

I realized that I'm graduating in a short five months (along with some of you). It is a scary thought that I will be leaving this comfortable bubble and entering a new chapter of my life. But I haven't done everything that I wanted to do before I leave college. So here is a list of things that I want to do within the next five months and I would love it if you, my friends, joined me in some of these activities. Hopefully this will rekindle some and strengthen my relationships with all you fabulous creatures.

-learn to surf

-check out Cups in downtown La Jolla!

-moonlight kayaking. and kayaking the caves. and snorkeling at the cove!

-check out the cave and the cave store.

- eco-friendly whale watching tours from La Jolla Kayak OR whale watching with the Birch Aquarium Naturalists

-Museum Month is this month! Check out the museums at Balboa Park

- Museum of Natural History

-SD Museum of Art

-Celebrate earth day at Earthfair in Balboa Park (April)

-learn to hit some golf balls at the Torrey Pines Golf Course

- take a tour of the USS Midway

-go hiking on the trails around San Diego

- explore hillcrest

This list is getting kind of long... but there is a lot that I want to do before I leave! Let me know which adventures sound like your cup of tea!

caricature of society?

2010-02-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

"Weight discrimination in the United States increased 66% over the prior decade."

- Rebecca Puhl, researcher at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

I read an article in the LA Times health section today that contained a statement about how how obesity is a psychological manifestation of American culture. Here's an excerpt that said it pretty well:

"[The obese are] almost a caricature of greed, overconsumption, overspending, over-leveraging and overusing resources,"... "Though it's not entirely rational, it's an understandable reaction, especially in a country founded on the Puritan ethics of self-reliance, sacrifice and individual responsibility. If people feel they're sacrificing, then see someone spilling over an airplane seat, they feel angry that that person is not making the same sacrifices they are."

- Fed up with fat and saying something about it, LA Times, read the entire article here

photo credits

I thought that was a pretty interesting way of looking at it. Do you find yourself to be discriminatory towards the overweight? While living in Paris last fall, it definitely caught my eye that people were, well, smaller. They eat very well, don't hold gyms in as high esteem as Americans, and smoke like chimneys. During my sojourn, I ate tartes, crossaints, fromage, and all the other french delicacies you can imagine to my heart's content, and returned (reportedly) tinier. We're obviously doing something wrong.

The piece made me reflect on the way our society is, and all the power we have in our hands to change it. However, the problem is not as simple as its presented in the article. If you look into the issue more, the government and health policies really do have the power to turn this around. They can't rely on citizens' personal initiative to be healthy when they're offering shelves upon shelves of cheap junk food- just go look in your local Wal-Mart. Based on its target demographics, what low-cost foods of nutritional value are they offering their customers, compared to your average Whole Foods grocery store? You can't make junk plentiful and cheap, and then discriminate people for being fat. The idea behind environmentalism is similar- don't expect people to be recycling and making an effort to be green when there is little incentive (sadly, the benefits way down the line doesn't seem to factor into the majority of the population)- why not start charging for plastic bags at grocery stores and taking plastic water bottles off the shelves? The smallest steps can make such a huge difference in the long run, we just need to implement them.

Yes, we're making the effort now, taking unhealthy foods out of school cafeterias and encouraging the use of reusable shopping bags and metal water bottles. And we're still not doing enough. But why now? This isn't rocket science- we should have figured this out ages ago. Now we have these huge issues on our hands that will take generations, and many tax dollars, to solve.

penny for your thoughts

2010-01-29T17:40:00.001-08:00

"All over the world, human psychology, local custom and the pressures of poverty are AIDS’s best friends. None of this should be foreign to Americans. We know we should quit smoking. We know we should go have that lump checked out. We know we should give up the French fries. But we don’t. In America, as around the world, a good amount of sickness and death is at least in part self-inflicted."

- taken from When a Pill is Not Enough, NYT magazine

In society today, instant gratification seems to be at the forefront of the decisions we make- manifested in not only the huge decisions, but also the small ones, such as what we want for lunch, buying another round of drinks, or choosing to drive instead of walk to school. The consequences following the choices we make aren't the first things that pop into our minds. Here's a penny for your thoughts- maybe it'll strengthen those New Years' resolutions you've got for yourself this year.

question

2010-01-27T10:10:00.002-08:00

I'm back!

Well, i've been back for a while.

So here the question- now that life is back to normal, should I still keep this blog going?

comments appreciated!

what? reverse culture shock?

2010-01-22T13:26:00.001-08:00

Please beware that this is the obligatory "i'm back and I hate it" post.

early fall- biking in Versailles

Not really.

It's been a month since I've returned, and mostly I just feel like I never left. I mean, what does 4 months abroad have on my 16 years in California?

In my study abroad handbook, there is a warning for returnees:

Can You Survive Reverse Culture Shock?

1. Nobody cares about your travels

2. Normality will hit hard

3. People just won't understand you

4. And some might be jealous

5. Worst of all, you might feel stuck.

Stages of Reverse Culture Shock: disengagement, initial euphoria, irritability and hostility, readjustment and adaptation.

My symptoms: almost nonexistent.

Maybe people were jealous, but for the most part, everything went back to normal.

However, here are some things I did notice:

1. I'm able to live on less- after living out of a suitcase for 4 months, I realize that I really do not need my entire closet to survive. I'm also more careful with my money and how I spend it (even though spending on the dollar is better than spending on the euro)
2. I still have to remind myself that I can go out on Sundays, and no, not everything will be closed.
3. American bread sucks.
4. Cold does not (really) affect me. Tornado warning? When you've walked around Venice in December, cold fingers and wet shoes are nothing.
5. I dress nicer. In Paris, sneakers are not socially accepted unless you are a) running in the park or b) a tourist. I've realized that I'm much more aware of what i'm wearing, and its actually a bit more effortless because i've become so used to dressing like that. My tastes when shopping have also changed a bit- more 'euro' apparently, but I'm not sure. I just go by what I like.
6. No more decorative boots, gloves, and scarves. I find it funny when I see them on people in San Diego. After having to wear them for months for mere survival, I am happy to pull out my flats, tanks, and flip-flops. Because I CAN!
7. California sunsets. Oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples. Much different from the winter sunset in Europe. I like it though...its just so California.
8. A long-distance relationship is easier. We're on the same time zone!
9. I don't like looking at pictures of Paris. Its a little bit painful. But other than that, I'm good.
10. I miss speaking french. I learned so much while I was there, and I know i'm already losing it. If you want to practice, let me know!!
11. I still know my Paris Metro routes. What useless knowledge. If only I could replace it with knowledge of international economic agreements,. That would help so much this quarter.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. For the most part, I'm glad to be back. There's no place like home.

little things

2009-12-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Things I missed while I was in Paris/look forward to coming home to (in no specific order):

friends and family (of course) and the holiday season!
showers that actually work and that are not disgusting
english speaking people
a comfy bed
cupcakes
in n out burgers
good chinese food
the beach
warm weather- sun that actually gives warmth!
Target! and american convenience stores, where things are not so expensive.
space. everything in the city is so compact and cramped.
a complete wardrobe (i've been living out of a suitcase for 4 months here)
no more public transportation! I really don't have a huge problem with it, except when it closes at midnight, and after a tiring day of class when everyone is squished in the metro during rush hour getting all up in your personal space. Talk about claustrophobia.
just being home.

I know my list isn't very deep, but sometimes, its the little things in that make home, well, home.

my parisian life

2009-12-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

photo credits

I can't believe I'm packed. I'm currently sitting on the bed in my empty room, waiting to go to the airport.

How did these months go by so fast? My time here went from 4 months to a day in a blink of an eye. When I go out, I walk the streets completely aware that it may be the last time I see any of it, for a long, long time. I savor the leaves on the sidewalk, my walk to the market, the smell of the hallways in my building. As much as I've missed life back home, and I'm really looking forward to going back, don't get me wrong, a little part of me is sad to be leaving.

I'm really going to miss this place. I know that very soon, I'm going to be caught up with life back in San Diego, applying to a new job or grad school, and Paris is going to seem like a distant dream. That makes me a little bit sad. I'll have the memories and the photographs, but it won't be the same. Standing under the Eiffel Tower is thrilling every single time no matter how many times I've done it, and looking at a photograph just doesn't do it justice. The same goes for Notre Dame, and the Louvre.

In the course of my 4 months here, Paris became home. I have the route I take to class, the market I go to, the boulangerie I like to stop at after class. I even have my favorite staircase at the Louvre. I have my list of 'bests'- the best bread in Paris (the market around the corner), best tarte au citron (eric kayser), best crepes (le petit grec), best falafel (the marais). I know the metro routes I frequent like the back of my hand. I've seen the Luxembourg gardens in the fresh green of summer, the changing leaves of fall, and the snow covered branches of winter.

Somewhere in the middle of getting lost on the way home from class and the whirlwind of final exams, I stopped being a tourist, and began to live in Paris.

I stopped worrying about seeing all the things I wanted to see, because I had seen them all. I stopped noticing the differences between life in Paris and life back in California. Life in Paris wasn't so different from back home- I had class, ran errands, met up with friends- it just took place in the backdrop of the Pantheon, Eiffel Tower, and Montmartre. My life here became the norm, a home base that I looked forward to coming back to after my excursions. After all, home is something you always come back to, right? And I have a hunch that from now on, Paris is one of them.

snow!

2009-12-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's snowing in Paris!!

Due to final exams, I was up at an ungodly hour this morning, when the streets of Paris were still dark and no coffee shop was open. So guiltily, I set up shop in a Starbucks right by campus to cram in some last-minute studying and defrost my fingers. Just as I was getting ready to walk to my final, it began to snow! By the time I got out of my exam 2 hours later, the streets were blanketed in a sheet of white, and snow was falling through the air like rain. I walked over to the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, then the Champs Elysees and the Louvre to say my last goodbyes, and got my shoes soaking wet. It was worth it though. Snow! In Paris!

What a way to end my stay.

CAMELS!

2009-12-10T16:03:00.001-08:00

In Morocco.

I RODE A CAMEL TODAY.

(I'm the one in the very front.)

it. was. awesome.

As you can see, I've been getting some vitamin D into my sunlight-deprived skin.

I also went off-roading. I never knew that driving over sand dunes could be so bumpy... good thing I don't get car sickness anymore, otherwise that wouldn't have ended well. We got to drive along the coast and see all the fishing villages. Here, the desert and barren wasteland turn into sand and shore, not like the marshes and lagoons we have in San Diego. I'm a little bit wary of going into the water after seeing a decaying dead dog on the beach yesterday. While its wonderful to be by the sun and shore again, I have to say that I've been spoiled by SD, and being here makes me miss it a little bit.

Coca Cola cans in Arabic and English!

Stop sign

Chicken and vegetable couscous. You can also get camel. Except Camel meat is expensive.

A normal street view of buildings and cars.

They cook in these clay pots. Our plates of food came with the fluted clay lids on top.

A snack bar at the airport. I love the mosaics and patters I saw in Morocco- so insanely beautiful!

Random shop I saw on the street.

The fountain inside the hotel. I've developed a new love for blue and white patterns.

How Agadir, Morocco is NOT like SD: Everything is in Arabic, if its not in French. There are still crepes and delicious bread, but there is also couscous and meat in clay pots. The scenery? Sensory overload-- beautiful arches and mosaics, blue and white patterns, kiln baked pottery... its so foreign and lovely. The cultural gap is a little weird though-- walking the streets without a burka like other women warrants stares from the locals. They call out and holler "Suede?" at my friends... and as for me, I haven't seen another Asian person since landing here. When I walk by vendors at the market, i'm followed by endless ni hao and konichiwa's. They don't seem to understand that I can be American yet Chinese at the same time. So here, I'm just Chinois.

faux fur

2009-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

fur in Paris. photo credits

Women in Paris have this thing about fur. Or faux fur. Not just the lined collars, but the all-out mink coats and rabbit skin vests. I see them on the metro, in my classes, and on the streets. Worn by trendy young girls as well as rich old ladies.

I mean, there has to be some reason they're exploding onto the shelves of H&M. People actually buy this stuff and wear it on the streets. And its not cheap. Just google "winter fashion in Paris."

Maybe its because I live in an area of CA where you never need more than a sweatshirt and flip-flops, or I'm used to laid-back UCSD where people look at you funny if you're not in the compulsory jeans/sweats attire. Maybe its a cold climate thing? In LA/SD the closest I ever get to animal hide is Uggs and the occasional leopard-print clubbing attire (worn on other people, of course). Maybe if I visit New York City, people will be trooping the streets in their furs. (Actually, deep down I fear PETA will come after me if I don the animal pelts) Either way, whenever I see people walk the streets in their furry costumes my mind can't resist the "I can't believe she's wearing that" comment. I'm by no means one of those crazy animal rights activists, and I'm not one to preach on what they should and should not be wearing, but you'll never see one of those on me.

blue skies

2009-12-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

the sunset from tour montparnasse. photo credits

I'm going to miss the blue winter sunsets of Paris. All my favorite colors, in every single shade.

Around 5pm, right when I get out of class, it begins to get dark. The sky will gradually turn all shades of blue, sometimes with streaks of pink, but most often its just blue. The one tonight was especially pretty- no pink and no clouds in the sky, just a gradient of blue going from a glimpse of sunny sky blue in the horizon to a true periwinkle to the steady blue of the night above. I wish I could contain it in a bottle and take it home with me. I'd let it out every once in a while so everyone could enjoy it.

The sunsets in San Diego are streaked with purples, pinks, and oranges- just as pretty, and I like them just as much (except blue is my favorite color). I've taken plenty of photos on my own camera, but they just don't do it justice, so I managed to find one that does to show you all.

p.s. the Eiffel Tower really does light up and sparkle like that every night. When it gets dark, at the top every hour, it sparkles for 5 minutes. quite breathtaking. gets me every time.

amboise

2009-12-01T05:30:00.001-08:00

The clock tower in the village of Amboise

Uber-late post, but better late than never, right? I went to Amboise way back in October, which is in central France, in the Loire Valley. It was kind of like Germany in that there are SO many castles around here... I got the chance to visit 3: Chateau Loire, Villandry, and Usse. They were quite impressive, and they weren't even the huge main ones (Chenonceau is a pretty well-known chateau in the area), and I was cheateau'd out.

The village

Amboise is TINY- compared to Paris, at least. Its walkable in about 5 minutes, and most of it is residential. It might be because we stayed in the old village near the castle, but my main impression of Amboise was it being small and quiet. Think quaint countryside village.

My trip to Amboise was lovely- except it was SO COLD that weekend! It was around freezing-when we were not out visiting chateaux, we were huddled inside or seeking warmth. On the bright side, it wasn't tourist season so we were pretty much the only ones walking around.

In the region, there are lots of rocky mountains/cliffs- many houses are carved into the cliffs, which I thought was really cool. I saw entire apartment buildings carved into the mountainsides- complete with balconies! Imagine living in a cave house.

Loire Valley/Amboise, taken from the tower of Chateau Amboise

Chateau Villandry- prettiest gardens I've seen while i've been here!

This place was HUGE- and very manicured.

My favorite was the love garden. If you look closely, the four squares are different, symbolizing the 4 different types of love (tender, passionate, fickle, courtly). Get me one of these in my yard...

View of the chateau from the end of the love garden

Then we went to Chateau Usse- the inspiration for sleeping beauty. More commonly known as Sleeping Beauty's castle. The guy who wrote Sleeping Beauty actually stayed here for a while, and it was his inspiration for writing it. Its beautiful from the outside, but the inside is an absolute freak show- complete with mannequins of sleeping beauty and prince charming. And the evil witch and her cauldron at the top of the tower. It resembled a disneyland ride, but done very badly, and with mismatched period dress. Random. They could have done a wayy better job with the interior. And lose the freaky looking mannequins.

All in all , the Loire Valley was beautiful. The French royalty built chateaux all over the Loire Valley to get away from the bustle of Paris. In fact, most of the French royalty ruled from here, and not in Paris. That way they weren't harassed/taken prisoner by their constituents. Good times. There's not much to do here besides enjoy the countryside scenery, which I can only do so much of. What can I say- I'm a city girl!

perfect.

2009-11-29T04:35:00.001-08:00

exactly what this week has been. Wilson left for the states on Friday morning- quite bittersweet. I'm elated that he came to visit, but then there's always the downer of parting ways. But at least we'll always have Paris, right? I managed to give him a thorough tour of Paris with the time we had- hooray! Here's some pictures of our adventures in the city of light.

they were setting up the Christmas tree in front of the Notre Dame

recognizing our asian culture in front of the arc du triomphe

the ceiling of the arc du triomphe!

The Galeries Lafayette all decorated for Christmas

the HUGE tree inside

what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to go to the Louvre?

Note: If you ever go to the Louvre, go when it opens at 9am- its far emptier than if you go at, say 11am, and the experience is just so much more enjoyable when you don't have to fight through crowds. We went in around 9 and were out by 11, and had lots of fun laughing at the swarms of tourists trying to get into the Louvre as we waltzed out.

Inside the atrium

preparing Thanksgiving dinner at my place :D

we had chicken, pasta, apple crumble, and peach champagne. yumm.

Thank you for an amazing week, Wilson!

surprise!

2009-11-24T13:57:00.001-08:00

WILSON IS HERE!!!

He randomly showed up at my door on Sunday afternoon. Yes, a spur-of-the-moment, spontaneous visit to Paris for the week so I wouldn't have to spend Thanksgiving alone. You cannot imagine my shock/disbelief/joy when I answered my door! I thought I was seeing things... he was supposed to be in San Diego visiting friends and snowboarding in NorCal for the week.

I still can't believe he's here- its unreal. I'd wanted so badly for him to come and experience everything that I tell him about, and now here he is. We're having a very busy week seeing all the sights and eating all the culinary wonders Paris has to offer! I'm so excited to show him everything in the city i've gotten to know so well. I don't want this week to end, ever....

At the Apple store in the Louvre. Can you see the tip of the glass pyramid? :)

the adventures of bartholomew

2009-11-19T02:40:00.001-08:00

...because it is long overdue.

Ice cream in a french cafe

visiting the hall of mirrors in versailles

taking the metro...

"i'm on a boat!!"

to be continued.

espaces verts

2009-11-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Paris, being like any other metropolitan city, has lots of cars, too many people, weird smells, and too much noise. Get over your romantic image of 'la belle Paris,' people...

However, Paris does have an appreciation for small green spaces. In a city where not many people have backyards, archways and balconies hang with vines, flower stands are popular at the metro stop as well as the market, and flower shops boast new arrangements every other day. French etiquette calls for bringing flowers as a polite gesture when visiting someone's home for dinner, and I've seen numerous people carrying home bouquets, along with their baguettes, on their way home from work. Here are some pretty snapshots I thought I'd share. Most of them were taken when I was walking around the Marais.

without the vines, this archway would probably not be so eye-catching.

a cafe-restaurant I saw at the end of the street. It looks so cozy!

I was so curious I turned the corner to go check it out. Story of my wanderings- I follow whatever catches my eye, usually getting me lost.

A bucket of flowers

roses!

more roses- I love this arrangement, despite my usual taste for the red/pink mix.

tiny buckets

sunflowers- I was browsing some racks out in the front of a clothing shop, and i turn around and BAM! these huge sunflowers were looking right at me.

the street market at Corvisart metro stop- every Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday morning.

gladiolas at the flower stand at the Versailles market

pretty flowers don't come cheap...

These pretty splashes of color are a sight for sore eyes- a nice break from the grimy sidewalks and gloomy days that autumn brings. Luckily, I get to walk through the Luxembourg gardens on my way to class, my window looks out onto the center green of the Cite U, and the Parc Montsouris is right across the street from my building. If I lived in the center of the city, squeezed in to the row upon row of tiny apartments, I think I'd really miss the big green spaces I take for granted at home.

There are huge parks here- the Luxembourg, the Tuileries, the Jardin des Plantes- but unless you're lucky enough to live near them, a nice big park with lots of green lawn (that does not say 'pelouse interdit' - do not walk on the grass) is a rare find. Even at the Jardin Tuileries, it is much more likely that your shoes get coated with dust from the gravel of the meticulously landscaped Parisian garden than mud from the grass. Oh Parisians- what use is gravel and trimmed topiaries? It makes me feel so confined and restricted, like I'm still in the city and still need to abide by the rules of civilization. I thought the idea of the park was the bring us all back to nature...

pâtisserie des rêves

2009-11-08T12:49:00.001-08:00

The dude who opened this patisserie, Philippe Conticini, also wrote a cookbook that consisted of all nutella recipes, so of course it merited a visit. Two, in fact. This place is apparently one of those new chic and trendy patisseries. Think the 'Sprinkles' of bakeries (although there are no cupcake vendors in Paris- the horror!). It uses trendy deco as opposed to your mom and pop shops with checkered curtains enticing you with the smell of old country bread (I walk by these on the way to class) or the mainstream commercialised patisseries (like brioche doree, or pain au pomme, your McDonalds of patisseries). Patisseries are everywhere in Paris- something I will definitely miss when I am back in L.A. and without my fresh bread that only costs 50cents.

Talk about presentation- all the pastries were displayed under glass cases that made them look like prized jewels. Notice the weights hanging from the ceiling- those actually come down when you lift one of the glass covers. So cool!

a close-up

our purchase. included: cloth napkins.

notice the cool window display!

close up shot of an apple tart (i think) sitting in the front window.

I wanted to try everything!

I love how their brioches look- like a little mountain of whipped cream!

the final purchase! Apparently its a traditional Parisian pastry.

Annemarie and I took this to the park and devoured it (after taking numerous pictures)

the cross section.

Think cream puff meets eclair meets millefeuille.

yummmm.

I would go back if I had time, but there are simply too many places to try in the short time I have left! The first time I went, they were out of everything. No joke- most patisseries only make a day's worth of pastries, and sell out by the end of the day. Patisserie des Reves is hip enough to be sold out- I went around 3pm the first time, and they were already sold out. Lesson learned.

I went to Angelina's the other day , and will post about that soon! Sorry I'm so spotty about posting- life is hectic, with me jetting off every few days or so. I was in Dublin this past weekend, and will be going to Mont Saint Michel this weekend!

le système français

2009-11-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

The BHV: Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville dates to 1856 and is the 2nd oldest department store in Paris. The building closest to you in the picture is the city hall, or l'Hotel de Ville.

On Monday, I went to the BHV (think huge department store that sells everything) to return my charger I had bought for my Macbook. Mine burned out, and of course Apple products are wayy more expensive here than in the states (86Euro for a 60 watt charger = $100+), so I bought one while waiting for my American one to arrive in the mail (still cheaper, plus shipping!). Anyway, dealing with the 'French' way of doing things really made me appreciate the quick no-fuss service that is offered in the states.

First off, I had to go to 4 different offices on 3 different floors in order to finally get my "rembourse" (refund).

1. I went to the counter at the electronics section, and they signed my reciept.

2. I went to another counter at the other end of the store, where they asked for my address, etc. and filled out other necessary paperwork. They gave me this paperwork, and sent me downstairs to another desk.

3. I don't remember

4. Finally arrive downstairs, where they run the forms through and ask me if I want the credit returned to my card.

Really, people? Please.

At the Best Buy/Costco/any store at home, I can go to any register and they would be able to do the job in one transaction, voila! But no... thank goodness I knew enough French to know what was going on, otherwise it would have been one huge headache.

view finders

2009-10-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

old school!

Walking around the Marais on Saturday morning, I ran into a table selling old view finders. I was so surprised having even seen these, I just had to take a picture. When I was little, I used to play with a big cylinder full of round viewfinder disks and a red View Master at my grandparent's house. I'd point the disk towards the window, and see pictures of Donald Duck at the Taj Majal and the Great Wall of China. Having not seen or given any thought about them for years, seeing these brought back some good memories, hahaha.

I wonder if kids even play with these anymore nowadays? If not, they're missing out.

On another note, I'm going to Nice for the 3day weekend! Its fall break here- keep in mind there is no Thanksgiving (or Halloween either, for that matter). In fact, there are no major holidays in between Bastille Day in July and Christmas- no wonder there are Christmas decorations up already. I'm going with 3 other girls from my program, and we'll be hitting up Nice, Monaco, and St. Tropez. I can't wait!

marche aux puces

2009-10-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

In French, that literally means "flea market." There are a few in Paris that are every weekend, and they sell anything you could possibly think of -- furniture, books, clothes (including your grandma's old minks), toys, keys, silverware, you name it. It was like the vendors had uprooted a messy attic and transplanted it on the sidewalk to sell. I didn't see much that I would actually ever buy, but it was fun going around and looking at everything.

This was a great opportunity to walk around with my camera and just experiment with taking different shots. These photos were taken at the antique market held one weekend right across the street from my building (back in September), and a few were taken at the flea market at Porte de Vanves (I went last weekend), which goes on every weekend.

random statues and old toys

Some of the vendors specialize in just postcards, or leather chairs, but the majority of them have tables with anything and everything sprawled out with little organization.

Babar! and suitcases upon suitcases of old books.

The prices of these items can go from ridiculously cheap (10 embroidered handkerchiefs for 2euro) to unbelievably expensive (one picture frame for 200 euro). I ended up buying some patterned scarves for 3 euro each- half the fun was digging through the box and seeing what I could find. I also got some nice jewelry for only 5euro.

A pretty pink chair I wanted- only 20 Euros! Too bad I have no way to take it home.

and a little statue of Rodin's "Thinker"- I found it sitting on a tiny table with its own doily. Funny to think that I saw the actual version at the Rodin Museum in August.

A box full of billiards balls and animal rubber stamps

If you ever get a chance to visit Paris, I would definitely recommend a trip to the marche aux puces- it captures a bit of the spirit of the city. The old is mixed with the new, and you never know what you're going to find. As they say, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

camouflage

2009-10-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've done it. I caved. I went to the Galeries Lafayette today and bought a winter coat, and its charcoal grey. I now blend in with the Parisians...

Dressing room photo- classy.

After the barely-above-zero weather I experienced last week (in October!!), I am now anticipating need to prepare myself to survive the elements.

Coat shopping is almost as bad as jean shopping- you try on so many that they all start to look the same. And its so hard to find a coat that fits right! Most of them are so long that they drown me and make me look even shorter- not what I need. Another thing I had to be careful of was not accidentally falling in love with a coat that was cotton/polyester blend- the goal here is staying warm- in addition to being fashionable. Definitely something new. At home, I can throw on whatever appeals to me, and material comes in as a secondary factor, if at all.

The Galeries Lafayette- Think NYC Macy's, or Harrod's.

This place covers 3 city blocks right behind the Opera house (one block each for womens, mens, and home), has its own entrance underground directly out of the metro, and is connected by bridges over the streets. I went through all the floors just to have a look, and they have everything. And the majority are luxury goods that are ridiculously priced. The children's department was ridiculous- I never knew there was Escada, Chloe, Dior, or Burberry for kids (and the list goes on, including lots of ostentatious frippery I would never let my kids wear)- it costs just as much as the adult versions (but is wayy cuter). I'd expected to see all the luxury brands, but seeing it for kids just really surprised me. Would you buy a 360Euro Burberry coat for your 8 year old? The children's department was definitely emptier of shoppers than the others, though.

After being told by my friends that I was so easy to pick out in a crowd because of my bright red coat (Salon du Chocolat: "I just look for your red coat when I get lost"), I decided maybe a change wouldn't be a bad thing. I still love my red coat, but I've started to feel really self conscious in it. Try standing in a metro car full of people in blacks and browns. It's like on top of being a foreigner, my clothes are practically announcing it before I open my mouth. I know its stupid to care, and I wish I could be nonchalant about it, but sticking out like that does not do much for my self confidence when I am in a foreign country trying to adapt- especially when any given 7 year old can speak better French than I. Anyway, I'm glad I found a coat I like that will keep me warm, and even happier that its not the same old pea coat you see on everyone in Paris. I am officially prepared for the European winter!!

EDIT: or not...according to some cold-climate experienced friends, I now need to start looking for a hat and something that will cover my ears. And apparently, earmuffs are not fashionable anymore.

Ugh. For the record, I am now really sick of shopping and am at that point where I will throw on anything to keep warm, even if it makes me look like a kitschy cottonball. Forget fashion. Who needs fashion when you have body heat to conserve?

thoughts

2009-10-22T12:34:00.001-07:00

Parc Montsouris, across from my building

I'm 21. After years of looking forward to the day I would finally become an independent adult (18 did not count- I still felt like an awkward teenager), I'm at an age that, in American culture, is the embodiment of fearlessness, confidence, and carefree optimism.

The equation is engraved in my head after countless lectures by parents, teachers, and all educational institutions I've attended, and it is as follows:

I'm young.

I'm educated.

I have a solid moral foundation

I'm unattached by responsibility.

So naturally, I have the world at my fingertips.

They make it sound so easy. No one mentions the oppressive, almost suffocating sense of success that you are expected to reach (although I might also set this up for myself). Failing is not an option. Amidst all my planning- for the GREs, grad school, careers options I could consider- it is easy to do and almost dangerous to stop, because the moment I pause to analyze what I'm doing, it's scary.

I realize that my future is a blank slate, and I love it. Its the great thing about being 21. There is no set path, no ruts. But it's mapping out my future and pinpointing what I need to do in order to get there that makes me anxious. Entering college, my goal was simple: decide on a major, and graduate, then its happily ever after. Four years later, life has gotten far more complicated- I'm essentially creating a rough blueprint of my professional goals to follow. Ideally, I won't have to readjust and all will go smoothly according to plan, but I'm not stupid. Life just does not work out that way. And the possibility- no, fact - that it won't work out the way I picture is intimidating.

I wonder how I'll answer these questions when I'm 30? 40? 60?

Did I take advantage of all the opportunities that were out there?

Am I where I always imagined myself to be, or at least going towards achieving those goals?

What in life is the most meaningful to me?

How do I define myself at this point in my life? My work? My family?

How can I make my life more fulfilling?

What alternate lifestyles could I be living? For example, working as a photojournalist for National Geographic in the Amazon. Or being a pastry chef in Paris. And would I sacrifice what I have now to do it?

And I'm sincerely wondering,

Are you living your life the way you'd imagined?

chocolate heaven

2009-10-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

Today, I went to the Salon du Chocolat. Basically, the chocolate convention. Picture the Comic-Con of chocolate, and there you go. Except its a million times better.

A post about the Salon du Chocolat wouldn't be complete without some eye candy for you guys- so here's lots of pictures. I'll get around to posting them all on facebook eventually...

The convention center- looks huge, doesnt it?

I was in chocolate heaven. There were free samples everywhere you looked, and every stand had chocolate in every flavor, shape, and size- I tasted some chocolate that I never even knew existed (and in my opinion, shouldn't).

potpourri chocolate- looks pretty, but does not taste so pretty.

I tried hibiscus, and it tastes like pollen in your mouth, with a grainy texture. blechh.

But apparently people like it- the girls down my hall bought 2 bars.

Green tea chocolate and some kind of Japanese fruit flavored chocolate

I tasted both, and it took all my control not to spit it out. After tasting some of these chocolates, all you want is a glass of water to wash the taste out. Olive oil chocolate? disgusting! Who knew you could go wrong with chocolate?

Anyway, on to the good stuff!!

Stand after stand was loaded with all different kinds of chocolates in all shapes and sizes. Best of all, there were FREE samples! I sampled so much chocolate, I got sick of it.

There were not only chocolates, there were sweets of every kind- eclairs, marshmallows, jellies, cookies- including every flavor and color of macaroons imaginable. Yummm.

a macaroon rainbow!

I never knew you could mount them on a wall like that.

So cool.

chocolate fountains- I saw so many... some were HUGE.

The Opera Garnier- lovingly memorialized in chocolate.

another ode to the glory of chocolate.

Of course I need a picture with a Magnum bar (that I can fit inside)

(Magnum bars in Europe are the equivalent of our Dove/Haagen-Dazs bars- so good!)

They were handing out free Magnum bars, but I was so sick of chocolate by that point it would have made me sick.

I know- what the heck? Since when do I turn down sugar?

Needless to say, I went home, had some salt for dinner , and I was as good as new the next morning.

I will post about something other than chocolate next time, I promise (but it's so good...)

chocolat chaud

2009-10-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

The days are getting colder, and its the perfect weather for hot chocolate. But who knew there were so many ways of taking it?

1. The so-thick-you-can-float-a-cookie-on-it kind.

At the Christian Constant (supposedly the best hot chocolate in Paris, but many places claim that title), the chocolate is thick. I think its meant for a true chocolate connoisseur- the chocolate is dark, thick, and complex. There are 4 different kinds of chocolat chaud to choose from, ranging from sweet and smooth to dark and bitter. There's actually a guy in the back room pulverizing chocolate and thickening it with milk for you when you order it. The one I ordered had a bitterness to the aftertaste, and it is not so rich as to be too sweet. But it was very heavy and gave me a hot chocolate coma afterwards. It comes in a little pitcher- If you ever come here, I advise you share, because one serving is too much! A friend and I ended up finishing it over 3 hours of conversation on a blustery fall afternoon.

the cookies were delicious too!

2. The do-it-yourself style.

This is how most streetside cafes do it. You get a cup of chocolate and little pitcher of hot milk, and you pour and mix it yourself. It definitely adds a little more fun to the experience. I forget the name of this cafe, but it was in Montmartre. I liked how they gave me my chocolate in the shape of a flower. The chocolate they serve isn't too sweet, is a little milkier and has a slightly bitter taste to it as well.

Swiss Miss will never be the same again.

je suis parisienne!

2009-10-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Map of the Paris Metro.

My stop is the Cite U, 4th stop off the Blue line heading directly south from the Ile de Cite (the island). For class, I get off at Luxembourg.

I have a countdown going on my mac dashboard. Currently, I have 66 days left until I fly home. I remember when the ticker still said 96! Anyhow, my numbered days remind me how quickly i've adapted. Examples of my progress:

Bringing an umbrella EVERYWHERE. Especially lately when the weather is so whack. Also in my purse: metro map, compact grocery bag (they charge for plastic bags at a lot of the grocery stores- very smart.), scarf, and camera.
Knowing the metro system like the back of my hand. Okay, I'm not THAT great (yet), but I can pretty much get where I want to go via the shortest route without reference to the metro map anymore (except once in a while). I have all my routes memorized- including all the stops in between, and a good idea of where all the other ones will take me. Off the top of my head, I can list you all the stops on the RER B in Zone 1 and names of the stops off Tram 3. Not that that would mean anything to you.
Knowing where to get on and off the metro- literally. As in calculating the distance of how far down the platform to walk so that when I get off, I can do less walking to my exit (especially useful when rushing to class/carrying groceries).
Finding my way through the underground metro system automatically- I hardly look at the signs because its become so familiar. And some of the stations are like little underground mazes. I need to be careful with this, though, because sometimes I'll get on the metro, and then remember 2 stops down that I need to get off in one stop.
"Pardon," "Oui," "Merci," and "d'accord" are reflexes similar to how we say "excuse me," and "thank you" in the states- I didn't even really realize this until last week, when I accidentally bumped into a guy with my umbrella and blurted "pardon" without even thinking about it. I hope switching back will be smooth when I get home.
Speaking in French. Although its still hard to understand native speakers (they talk SO fast), I'm getting better, and I can usually understand most of what they're saying and request for help.
I've also become better with numbers-- those used to give me such a hard time!! I mean, why say "quatre vingt dix sept" when you can say ninety seven? That pretty much translates to "four (x) twenty (+) ten (+) seven" = 97 (omit the math signs, but in my head thats how it breaks down). Why not "neuf sept" or something LESS of a mouthful?
People ask me for directions- in French! Like at the metro stop and to the bathrooms at the Sorbonne. And I know how to respond (with the correct directions)!
Mastering the art of walking on cobblestone. Did you know, that the most comfortable way to do it is to make sure that the front pad of your foot hugs the cobblestone so it fits the contours of the front part of the arch in your foot? But I still don't like walking on cobblestone- you need to constantly watch your step so you don't trip. I don't know how the ladies in heels do it-- I marvel at their skill. I don't think I'll never be THAT good!

I am on my way to becoming a well-seasoned Parisian (or maybe i'm just adapting in my own weird way). How sad that all this knowledge will become useless once I get home.

On a completely other, nonrelated note, I saw the CUTEST golden retriever puppy walking to class today!! She was a little bigger than Bartholomew, maybe, and she was the fluffiest little otter walking along on her leash! I wanted to take a picture but she was on the other side of the street :(

autumn in paris

2009-10-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Luxembourg Gardens. I walk this path to class every day.

This is my first time actually experiencing fall- sad, isn't it? And in Paris, of all places... it's so lovely! Minus the freak rainstorms and sudden drops in temperature. But really, I don't know how i'll go back to the monotonous California landscape after this.

Just look at those trees!

The concept of autumn is so new to me- I mean, of course i've heard of it and seen numerous pictures, but I'd never actually experienced it. Fall in San Diego means going to the beach as much as you can before winter comes and the weather gets slightly cooler. The eucalyptus smells and looks the same year round (ugly), as does campus and the city in general. Nothing really changes. Here, you can tell the season has changed in the way the air smells of rotting leaves, the way the people dress on the streets, how the metro is more crowded, and the extra bite to the cold at night. Its just... different. I also find it very strange that the French seem to have an aversion to colored clothing. I feel like a sore thumb sticking out in my bright red coat. But I can't resign myself to blacks, beiges, and grays- even to blend in. With such gloomy weather, how can you not throw a splash of cheerfulness into the mix?

I took the picture two weeks ago, and even now the trees look even more bare and more red/brown.

Luxembourg Gardens last weekend (same exact spot)- see the difference??

We also haven't had bright sunshine like in the first picture for a while- its been mostly overcast, and the light just comes in differently-- you can definitely tell its fall. I walked to to the market this afternoon to get some groceries, and it was raining (note to self: go to the market when its raining- the lines are shorter). The moody weather we've been having lately just struck me as so dark, gloomy, and depressing weather. How depressing to think that soon it will be like this every day.... *sigh.* How does one be cheerful with such weather? It presses down on your mood...I'm a California girl, I need my sunshine!!

The cocktails we ordered at a bar we went to earlier tonight..."taste the rainbow!"

I now understand why people drink in colder climates- it seriously keeps you a little warmer and lessens the harshness of the cold once you get outside. At least it did for me walking back to the metro stop in the rain.

heading home

biking versailles

2009-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Me, biking on the grounds of the Versailles

On the very last nice weekend of the year - I'm not kidding you, and this was only two weekends ago - I was lucky enough to go on a bike tour of Versailles. The sun was shining, there was a perfect breeze- perfect weather for being outdoors!

We started out at the bike rental office in Paris. This means we had to transport our bikes to Versailles. You wouldn't think that its that complicated, but combined with 24 girls, it can get complicated for the reasons below:

1) We biked through Paris to get to the train station- this means we took up whatever street we happened to be on at the moment (for safety reasons) so that cars could not get by us. I bet the cars hated us.

2) Once we got to the train station, we had to carry our bikes down the stairs. The wonderful rail transportation system in Paris, granted convenient, is not very consistently handicapped-friendly. Thank goodness for our tour guide who could carry 2 bikes up the stairs at once (impressive, no?) for the weak that could not succeed (I can proudly boast that I was able to do this myself). But then again, its her job.

On the platform waiting for the train

3) Getting our bikes onto the train. We had to strategically split up into groups of 4, positioned in front of each door. Once the train arrived, we had to place our bikes in the compartment.

Sounds easy right? Nope. Mine almost didn't make it. Thanks to a marathon going on in Versailles that day, and Sundays being extremely popular days for going outside the city, some compartments are full and do not even have space for you to fit your bike. Like me. Luckily, at the last minute I was saved by our director's husband, who swiftly plopped my bike into the next car over. Thank god for men.

Once we got there, we biked to the local market, held every day of the week. We put together a picnic lunch for ourselves, but I would have been happy to just look.

The market was HUGE- it took up 4 street corners, and extended to the indoors (for the winter). I wonder if Versailles has a supermarket, they're obviously not needed.

We picknicked by the huge pond behind Versailles.

My lunch: ham, cheese, baguette, and raspberries. YUM

the pond- its really long and extends all the way up to the palace fountains. It was such a nice weekend, everyone was out with their families. I so wanted to rent a boat, it looked so fun!

Of course I had to take Bartholomew along. He was long overdue for an adventure. He rode happily with the baguette while I did all the hard labor.

And then, of course, there was the actual palace of Versailles. After biking around the grounds all day, I have to say that I wished we'd done the tour earlier. We were all tired out from all the biking and weren't able to appreciate the palace in its entirety. But it was still extremely impressive.

Bartholomew in front of Versailles.

In the hall of mirrors.

Like my ultra stylish lanyard/audioguide?

Also: A little portion of one of my favorite painting of all time. The glare was horrible, so I only took this one part of it, but the actual painting is HUGE. It takes up an entire wall of a huge room

Napoleon Crowning Josephine, by Jacques-Louis David

It was the perfect weekend. Since then, we've had cloudy, chilly, rainy, overcast, and altogether unreliable days. Autumn. So beautiful that autumn in southern California (nonexistent) will never be the same again. But i'll post about that another day.

the cite U

2009-10-07T03:49:00.000-07:00

I know you've all been dying to see- this is where I live: The Cite Universitaire.

This is the main entrance to the Cite U. Behind the arches you can kind of see the Maison Internationale- that's where the bank, cafe, dining hall, theater, library, etc. are. The Cite U is like an enclosed park with 38 dormitory buildings bordering it, all for students and themed after a country. Ours is pretty ordinary looking, but the Japan building has a porch like a pagoda, Morocco has a beautiful mosaic-ed entry, Mexico has cactus in the lobby and is painted to look like adobe inside, etc.

the front of the building

The back faces a huge park with 37 other "Maisons"- other international houses like Japan, Spain, Mexico, Morocco, etc.- bordering it. I'm in the Maison Des Etats Unis, or the United States building. Most of the students here are graduate students, some are with abroad programs, like me, and most are American. There is a rule that at least 20% of the inhabitants need to be foreign, so there is still a little bit of a mix. I'm still trying to figure out what language the girl next to me speaks (the walls aren't very thick).

My desk, window, and fridge.

Luckily, my room faces onto the back of the building, to the nice park. Some of the girls in the program face the front, and the noise is horrible at all hours of the night because we're right across from the metro/tram stop and huge road. I'm on the second floor near a huge stairwell, and since we have such high ceilings and stone/marble staircases, you can always hear people coming and going.

My sink, towel rack, and part of my closet.

I'd take a picture, but its not as presentable as Mel's

(see her facebook photos of her closet at her new place in SF.)

my bed

not made, but I figured I should take a photo before I forget.

(Plus, I usually leave my bed half-turned because I don't trust sitting on the blankets they give us.)

I'm hoping that it doesnt get too cold here in the winter- although I hear our building is like an icebox. I'm not surprised though, since it was constructed in the 1920s, and it has high ceilings and tile floors. Yikes.

I'll take some pictures of the other buildings around the campus, and the library downstairs, and post them later.

laduree

2009-10-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

The menu was like a book- so many choices to choose from!

I was so hard to decide- pages are dedicated to macaroons, glaces, eclairs, cakes, you name it.

So way back during the first week of September, I got to go to Laduree- home of the amazing macaroons. I just remembered today that I need to post about it before I forget, because it was definitely a lovely experience. I do think that's its worth the raves it has received, and I also think that I need to go back to try the macaroons ( I know, I know- how could I not have done that the first time around?).

My order- a chocolate cake/ganache with a crunchy nutty top that was delicious.

The piece in the back is a framboise millefeuille- also amazing!

The table setting- even the carafe d'eau is beautiful!

I think the exquisite table settings just tie the package together. Presentation is such a part of the whole experience, and emphasizes the appreciation of the culinary arts as an actual art form, not just something to be devoured (but that's good too). Even when you make purchases to-go, gift wrapping of your item is complementary, and too beautiful to unwrap! It's like opening a gift to get to your food- which definitely heightens the experience.

the sorbonne

2009-10-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

The main hallway in the Richelieu Wing. A few of the administrative offices are here.

Although the university is completely enclosed on 4 sides, I was surprised by how easy it was to get lost in each wing. Each building is about 5 stories, and they all have little courtyards besides the huge one I've shown. It's easy to get lost because there's so many chains of corridors off of the main corridor. Some of the buildings in there actually look like they were built recently, like staff/office buildings, and the insides are pretty plain and bare. There was lots of registration going on for classes, which made the little rooms and halls very stuffy. Luckily I was there around lunchtime, so I could go inside the lecture halls and take some pictures.

Main courtyard- all the students were just hanging around eating lunch. And they look like normal college students. Not that I thought they'd be walking around in suits or anything

(but some schools here do-- I see them on my way to class sometimes).

So I know you're all curious what the great institution looks like. I have access via my I.D. card- and yes, they have police-looking security guarding every entrance to make sure tourists don't wander their way in. Here's a little guided tour.

A lecture hall in the Richelieu wing-

how awe-inspiring would it be to have lecture in a room like this?

It almost makes UCSD look cheap. O_o Where's my wooden panelling and scrolled moulding??

The complex feels like a cross between an old library/museum/and university. Which I felt was a little intimidating. But I suppose if you're around it all the time it kind of lessens the intimidation factor and it becomes the norm. I do think that for the people who do live here, the fact that you're around so many historical monuments all the time makes you appreciate it less- many advertisements I see for furniture and such all focuses on the clean and modern designs. Too much of a good thing, perhaps?

the front of the lecture hall- I would be more distracted by the painting than actually listening to lecture (plus the fact that its at least 5x bigger than the board)

A discussion room- I think the seats are so strange-looking.

It reminds me of those old schoolhouses.

Set of little stairs off the hall leading to the upper balconies of the lecture halls.

I think this would add some excitement to the aspect of attending class.

puppies in paris

2009-10-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

a guard dog? Lots of shops have dogs that just sit on the stoop...
I always stop and admire!

One thing I've noticed while I've been in the city is how tolerant the city is towards animals- well, dogs, mostly. You see cute dogs everywhere- in the parks, at the market, on the metro, in restaurants...and so on.

three puppies on a leash right outside the building at AUP

The one thing that surprises me is that they are so well behaved. Most of the dogs are small or mid-sized, but i've also seen many large ones. It puzzles me to think how you even raise a large dog in the city. Half of them are not on leashes, yet they obediently follow their masters through all the traffic in the streets and all the tempting lightposts that I'm sure all the dogs in Paris have marked on. Amazing.

LOST: SPIKE.

le weekend

2009-09-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hooray for warm September days!

We haven't had one in a while.

Hooray for Pâtisserie des Rèves!

A patisserie that is, I kid you not, COMPLETELY nutella.

It's a dream come true!

photo credits from a website you should all check out- my little paris, here

Hooray for a biking tour of Versailles tomorrow!

Boo for 3 exams in 3 different classes on Monday...that I have not started studying for yet.

grammaire,

phonetique,

gothic structures,

history/kings of france

Due to the activities planned for tomorrow, my Saturday night is cut out for me. Yuck.

Brussels

2009-09-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

...was not that impressive. I'm aware that its a huge financial center and important to the world economy, but that still does not budge my opinion of the city as a whole. Driving into the center of the city, Brussels just struck me as...dirty, polluted, and unsafe.

There was, literally, trash flying around on the streets, piles of trashbags by lampposts, homeless people sitting on the streets asking for money, and run-down looking buildings. Not much to see. We parked and explored the main square, and the few tourist-y streets lining it, and packed up on our way back to France. That was pretty much all there was to see there- not exactly worth a night in a hotel, so we figured we should head out early and spend the night closer to France since the car was due back the next morning.

Here's some of what we did in Belgium (not much):

The big square in Brussels. That was about all the historic sightseeing we did.

It was pretty, though.

and of course, we had to have Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate ice cream!

coffeeshops and windmills

2009-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam. I really had no idea what to expect from it. I mean, what do you do in one of the most liberal cities in the world... with your parents?

Luckily, a lot.

sitting by a canal

I think of all the cities we visited, Amsterdam is one of my favorites ( its a close tie with Zurich). The city is built around a series of concentric canals, so most of the streets line the canals. You can get to almost all of them by boat, And there are boats and houseboats parked along the wider canals.

This cafe is right across from the Rembrandt house- built in the 1600s!

If you look at it from behind, it is tilting. Leaning tower of Pisa tilting.

We took the boat tour, which basically goes around the city by canal, and you can get off/on wherever you please. Amsterdam isn't that huge of a city, so we were able to see almost everything in a day- the Rembrandt museum, Anne Frank house, red light district, boat tour, and we finished off with some delicious Chinese food (I'm not kidding you- It's better than the stuff in L.A.!). So here's Amsterdam in pictures!

If you look closely, the buildings all tilt inwards.

Amsterdam is built on soft soil, so many of the buildings stand on sand. The buildings are supported by posts that are placed deep into the ground to keep them steady. But of course, they're still tilting since they've all been around since the 17/18th centuries.

I remember being told what Coffeeshops in Amsterdam really were.

I didn't actually believe it until I saw it. There are so many in Amsterdam, as well as shops selling seeds, plants, and weed lollipops. I also smelled pot on the streets on multiple occasions.

Buildings along the canal.

If you look closely, you'll see that the roof gables are different on each house. Until the 18th century, buildings in Amsterdam didn't have numbers- they were identified by the roof gable and embellishments/tile on the house, which referenced the trade of the family that inhabited it. You can still see the the tiles on some of the older buildings. Strange, isn't it? But Amsterdam wasn't very big back then.

Another fun fact- If you look closely, you'll see that each roof gable has a hook protruding from it (at the center of the point of the roof). All of the houses in Amsterdam have it. Since the houses are so narrow, all the houses use the hooks as a pulley system when moving large items, moving things in through the window instead of up flights of stairs. The system has been in use since the 17th century.

And last but not least, my favorite part of our trip to Holland: Visiting a windmill!

I never actually understood what these were for and how they functioned, and visiting a windmill definitely enlightened me. I insisted on it the last morning we were there (I convinced my entire family we had to see a windmill. I mean come on, we're in Holland!). I highly recommend it to everyone. I think it was my favorite tour out of all the ones we did on the trip- better than the castle tours in Germany, the Opera House in Paris, lake tour in Zurich, and the Anne Frank House (they were all awesome, believe me, but this one surpassed the original basis of awesomeness).

We got to climb the sails on the mill! The tour guide made us get on there to take our picture.

I think this should be our Christmas card photo. It is hilariously beyond cheesy.

Skip this last part if you don't want to read about mills.

How could the explanation and demonstration of the a) round wooden brake system, b) Use of Archimede's screw in transferring water, and c) rotation of sails not be fascinating? (sorry if my description is lacking, I'm doing the best I can without a visual aid)

The mill we visited (molen van sloten, mill of Sloten) is used to transfer water. Amsterdam is below sea level and gets more than enough rain than is good for it, so the function of the mill is to transfer the water out of Amsterdam when the levels get too high. Without it, the airport would be under water. The system of milling hasn't changed for hundreds of years, and windmills are still in use all over Holland.

1)The Archimedes screw at the base of the mill is used to transfer water out of the city. As the screw turns, it churns the water out (one way only) at 60,000 gallons of water/minute (max. speed).

2) The screw is connected to the sail at the top of the windmill (the 4 wings). The sail works exactly like how sails on a boat work and control the speed/braking of the screw at the bottom.

3)You rotate the direction of the sails depending on which direction the wind is coming from. A wheel, similar to the steering wheel on a ship, is used to control the sails. The sails weigh around 4 tons, and you can turn the wheel like a hamster, walking inside the rungs when the wind is too high. The speed the sails turn determines the speed of the screw pump, therefore controlling the amount of water that is being transferred.

See, isn't it cool??? If you're reading this and you got this far, thanks. I always knew we had something in common.

I love German food!

2009-09-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

dad acting like a kid in a candy shop

Well, maybe not so much me. But my dad sure does. I think his favorite thing about Germany was the food. They love meat, and they like sausage. He's been reading about all his favorite musicians eating sausages by the river for the last 50-odd years, and he was itching to go to Germany to try them for himself. To their credit though, they really know how to cook their pork.

Me and german fast food at the rest stop. Interesting, no?

Cheap and hearty...

We visited tons of castles in Germany. Driving along the Rhine river, there are old castles on almost every hilltop, dating from the 1100s and on. Crazy, isn't it? There is this one castle tour that marketed 14 castles in 2 days! I think that would kill the novelty of castles and i'd be so fed up I wouldn't want to see another one for a while.

View of the Rhine- said to be one of the most scenic drives in Germany

Mel in one of the halls of the castle...it was breathtakingly old and grand!

(as you can see from her expression)

My personal favorite was Heidelberg Castle- its HUGE, and its literally falling apart. I think that the fact that its crumbling makes it all the more believable that people once lived and worked right there on the same spot I was standing... except dressed as courtiers or servants. You stand there and its so easy to see where the settings of all the fairy tales came from.

Just like in the fairy tales

The tower is fell in on itself! I wonder how that happened.

Germany is beautiful, but the unfortunate thing about seeing castles and old churches every day is that after a while they all start to blend in with each other and you can't tell one from the other. We visited other castles and numerous churches, but when its a hot day and you've been walking all day, plus you're tired and hungry, the fun of it wears off a little. But nothing a visit to the bier garten can't fix.

Bartholomew and a Bier Garten in Cochem

look what I found!!! the german version (made in china).
Bartholomew: "i'm better than you."
other hippo: "ich verstehe nicht" (i don't understand you)

Our B&B in Kloten. This place was adorable. It even had a bier garten in the back!

Zurich

2009-09-20T09:51:00.001-07:00

Me and the Swiss flag on the lake tour.

Zurich is a city built around a glacial lake- and it feels like exactly that. It is so crisp, and clear, and clean... your entire being can really just breathe there. I definitely want to go back... hopefully up to the snowy alps next time.

Lucerne, famous for this bridge. The tower used to be a jail, but is now a gift shop.

We saw some guys on pool floats under the bridge at one point.

Strangely, it wasn't the historical landmarks and old cathedrals that I found most striking in Zurich- it was the nature-y, outdoorsy atmosphere. In the summer, all the parks are green, and everyone is out tanning, boating, swimming, camping, or relaxing in the parks. The lakes here are so clean, you can literally drink from them- no joke! While we were on the boat tour, there were so many other little boats, paddle boats, and canoes out there with us. Many parts of the lake are reserved for public use, and you can see families swimming and picnicking along the shores-- its so picturesque and unreal at times. Kind of like a story book city that you see illustrated in those scenic puzzles.

The parks there are so green!

Interesting observation -- excuse me if I'm politically incorrect, but I'm just saying it as I see it-- Zurich is full of pale people. Not just white, but pale skin,blonde hair white. It was so strange- At least in France it was a bit more diverse, and same with Amsterdam, Bonn, Cologne, and Brussels. For such a big metropolitan city, I found it strange to see so much heterogeneity.

A few of the many swans in the water

Fun fact- they advertise the Alps, or the mountainsides along it, as Heidiland. There are brochures of a little girl dressed as "Heidi," a little boy dressed in Lederhosen as "Peter," and a little goat, all standing on a Swiss hillside beside a log cabin with wildflowers all around it.

Pictures like these are on every brochure...

I don't know who's idea it was to market it, but good for them, because seriously... IT SELLS.

If my sister and I were ten years younger we'd have given my parents hell for it.

But anyway, I am going back to Switzerland to see Heidiland. Just wait and see.