Almost spring.

It’s a beautiful day in London today. It was gloomy and rainy yesterday, and it could be just like that again tomorrow, but it’s hard not to enjoy it anyway while it lasts. I decided to talk to Subway and get a sandwich wearing only a sweatshirt and flip-flops, and it felt so nice. Apart from exams and the extreme stress that I’ll inevitably face, I think I’m going to enjoy summer’s approach.

Over the last week or so, I feel like a fire has been lit underneath me. I’ve nearly finished two term papers and I’m starting on my third this weekend. They aren’t due until May 1, but I’d like to get as much done here in London while I have access to the LSE Library. I currently have 17 books checked out and they’re all piled neatly along my wall right now. I wonder how many I will actually read? Haha.

I think I’m channeling energy into these papers so I can put off the inevitability of starting my thesis. I met with my adviser last week, and I could sense that she was frustrated with the direction I want to go with it: she’s a critical theorist and anarchist (no joke), and I want to do a quantitative study of voting behaviour in California. She’s not the one giving me a grade, and I have full reign to meet with whomever I want, so I think it could actually end up being a positive experience. When I visit UCLA in April I’m planning on talking to some of my old advisors to get some input as well.

I was going to go out last night for a friend’s birthday, but I was exhausted from the week and I’ve started getting a pretty bad cold (or maybe it’s allergies). Last weekend I went to a Japanese-themed bar near campus. They were giving out free costume items to the audience, so I just ended up taking everything and wearing it at once. The result was kind of scary:

Today I worked on stats with a friend and cleaned my room… not the most exciting Saturday but pretty relaxing.

I only have one week of class left. Back to California in nine days!

C'est la vie.

As I've told many of you and hinted at indirectly on this blog a few times, I'd been holding my breath since November on a fellowship working for the executive branch of the U.S. government. After checking anxiously all week, I just learned via e-mail that I didn't get it. 

While I thought I'd be disappointed, I actually feel kind of relieved. I had started picturing myself locked into living in Washington, DC for the next two years (the minimum commitment for the program). Although it would've been a great experience and it offered good pay, in the long term, I don't plan on becoming a civil servant. I'm confident that other opportunities will arise. In this economy, I'm thankful for what I have.

Not much else to report. Life is good.

Clearing Skies

Well, it's March now. I've mostly spent the last two weeks taking it easy, enjoying the improving weather, and catching up on reading. After a kind of crappy January and February, I really feel like the rain clouds hanging over my head -- both real and metaphorical -- have dispersed.

On Saturday I tried to go to Borough Market to have lunch with some friends, but once I got to Waterloo Station I discovered that the Jubilee Line, which I needed to take to London Bridge, was closed for the weekend. I spent about half an hour walking around trying to find the replacement bus service, but I became so frustrated that I ended up just going home and making macaroni and cheese in my kitchen. London Transport isn't that hard to figure out, and I've become a lot better at it in the time that I've been here, but I still have my moments of confusion!

Hair update: I think I blew the whole situation out of proportion. It's only been 10 days and I already have a think blanket of dark hair and my eyebrows are nearly back to normal. Here is some photographic evidence.

It's not my best look, admittedly, but I think most would agree that if you saw me on the street that you'd still recognize me! Some people have even told me that they like it better than my long hair, but I think they're just lying to make me feel better.

Finally, it's hard to believe that my time at LSE is coming into the home stretch. The key to my success over this period is going to depend on my independent work ethic. I only have three more weeks left of class before I go home for spring break. I have five weeks off -- by far the longest spring break of my life -- over which I'll have to write a few papers and study for exams. I'm also hoping to go down to LA for a while to visit friends and also to Stanford to stay with my sister. Then I return to London, spend 2 months taking exams and finishing my dissertation, and I'll be done! I'm still on the fence as to whether I'll be here in London much over the summer. But at this point it looks like I'll probably go home for a while during July before returning to submit my dissertation in August.

Hope everything is well with you all.

Baldness

They say that youth is the time when people should be "free to make mistakes" and "learn from their lessons." In my 22 years, I guess you could say that I haven't made that many -- I have good judgement. But on Friday night, I made a fairly big mistake. Someday I'll probably look back on it and laugh, but right now I'm kinda horrified and would just like to crawl underneath a rock for a while.

When I came back to my room from having drinks with friends, I decided to take a shower before going to bed. Although I thought I was washing my hair with shampoo, it turned it to be another chemical that shall remain unnamed. To make a long story short, when I woke up the next morning, half of the hair on my head had fallen off and I had a gigantic bald spot. My eyebrows were also gone.

My reaction was sort of like this (minus the breaking of glass, prom crown and lunatic fisherman):

After moping around wondering what to do for a day, I finally just buzzed it all off. I've never had a shaved head before, and I can't say that I'm a big fan. But this too shall pass: hair grows back, and I'm thankful that it wasn't a worse accident.

Here is a photo:

If you're traumatized by this, rest assured that:

1) I've decided to wear a hat for the next month or so.

2) Many of you won't even see me before it's back to normal

3) At least it's not from cancer treatment. And I'm not a neo-Nazi.

Have a good week, everyone.

Edit: My mom just e-mailed me this photo from the last time I was bald.

 

دبيّ‎

I'm going to Dubai for a weekend in March!

I got an incredibly cheap flight, and my friend got us a free hotel using his Hilton points. I'm looking forward to visiting the "Vegas of the Middle East."

Confessions of a Nomad

It's been nearly a month since I've updated, as this term continues to be a whirlwind. I thought that having class only two days a week would mean that I'd somehow have more time to relax, but that hasn't been the case. Although six weeks into the term, this is the first full week that I've spent here in London since I arrived in January.

Let's see... At the end of January, I went back to Los Angeles for four days to take an exam to work for the executive branch of the federal government. I could have gone to any of the 12 or so biggest cities in the U.S., but I decided to go to LA because the flight was almost the same as those to the each coast and I had a free place to stay with friends. I wasn't expecting to feel such a high level of nostalgia when visiting UCLA -- maybe it was the 70 degree temperature or the rush of seeing friends again, but I really started reflecting on my time there and missing it. 

One of my favorite places on earth:

If I don't end up in Washington DC after graduation, I wouldn't mind working in Los Angeles for a few years. I've always maintained that I don't want to end up there, but I have so many friends there and the quality of life (minus smog and traffic) paired with work opportunities is just too great to pass up. Whatever happens, I hope to visit again soon and I'm sorry to those people who I didn't get a chance to meet up with.

When my flight from LAX was coming in to land at Heathrow, I was extremely surprised to see a thick blanket of snow covering all of London! It turned out to be the heaviest snow that London had received in almost 30 years, and our flight was preparing to divert to Charles de Gaulle in Paris before we received permission to land. It lasted for about 3 days before it had finally melted completely.

The following weekend I went to Amsterdam for two nights with four friends from my program. I had originally thought about canceling my ticket for the trip because I was so exhausted and behind in school work, but the flight was non-refundable. Anyway, I ended up having a good time. Our hotel was really centrally located -- literally in the same square as the Dam, the central monument in Amsterdam. There is a lot of hype about Amsterdam because of their liberal social policies (legalized prostitution, loose marijuana standards) but beyond this, it is truly a gorgeous city with a lot of character.

Since I'd visited there in summer 2007, I remembered a lot about the city and felt less rushed to try and see everything. I headed back to the Van Gogh museum, and we took a riverboat tour through the canals. While we were on the boat, it started snowing! It sounds cool, but at the time I was worried that our impending flight back to London was going to be grounded. Anyway, we made it back safely and it was an enjoyable weekend.

Unfortunately, when I got back to my dorm I got some very bad news -- our family friend George, who had been treated for stomach and esophagus cancer, had passed away that morning. My dad had spent 8 hours with him the day before because he was in so much pain and needed help. Although technically not biologically related to me, he was essentially an adopted grandfather. He and his wife, Eva, helped pay for me and my sister to attend college, and we've been going to their house for dinner every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. Eva is one of the strongest people I know, and I'm sure she'll get through this time alright, but I still feel for her right now and wish that I could be home.

I'm off to see Revolutionary Road at Tottenham Court Rd. I'll try to update more soon from now on.

New Term, Paris + Inauguration

Well, this is my first update since beginning the Lent term at LSE. Things have naturally been pretty busy and hectic, but with some fun mixed in here and there as well.

Although I'd initially thought that LSE was pretty easy, maybe even easier than undergrad, things have started tightening up and I'm beginning to feel the pressure. Last week I turned in all my term papers that were assigned in the fall, and subsequently pulled my first all-nighter since coming to graduate school. I checked out 21 books from the library - the maximum permitted - and carted them all the way back to my room, and only ended up using a handful. The interesting thing about LSE is that all papers are marked twice by two professors each, and then the scores are averaged or the professors debate which mark is more accurate. It takes a ton of time but it's pretty fair I think.

On Saturday, I took the Eurostar from London St. Pancras station to Paris Gare du Nord. With a journey time of about 2.5 hours, it's an incredibly fast and smooth ride from central London to central Paris. Getting ready to board:

Once we arrived, I went to stay at Garance's apartment with her friend Andrei, a classmate from Chapman who I've hung out with before at UCLA. My friends from LSE - Jim, Jackie and Josh - stayed at a hotel. Highlights from the trip included visits to the Rodin Museum, Père Lachaise Cemetery (where Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and others are burried), and the Louvre.

Musee Rodin:

One of his most famous works, "The Kiss".

Eating a waffle with Andrei.

Tomb of Oscar Wilde.

Garance thinks this looks like the photo from the beginning of a spy movie, haha.

My friend David from high school works as an English teacher in Paris now, so we got the chance to meet up with him twice. It was good to catch up on how things in Oroville are and relive old times.

Out to dinner with Garance's family.

Before boarding the Eurostar to return to London.

We arrived back to London on the afternoon of inauguration day. Though I had decided to skip class to watch, Obama's speech had ended well in time for me to still go. I watched it in the quad at LSE, which was standing room only. Not surprisingly, given the liberal nature of Europeans and the Americans who go to LSE, there was a lot of cheering and jubilation.

One fact that I admire about Obama is that he is a devout Christian with strong convictions, yet he is genuinely respectful of other faiths and doesn't hesitate to acknowledge their existance. Sure, our nation may have been founded by protestants, but our intellectual diversity and individual liberties are even more valuable, in my opinion. In this respect, I think Obama's rhetoric of inclusion matches his message about wanting to unite, not divide the American people.

Obama's high approval rating with inevitably take some hits over the next 4 (or 8) years as he approaches the many challenges that our country faces. But nonetheless, there's no denying the historical moment that took place on Tuesday. This is a man who only a half century ago would have been turned away from many restaurants in the south, or even more troubling, could have faced lynching for approaching a white woman the wrong way.

This is the smile of progress!

The mall, where a few of my lucky friends were.

Maybe President someday? Hahaha...

A Change in Temperature

High today in Oroville, California: 61 degrees F

High today in London, England: 38 degrees F

Hence the reason I'm walking around in a long jacket with a scarf as I prepare to head to the airport today.

Goodbye, North America.

Hello, Europe.

A Time for Everything

"All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace."

--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Goodbye, 2008.

I didn't realize until last night that today was the last day of the year.

This marks the end of another year filled with many ups and downs... new experiences, places and people... 

This has been a pretty momentous year globally. California legalized then banned gay marriage. We elected the first-ever black president in the United States. China hosted the Olympics. Home foreclosures reached an all-time high, the price of gas and stock market plummeted, and we entered a global recession. Tina Fey impersonated Sarah Palin on SNL. Etc, etc, etc.

Personally, it's been a pretty momentous year as well. I graduated from college and embarked on a new life in graduate school overseas. At the beginning of the year, I never would've guessed that it all would happened in 2008. I guess I've managed to pack a lot into a short amount of time, but I somehow wish time would go slower as well.

I don't really know whether to be optimistic about 2009 or not. Like any new year, it offers a lot of new beginnings and the chance to start over. George Bush will finally be out of office, and hopefully Obama can bring the "change" that he's promised. But I don't think all the problems that we've created for ourselves can even begin to be solved in the coming year. But at least it's a step forward, at least in theory.

For me, 2009 will (hopefully) bring my graduation from graduate school, my 23rd birthday, and the search for a job amidst a recession. For the first time ever, I really have no idea where I'm going to be by the end of this next year. Probably somewhere between London and California, trying to make money and get by.

I'll leave you with some photos that I'll remember 2008 by. But first, I'm going to post my new years resolutions. Sure, they usually get broken, but I figure that if I make them public then at least I could be held a bit accountable for them!

-- Exercise more (such a cliché new years resolution)

-- Become more organized

-- Quit biting my nails

-- Take more photos

-- Think before I say things

See ya'll in the new year!

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I am very fortunate to have you all in my lives.

Here's to the new year... stay tuned!

Home.

Last night I arrived home to Oroville around 10pm after taking an 11-hour flight to San Francisco, followed by a short 25 minute flight to Sacramento. I slept for 14 hours last night, and have been doing laundry and unpacking today. London seems so recent yet to far away at the same time.

This last 2.5 months have been truly amazing and crazy and eye-opening in so many ways. I feel like I've grown up a lot and have gained a broader view of the world and its people. I've learned quite a bit, probably more from the people I've met than the classes I've taken. I'm going to try to enjoy this break and get as much rest as possible so that I can go back and make the most of the rest of my time there.

I leave you with some photos taken by Alvaro a few weeks ago... I'm jealous of his camera. Click the photos to enlarge.

Westminster Abbey. 

Hyde Park with leaves everywhere. This is my new desktop background.

Two birds biting themselves. Probably trying to look attractive for each other :P

So tourists don't look the wrong way and get run over by double decker buses. I reckon that these have saved my life at least a couple times.

Picadilly Circus, sort of like the Times Square of London.

Let me out!

Christmas on Oxford Street

It seems all romantic and Christmas-y, until you feel how miserably cold it is.

Home on Wednesday!

Discursive construction of British identity

Before I came to England, a lot of friends commented by saying, "Are you going to come back with a British accent?" Considering famous examples like Madonna (who developed one after being married to a Brit and living in the UK), I guess it's possible, but I still scoffed at the idea.

But now that I've lived here for over two months and am preparing to come home in less than a week, I've actually noticed that the way I speak has changed a bit -- not so much my pronunciation, but the type of words that I use and the way I construct sentences. Maybe I just sound more pretentious, or use the passive voice more. But here are a few examples that come to mind:

"Proper" -- Proper isn't a word I ever would have used in the United States. It always seemed to evoke the following stuffy imagery: a high-class family sitting around the dining table, and when the young daughter eats with the wrong type of fork, the grandmother angrily exclaims "That isn't proper!" Well, British people use the word proper about 50 times as much as us Americans. For example, to mean genuine or legitimate: "This is a proper meal" or "This is a proper restaurant." I've found myself using it a lot in everyday conversation, and sometimes catch myself and wonder why.

"Kind regards" at the end of a letter or e-mail -- I don't think I'd ever used this in the United States, but I'd say it's even more common than "Sincerely" here. When sending e-mails to my professors and other formal recipients, I've started writing that now without even thinking.

British people use the present perfect tense a lot more than Americans to describe events in the recent past. For example, if a friend calls and asks if I want to get dinner, I'm more likely to say "I've already eaten, I'm afraid" instead of "I already ate." Another example: "I've just arrived home" instead of "I just arrived home."

The subjects you study in school are maths, not math; sport, not sports. It's cookery book, not cookbook. What we call French fries, the British call chips. What we call chips, the British call crisps. Instead of knock on wood, British say touch wood. This things have all gotten me more than once.

Spelling is very different between the two countries. But my professors have said that I can turn in papers written in American English (color instead of colour, organization instead of organisation, etc) and they don't care. So I've been lazy with regards to adjusting to this issue.

Final note: If you come to the UK, don't use the term "fanny pack" to describe the bag you wear around your waist.

Yay LSE!

"London School of Economics is well represented among Obama's buddies"

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1b3ff9a-bcec-11dd-af5a-0000779fd18c.html