On my walk home, the rain was falling but the sun was out and starting to set. All the rain drops were reflecting the sunlight, making everything look golden. There was a rainbow over the hills and the whole scene was underscored by the U2 song that was playing on my ipod. The moment was really beautiful, but in a melancholy kind of way.
Just wanted to remember that.
The world according to a Mexigue..or a Portumex. Or a "fine Indian brotha" according to crazy homeless man that wandered into Blondies Pizza.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Rain Rain
Okay now, I like the rain. California "winter" has never been something that I tend to complain about. The hills turn green, the air is crystal clear, the waterfalls in Uvas Canyon are full, and every now and then you get a series of stunning sunny days perfect for day trips.
But this is too much. The hail. The thunderstorms. The snow! Maybe it's the combination of the weather, my cold, and all the work on I have to do....but winter, I've had enough of you. This makes me sound like a weather-wimp from the stupid-half of the State, but I'm ready for flip-flop weather. I want to feel 70 degree temperatures again. I'm tired of wearing three layers or more every day. I want to sip lemonade and eat a hot dog (for some reason it doesn't feel right to have those foods when its freezing). I want to relax on Memorial Glade while listening to "All Day Music" by War or other Latino-rock songs that just fit so well with good weather.
But it looks like this weather is gonna stick around for a little while longer. As will my cold, and as will all my work despite the fact that my book is being sent away tomorrow to the publisher.
Ah yes. The book is almost done. At least the hard part. How does that feel you ask?
You expect me to say "Fantastic!" right?
No. It's kinda scary. It's like the way you feel the moment time runs out on a final and you need to turn yours in, for better or for worse. I've worked so long and hard on this, and I still feel that with more time, I could have done it even better. Apparently, this is normal. When it comes to Mountain View writing, I'm so used to things like web pages, where if you make a mistake or want to add something, you simply just upload the changes and bada-bing, problems solved. And with newspaper articles, well, those get thrown away after a week (unless your my family and have a horde of Mountain View Voices saved from all the times my brother and I were either in it or wrote something for it).
This book is frighteningly permanent. Hopefully, after today I'll feel confident with my final draft. Hopefully once I put that baby in the mail, a wave or relief will hit me. Because in the end, no one else could have created a book on Mountain View like the one I made. I hope people appreciate it.
In the meantime, I think I'll listen to some War and Santana, and dream of the sunny days that are just a month or so away.
But this is too much. The hail. The thunderstorms. The snow! Maybe it's the combination of the weather, my cold, and all the work on I have to do....but winter, I've had enough of you. This makes me sound like a weather-wimp from the stupid-half of the State, but I'm ready for flip-flop weather. I want to feel 70 degree temperatures again. I'm tired of wearing three layers or more every day. I want to sip lemonade and eat a hot dog (for some reason it doesn't feel right to have those foods when its freezing). I want to relax on Memorial Glade while listening to "All Day Music" by War or other Latino-rock songs that just fit so well with good weather.
But it looks like this weather is gonna stick around for a little while longer. As will my cold, and as will all my work despite the fact that my book is being sent away tomorrow to the publisher.
Ah yes. The book is almost done. At least the hard part. How does that feel you ask?
You expect me to say "Fantastic!" right?
No. It's kinda scary. It's like the way you feel the moment time runs out on a final and you need to turn yours in, for better or for worse. I've worked so long and hard on this, and I still feel that with more time, I could have done it even better. Apparently, this is normal. When it comes to Mountain View writing, I'm so used to things like web pages, where if you make a mistake or want to add something, you simply just upload the changes and bada-bing, problems solved. And with newspaper articles, well, those get thrown away after a week (unless your my family and have a horde of Mountain View Voices saved from all the times my brother and I were either in it or wrote something for it).
This book is frighteningly permanent. Hopefully, after today I'll feel confident with my final draft. Hopefully once I put that baby in the mail, a wave or relief will hit me. Because in the end, no one else could have created a book on Mountain View like the one I made. I hope people appreciate it.
In the meantime, I think I'll listen to some War and Santana, and dream of the sunny days that are just a month or so away.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Final Stretch
Hey everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I've written anything of substance here. So what I have been up to? Well I knew this semester was going to be a bitch, and so far it has lived up to the prophecy. Balancing two studio projects, a planning law class, and my beloved book has made my life quite difficult.
But as much as I moan and whine to my friends (thanks for putting up with me guys) I'm doing just fine. All this will soon pass, the book is a little more than a week from being turned. And its not like my work has stopped me from having a good time and going out every now and then. But it'll be SO nice to go out without the nagging feeling of "hey I should really be working on the book right now instead." And once that happens....all I can say is I'm going to be ready to party like I just turned 21 (except, no strip clubs this time). I'll be very Irish on Saint Patty's day.
In other news...I went to the CED Career Fair today and successfully placed my resume in the hands of 5 firms, 4 of which I'm actually interested in. (That one other firm's reps just kind of sprung on me while I was walking around and ran away with one of my resumes). It was also good to see so many of my architecture pals from the Class of 2005 happily employed and representing their new companies at the fair. Gives me hope.
Rewriting my resume last night was also a pretty self-affirming experience. Made me feel better about the decisions that I have made. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, and looking back at my coursework this year and last, I've realized that my recent educational endeavors are more valuable than I thought they were. I am learning the skills and building the connections I need to make myself a good candidate for firms to hire. It felt so different going to this career fair and going to the last one. The firms I approached actually paid attention to me and talked to me for a while. Maybe the job market is better, but I think it has a lot to do with what I've accomplished and the confidence it gives me.
Plus...."I'm a Master of City Planning student focusing on Urban Design" gets a much better response than "I'm a fourth year Urban Studies major." Hehe.
But as much as I moan and whine to my friends (thanks for putting up with me guys) I'm doing just fine. All this will soon pass, the book is a little more than a week from being turned. And its not like my work has stopped me from having a good time and going out every now and then. But it'll be SO nice to go out without the nagging feeling of "hey I should really be working on the book right now instead." And once that happens....all I can say is I'm going to be ready to party like I just turned 21 (except, no strip clubs this time). I'll be very Irish on Saint Patty's day.
In other news...I went to the CED Career Fair today and successfully placed my resume in the hands of 5 firms, 4 of which I'm actually interested in. (That one other firm's reps just kind of sprung on me while I was walking around and ran away with one of my resumes). It was also good to see so many of my architecture pals from the Class of 2005 happily employed and representing their new companies at the fair. Gives me hope.
Rewriting my resume last night was also a pretty self-affirming experience. Made me feel better about the decisions that I have made. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, and looking back at my coursework this year and last, I've realized that my recent educational endeavors are more valuable than I thought they were. I am learning the skills and building the connections I need to make myself a good candidate for firms to hire. It felt so different going to this career fair and going to the last one. The firms I approached actually paid attention to me and talked to me for a while. Maybe the job market is better, but I think it has a lot to do with what I've accomplished and the confidence it gives me.
Plus...."I'm a Master of City Planning student focusing on Urban Design" gets a much better response than "I'm a fourth year Urban Studies major." Hehe.