Super Woman

Thanksgiving 2009.

Every year during Thanksgiving and the holidays I go through similar emotions. Thanksgiving is definitely the time to re-think about what and who I am grateful to have in my life. Like the other 234,203,948,209,480,934 million +1 people in the world, I am blessed to be in a loving, healthy family. I don't think I get enough opportunity to even say Thank you, I love to you to my parents or younger brother.

I had this feeling ever since I returned from D.C., my conscience is telling me that I should spend as much time with my family as possible. Then again... here I am in my final year at UCI - getting ready of entering the real world, away from home, focusing myself past a comfort zone and preparing for the worst to leave my cuckoo nest. I guess this just means, I can NEVER be away from home during the holidays unless under extraneous circumstances.

So after Thanksgiving comes what? Black Friday!
Went shopping with my family, but it was basically me and my mom in our element. I love my mama, so beautiful. Don't get the idea that I love my dad or younger brother any less, but something about that bond between a daughter and mother is something NO ONE can ever replace, not just because we went shopping, but just with my connection with my mom in general. Don't get me wrong, my mom and I have had our fair share of minor ups and downs as any relationship and I would still consider her old-fashioned and conservative, but that is my mama and no one can ever take her place. God Bless.



Thanks Mama. Love you Umma. <3

Passions Burning

Throughout my four years at UCI, never have I ever seen such passion and unity within the students. Currently, there is a rally going on with hundreds of UCI students marching around ring road, incredible solidarity. We need more students to support because this student fee increase affects ALL students from undergraduate to graduate students or first to four years. I got the same reactions for most of the other students - a sensation of having an extreme amount of UCI pride.

Of course here I am, wanting to support the rally with my fellow peers, but sitting in class with a firey passion to get out of here. I past by a lecture full of obedient students who are squeezing every penny for their education and time with their professor. One of my professors, Professor Chemerinsky always emphasizes that the student fees we pay are paid for our professors' time. Maybe not coming to class would have been a better idea, there is no TA here. Ugh.

ZOT. Whose unversity? Our University!
California is #1 in building prison and #48 in education. Perfect.

Update: My TA was at the protest. Go figure.

Story of my LIFE.

Once you are deemed a "senior" there is one inevitable question, "What are you going to do after you graduate?" For most seniors, they truly have no idea what they want to do. For others, they are trying to nab that one position open at a top firm/company or applying furiously to numerous graduate school programs to further their education and stay in school as long as possible. I always freak out when I hear the words commencement pop into conversation topics, there are so many emotions when I think of graduating this year.

This quarter I have definitely gone through my fair share of a flurry of options going from teaching English abroad, to graduate school, to now applying for fellowships and AmeriCorps. I will have to keep you updated with the results at a later time.

I was so good keeping up with my studies, but alas, senioritis is slowly hitting me. I'm fortunate that it hasn't hit me as bad as other students. I just need to prevail and finish strong! 7 more days until finals. JUST DO IT. Done deal.

However, I glad to say that I will be graduating in my expected four years and leaving the UC system. I am not sure how any of the UC Board of Regents expects students to pay for their student fees with the ridiculous 32% fee increase. I have noticed that students who are priviledged for the most part really are apathetic to this situation. (Of course, there are always those few exceptions, but I'm speaking in general terms.)


2 more weeks till winter break.

Oh Socal.

More than half of fall quarter is officially over. Yay? Nay?
Not sure yet if I am ready to face the "real world"... Graduation is fast approaching.

Oh on even sadder note. I am sick - ugh! This weather confirms why I do NOT want to live in Socal for the rest of my life. I want to move to a place where I enjoy the little details that the town provides, I want a place where my kids (o_o, if I have any..) will receive some of the best education - nothing subpar, and I want a place that really has seasons. I think the solution is the east coast! :) Can't wait to really see where my life is going to flow.

Happy Halloween! Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, but I will choose to acknowledge it. I went to Disneyland this year with my brother - ohhh soo much fun! However, I think it has been the first time in my life where I was, sorry to say, bored at Disneyland - is this even possible? My brother and I are definitely growing out of our childhood days. Disneyland is also one of the most unhealthiest and priciest places to eat, note to self: always either bring your own food or go outside of the park to eat.

P.S. Thank goodness for chocolate, it just makes life way better.

E.J. Dionne

I got to attend another event hosted by Campus Progress at K St. and 5th St.'s Busboy and Poets presenting E.J. Dionne.

My first ever memory with the name E.J. Dionne was when my 12th grade AP Government teacher, Mr. Shaw introduced Dionne's book "Why Americans Hate Politics". I remember dreading to read that book especially during my winter break - long droning paragraphs with a topic I wasn't truly invested in during that time. My friend, Christian and I would consistantly complain about this book as we constinuously forced our minds to focus and read. Now, it's a whole other story. Funny, how much the situation has changed ever since we entered our college lives...

David & Goliath

Dropping Knowledge.

Today an opportunity came knocking at my doorstep. I got the chance to attend the 2009 Campus Progress Conference here in D.C., and during the whole conference different sparks started to go off in my head about how I can improve my life, my campus, and the world in general. I have to admit, I really did not understand what I was getting myself into when I decided to sign up for this conference - I seriously thought "Perfect, another day of not going to work... :)". If any of you get the opportunity to attend this conference in Washington, then take full advantage.

The conference is definitely dedicated in supporting our younger generation to make the changes that our communities need. We discussed major issues such as climate control, universal health care, college affordability, human rights, civil rights, foreign policy, etc. There were prominent politically influencing speakers such as John Podesta, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Van Jones, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and President Bill Clinton. [Of course, there was a fair share of celebrities as well such as, John Oliver from the Daily Show and Joel Madden from the band Good Charlotte, who both to some degree emphasized on the issues at hand.]

I personally got to attend the climate control and the foreign policy sessions. I figured that the climate control was something that I wanted to understand more and the foreign policy session is something that relates to what I was studying in school. Both these sessions have significant meaning for what I believe in how we can affect and implement different changes to our society and world. One of the panelist explained that the issues we have today is us challenging what others believe in to leave a better impact for our future. He used David and Goliath as a parallel to explain the different issues that we must face. For now, even if the issues are scientifically and logically proven to be true, people are still in denial of what is happening to our communities. Even if there is only a small coalition of people who have the same beliefs, we will be able to overcome the difficult obstacles we are faced with today.

I believe that from the impact of this conference my spark and drive to pursue foreign and public policy has come back to me with a great force and impact. I feel further encouraged and motivated to really pursue what I have been working and aiming for for the past 4 years of my life. I feel that I am going to work for the government during some portion of my life. YAY! I have something look forward to again when it comes to pursuing a career.


Do the happy dance.

Art of Sandwiches

Simple pleasures.

My second week in Washington D.C., and I'm still loving it.
I'm excited because July has finally arrived! This would be my second 4th of July weekend that I am spending in our nation's capital, and I'm ecstatic more than ever before. 4th of July is one of my most favorite holidays because of the simple family traditions we do at home to celebrate. I'm definitely going to be missing my mom's bomb homemade steak and salsa meal while watching the fireworks that go off right below the Heights at Shepard of the Hills Church; our balcony provides the perfect view of fantastic sparkly fireworks. This year, looks like I'm celebrating with Lincoln and Obama! :)

Like I stated before, with all the walking that has to be done within D.C., I definitely feel myself losing some weight. Luckily, compared to what I expected, the weather is actually cooler than I expected during this time of the year, but *knock on wood. I'm the type of person who can just be sitting and start to sweat in humid weather. I have decided against getting a gym pass membership, instead I'll simply walk large amounts everyday. YAY.

I believe that my experience in Washington is my prep period transitioning into my 4th year. As many people know, I have lived my entire college career until next year in Mesa Court. Lucky for me, I'm finally leaving Mesa and moving into Newport North! As of now, the apartment lifestyle in D.C. makes me reminisce about my freshmen year in the dorms in Prado, where my suitemates and I used to make simple sandwiches because we were so sick of eating in Commons. I love sandwiches! For now, I truly enjoy eating my sandwiches on whole wheat break with spinach, swirly colby jack cheese, fried egg or extra thin sliced oven roasted turkey meat, and tomatoes - yummy in my tummy! I will update more on what my next favorite creation is once I'm sick of these sandwiches.

Oh! I learned something amazingly sweet today - in Washington D.C., there is NO sales tax on chocolate! mwhahahaha!

Talk to you later.

Surreal Lifestyle

I can't believe I am officially in WASHINGTON D.C.!!!

My first day in D.C. :)
- Took the red eye flight from LAX with my two roommates - Michelle and Jamie
- Transferred flights in Pittsburgh (which is in Pennsylvania, if you did not know)
- CVS Shopping
- Went to Potbelly (mmm...tasty)
- Rode the Metro!
- Pillow shopping for Jamie at Metro Center
- Safeway Shopping
- NAP TIME!

Okay, so I have officially been in D.C. for a week now, and I really love the city. Living here for a whole 10 weeks sounds so surreal. I know that when I go back home to California, it's going to be very weird ... something I won't like.

I appreciate all the finer things in life when I'm walking around in D.C. I think what makes me dislike my hometown and Irvine too is the fact that nothing is within walking distance. Everything in D.C. is walking distance from each other. Really, the only reason people take the metro is because it'll save around 10 minutes of your commute time. I enjoy walking everywhere! Also, another observation is all the buildings are so beautiful; D.C. definitely does a good job combining both detailed architecture with modern twists. The weather for now is very bearable, but I know that will change soon especially in July and August.

Another concept that is very new to me is taking a nap during the middle of the day! I love it! I finally understand how my freshmen now sophomore residents survived all of last year, while I went nuts with the lack of sleep I was getting.

That's all for now.
Stay tuned.
As life in our nation's capital continues.

All my pictures are posted on my facebook. :)