I should be studying for a midterm....

But all I can think about is how the last four years of working towards the preservation of Mountain View's historic landmarks might end up going to waste. Judging from what I heard about the meeting tonight, most of the City Council just doesn't seem to get it. The opportunity to finally ensure that some of my hometown's landmarks survive into the future is slipping away because they seem to be afraid of a few angry property owners. (One of whom happens to be an old Stanfurd frat brother of the current Mayor and the son of a former Mayor)

I feel like my letters to the Council are ignored, the speakers from my organization aren't heard. Our arguments are clear and rational, but the anger and hinted legal threats from a few unhappy property owners seems to have swayed the council towards adopting a completely voluntary historic preservation ordinance, or no ordinance at all. City after city in the Bay Area and throughout the country has adopted a preservation ordinance with little trouble. But Mountain View can't seem to get it right, even though we've tried so hard to ensure that it does.

And I'm stuck here at Cal, studying for a midterm about Community, while the very community I care the most about seems to be headed on a crash course towards a decision I am sure we will come to regret in the future. Ironic.

I want to be able to at least claim a minor victory so that MVPA still has some wind behind its sails to carry on as a community organization. With or without a preservation ordinance, I feel my group could have a lot to offer to Mountain View. But with a really bad ordinance, it will be a lot harder to accomplish our goals. It could become a very depressing organization to be involved in, if we constantly see landmarks being torn-down, with nothing we can do to save them.

In a month and a day, the final decision will have been made. A battle I have been fighting since high school will have ended. At least round-one will have. Round-two might not come until I'm old and gray, if ever. I doubt the city will want to spend the time and resources studying this issue again in the near future, unless some major landmarks are lost in rapid succession.

But this isn't over yet. And I'll keep on trying to turn the tide, to ensure that some good comes out of all this. Because like my dad told me when I started to get involved with preservation in Mountain View; it's better to have tried and failed than to have never tried and come to regret not giving it your all later.

Nap98: hows the studying going
Th EIn KSt o nE: its not
Th EIn KSt o nE: but whatever
Th EIn KSt o nE: its just city planning
Th EIn KSt o nE: how hard can it be?
Nap98: right right
Nap98: im freaked out
Nap98: not so much because its hard
Nap98: but because i cant get myself to focus or care
Nap98: its so un-nick-like
Nap98: my head's in mountain view
Nap98: the city council had a meeting tonight and things are a mess
Th EIn KSt o nE: that sounds very nick like

He's right.

Bah.

Life has pulled some pretty tough punches on my family over the years. When my Uncle Mike got hit by a train two years ago, it seemed like events from the past were repeating themselves, and once again fate had been cruel to the Perry family.

My Uncle Mike is a really special person. He's mentally disabled, but slightly. Before his accident, you would never be able to tell from the way he looked, and only after a while when talking to him. This often caused problems, because people would expect more from Uncle Mike than he was capable of.

Growing up, he took me, Chris and our cousin Tiffany everywhere. We spent countless days of the summer walking, riding the bus, or taking light rail to places all over San Jose and the valley. We'd go bowling and mini-golfing, take train rides all the way to San Francisco and back, the toy store, the mall, San Jose Live, Great America, the park, the movies. Anywhere we wanted to go, as long as it was accessible without a car, he would take us. He had just enough wordily knowledge to make it safe for us to be off on our own with him, and just enough child-likeness in him to make whatever we did together as much fun for him as it was for us. He became "Uncle" Mike to all my cousins, on both sides of the family, and even some of my friends.

But then, one after the other, we realized Uncle Mike was different from our parents. We started to grow up, and he stayed just the same. I didn't know he had a disability until I was around 10...when I realized that I was becoming "smarter" than him. In some ways, we kinda discarded Uncle Mike like we would an old toy. But I realized this was the wrong thing to do pretty early, and continued to treat Uncle Mike with the respect he deserved.

Nevertheless, we made friends our age, and became old enough to go off on our own without him. When we did spend time with him, it became strange because of the role-reversal. Suddenly we were the adults in a lot of situations. He started to withdraw from us, you could sense he felt awkward. I never wanted him to feel like he was in any way inferior to us, but I think as he watched us grow up, he started to feel that way on his own. Especially with Chris, because they had always been best friends with the most in common. As Chris grew older, Uncle Mike lost his last real pal to hang out with. That must have been really hard on him.

But my family made an effort to include him in our lives as much as we could. We'd take him out with my grandma for the day, or go on little trips with him. In summer of 2001, we had him fly by himself for the first time to meet us in Disneyland and spend a week with us there. It's always been fun to have him around.

And then, there was the accident. And our lives went into a tailspin. The thought of life without Uncle Mike is something I never imagined having to deal with so soon. Since he never really changed, it was easy to just think he'd be there forever. It became really clear how much he meant to each of us. How great it was to have someone in our lives that loved us so much and wanted nothing more than to just spend time with us.

The thought of loosing him was shattering. And it seemed like that's what would happen. Or, at best, he might wake from his coma, but be severely disabled, both physically and mentally. The doctors said things didn't look good at all for him, that it was a miracle he even survived getting hit by the train.

Those were very difficult times, and we contemplated taking him off life support. When we had what was to be our final meeting with the doctor, the family was prepared to request this, perhaps some of us more than others. We even met with a priest who was the hospital's Catholic chaplain, and he came to meeting with us and was going to give Uncle Mike the Last Rites. But when the doctor said that Mike was showing a few signs of minor recovery, that his organs were beginning to repair themselves, my brother, myself, and my cousin Tiffany began making eye contact with each other and spoke up. We wanted to give Uncle Mike a chance to fight. The family listened, and the doctors agreed.

My Uncle Mike's initial survival was amazing unto itself. His recovery has been nothing short of a miracle.

Going into his hospital room at Stanford those first few weeks was so hard. With a tracheatomy, dialysis machine, bruises all over, wires and tubes, his head swollen and shaved, stiches everywhere, he was hard to look at without tearing up. We told ourselves to have hope, but not expect too much. We though that at best, he might wake up from his coma.

When he started to show signs of hearing us when we talked to him, we didn't believe it at first, thought it might just be muscle spasms. My grandma stayed with him day and night, and we thought she might be seeing things when he would move his foot in responce to our voices. But then after a few weeks, when we would hold his hand, he would squeeze it in response to questions. We were all amazed.

Then he opened his eyes. We couldn't believe it. But we still didn't know how much he remembered, if those eyes knew who we were or who he was, if his mental disability had been made more severe.

But after a month he started whispering. It became clear that he was still "there" and that one of our greatest fears wasn't true. He did not jump in front of the train on his own. In typical Uncle Mike fashion, he tripped while running to catch the train and fell partially on the tracks so that the train hit his side and threw him across the platform as it came into the station. We were so relieved to hear that.

Over time he regained control of his limbs. He gained the strength to sit up. He was transferred out of Stanford to another hospital, and then to a nursing home where he received physical therapy. We'd visit him often there, and he proudly show us his progress. He could throw a ball. Then he could ride a stationary bike. Before long he could stand on his own, and finally he could walk again.

He's been home for over a year now. And yes, the accident still affects his life every day. He can no longer work at his old job as a busboy at SCU, and is a lot more dependent than he used to be. He has "some good days, and some bad days" as he puts it. But he's recovered more than anyone, even the doctors, ever thought he could.

My family took him out on Saturday and spent the day with him. We went to a Saint Francis Basketball game, dinner at Kapp's, watched the Cal game on tv, and just talked. Every time I see him now, I can't help but look at him and be in awe. He fought so hard to come back to us, to recover, to live. He's so appreciative of the little things, so grateful for just spending the time to talk to him. Even more than he was before the accident.

When my dad and I dropped him off late Saturday night, I told him that I had a lot of fun hanging out with him that day. We said goodbye and I walked towards the car. Just before I shut the door he yelled out from the porch "I love you Nick!"

And it really hit me then, more than it ever has before, how very lucky I am to have him in my life. He is a living reminder to have hope and strength even when times look really bad. He gives me faith that while yes, life can often be very trying and unfair, it can also be extremely rewarding and beautiful.

Today I went to church with my family, all four of us. Quite the rare event in itself, but even more rare because we went to Saint Simons.

Saint Simons....we stopped going there often after I graduated Saint Simons School in 1997, and stopped going all-together after Chris graduated in 2000. When we go to church now, we go to Saint Joseph's in Downtown Mountain View. We fit in better there, and our family has roots there streching back the the 1940s.

Saint Simons is strange for a Catholic church in the Bay Area. Because it's in Los Altos, it's pretty much all White with a sprinkling of minorities, mostly Asians. The lack of diversity made me uncomfortable today in mass. Strange to feel uncomfortable in a place I once knew so well. For 10 years, Saint Simons was a major part of my life.

I have SO many memories there. My first communion, May processions, singing a solo in front of the entire school (god, I had guts), ten years of Christmas plays, dozens of friday masses, stations of the cross, Sunday masses with my family, Confirmation, and my 8th grade graduation.

I'd like to be able to go back there and envision these memories, but I can't cause the church as I knew it is gone. Father Andre had it modernized and completely reconfigured into a "stage-in-the-round" type of layout after I graduated. Even though the stained-glass windows, statues, and paintings were saved...they've all been shuffled and moved around so much that the place is unrecognizable. And that's why it's so strange to go back. The building is still there but its like one of those surreal dreams where you know where you are but nothing is in its proper place.

Chris and I walked around the school after mass. The school itself has hardly changed at all since we went there. The breezeway, the upper hall and lower hall, the Science lab, Schram field, Mrs Shirey's office, the Computer lab, the library. It's all still there. We looked into our old classrooms and searched for ones that still had teachers we knew in them. We saw our class pictures hanging in the hall, and a new plaque for our recently departed eighth grade teacher, Judy Capaldo.

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed since my time at Saint Simons. I remember being a student there, and not being able to imagine being any place else. And here I am, supposedly all-grown-up and over half way through with college. That place, in more ways than I can say, formed who I am today. I owe a lot to it, and the teachers that taught me and always encouraged me to stand up for myself and do what I thought was right. And even though I had a lot of really tough times at that school, my parents, I think, made the right decision to send me there.

It's been many years since the four of us have been in Church in that building together. It brought back a lot of memories of times that are long gone, but sometimes feel like they were just a day ago.

It's kinda scary that I'm starting to rely on AIM's headlines to get my daily dose of news. Can't be any worse than the network news. But it is a bit strange.

"While we wait for the courts to act, it's time for the City of San Francisco to start respecting state law. It is time for the city to stop traveling down this dangerous path of ignoring the rule of law."

That's what our governator had to say about all the gay marriages across the bay. Huh. Easy way to skirt the real issue. Break it down to rule breaking. (Kinda like the whole illegal immigration issue.) It's pretty clear what his opinions are. But....those don't matter....this isn't about civil rights, it's about following the law. Sounds like something some governor of a Southern State in the 1950s would say when people began to challenge Jim Crow laws.

Of almost equally important news, at least according to the logic of AIM's headlines, Cal's own William Hung, our beloved American Idol reject, is becoming a huge celebrity, with a record deal in the works. Crazy. Good for him. But I wonder if we at Cal will feel the pain of this after America grows weary of his rendition of She Bangs. They sure are playing up the Cal link....the photo in the article has the giant Cal script logo in the back, and Will's wearing a blue and gold UCBerkeley t-shirt. Oh well...at least ...because of that photo, dozens of people in America probably just realized that Cal=UC Berkeley.

Will the questions back home change from "Oh! So you go to Berkeley, have you been in any protests lately?" to..."Oh! So you go to Berkeley, have you seen William Hung lately." Hmmm....well come to think of it, that wouldn't be so bad.

Ahhh......I remember this feeling. Too much to do, too little motivation to do it. Papers, midterms, readings, reading responses, STUDIO.

But now...coupled with my apathy, is a growing sense of urgency to make the most of my time here, because so little of it is actually left. The two don't go so well together. Sometimes, it feels like I'm slowly sliding towards the edge of a cliff, with graduation at the end....and a 100 foot plunge into a sea of who knows what at the bottom.

What am I going to do with myself after next year? Will I go to graduate school? If so, where and how wiil I pay for it? If not, where will I live? Who will I live with? What type of job do I want to have..or rather..what type of job can I get in this economy?

Yes...it's over a year away, but now, apparently, is the time to begin planning for what to do next. And I feel like a lot of people have a much better idea of what they want after college. Heck, my cousin, just 6 months older than me, is getting married, probably on the same day I'm graduating.

Up till this point, life is pretty much pre-scripted for everyone. One step leads to the next logical step. Some are lucky enough to have that continue their whole lives. But for others, after college, it's just a giant question mark. And Berkeley....and my major in particular, just makes that question mark even bigger because it opens up more oppurtunities, more decisions.

I am a planner. I need a plan.

So...for the second meeting of B.U.S.S.A on Sunday, we all went around the room and talked about ourselves while one of the members, Rhiddi, typed the group's constitution.

And for the first time in a while that I can remember...I was flat out asked my ethnic background. No tap-dancing around the subject...no hesitance. Usually, this topic doesn't come up unless I sort of invite it to. And if it does, I kinda have to say it without being asked...filling in the blanks of a question I know someone is kinda thinking about but uncomfortable asking.

I'm not one who gets upset when people want to know what I am ethnically, because I'd much rather have them know than assume I'm something I'm not. But a lot of people do get upset. They think it shouldn't matter. That our backgrounds don't matter. Whatever. For me, they do. I care a lot about my history, obviously, and my ethnic heritage is a part of my identity. It's something I want people to know about.

So I said, I'm Mexican and Portuguese. And the response, so far the best response I've ever gotten on this topic, was from the guy that got the group going, Mike, who said, "So...You Like Linguica AND Chorizo?"

Exactly.

And then Ben, the guy sitting next to me from Singapore...was like..."but Perry's not a Portuguese or Mexican name..it's British."

Wow...these people know there stuff.

I had to explain the whole Anglicization of my name Periera to Perry (Thank you Ellis Island).

Anyways...it was great to get to know a group of people from such diverse backgrounds. Hearing there stories, why they got involved in City Planning, where they are from, their heritage...and telling my own. Just in this small group we have people from India, Singapore, Korea, the East Coast and LA. And its surprising the number of connections we found amongst each other as we shared our stories.

For example, when I asked Rhiddi what part of San Jose she lived in..she mentioned the giant Chuckee Cheeze's...which was built on land my great grandpa owned way back in the day as a family farm. Ends up after I said that, they assumed I was a "landed elite" of the Santa Clara Valley. Which would make my family millionares. Haha...if only. Had to explain that too. Hard to summarize how a family which once owned land throughout the valley for generations lost it all in a decade.

I'm hoping some really good things come from this club. There's something great about starting something new, having the chance to leave a legacy. I've done it twice before with the MV Youth Advisory Group, and MVPA. I'm really thankful that the oppurtunity to do it at Cal has landed in my lap. Exciting times.

Well...I think the Claritin finally wore off. My allergies were acting up this morning, and I needed to take it. I don't know whether it was the Claritin or the allergies themselves that just drained me today. Ech. All I wanted to do was lie down and rest all day. I almost fell asleep at 9:00. Haven't done that for a while. But hunger got me out of bed and here I am now.

I was gonna write a detailed description of this past weekend....but I'm tired again. I'll keep it short and sweet.

Thursday- Stumbled into a meeting of Urban Studies Majors that want to form an undergrad student org after my last class. Woohoo! (see Jan. 24 entry)
Friday - Went to SF w/ Leo and Lauren to visit the Embacadero and Ferry Building. Had a fun time at Kat's 21st bday party at night.
Saturday- Slept in. Played a couple games of poker with cheerios and pretzels with the housemates.
Sunday- Read in the Rose Garden, enjoyed the great weather. Had another meeting for the Urban Studies group, wrote the constitution...decided on the name Berkeley Urban Studies Student Association (BUSSA). Watched the grammies. Which were dumb except for the performances.

Overall, a great weekend. Look's like it's gonna be a very busy week.

Right then. Goodnight.

To go abroad, or not to go abroad?

It'd just be a month. August. I know I could do it. But I don't want to do it alone. Especially since its through Davis and not through Cal, so I won't have even a remote chance of knowing people. But the program sounds really interesting, based in southern Germany near the Black Forest and the French border, in the picturesque city of Freiburg. I'd be studying various forms of Community Development by visiting different cities in Germany, France, and Switzerland.

But for a guy who has only been outside this country once (and that was to Encenada in Mexico...which pretty much doesn't count)....who isn't, very...well, adventurous... when it comes to food (but Freiburg does have two McDonald's...I checked),...and who doesn't speak a lick of German (the class is in English..but still)....it's a daunting and frightening proposition to just fly over their alone. I've barely traveled in these United States....farthest I've been is Florida for a trip to Disneyworld, which again..doesn't really count because it's just an over-blown Disneyland.

I just don't know how to travel yet, so to do it a lone the first time is scary. And it's not just me, it's pretty much my whole family. The last folks on my mom's side to set foot in Europe were the one's from way-back-when that came here from Spain and had babies with the Aztecs and made us Mexicans. With one exception, my cousin Mikey went to England last spring. But they speak English there....kinda....so at least he had that going for him. On my dad's side my grandparents went to the Azores and Portugal in the 1950s, but they had roots and family there still. So basically, I'm not exactly used to traveling, and I come from a long line of non-globetrotters.

I just don't know. I'm trying to get Leo to come with me, but for some reason that architorture major wants to take an architorture summer abroad program. ABSURD! Well...not really. But from my skewed perspective... it just makes sense; he was born in Germany, speaks German, could get credit for this towards his major... he was destined to be my translator and tour guide for this. Haha.

I'll probably apply at the very least. But, I'll ask again...anyone wanna come with me? Please? I'll give you a dollar.

So, of all the classes I've taken at Cal, here is how they rate. This is for my own amusement, you probably don't care...unless you're thinking about what to take in future semesters.

1.) Architecture 171C - San Francisco Architecture
-See Previous Post

2.) Environmental Design 11A - Intro to Drawing Studio
-The top 3 are all very close together, studio is tough to rate because of the extremes within it, a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work and frustrating days...but ultimately worth it in the end. Got to know some great folks in my section too. I put 11A before 11B, because I was better at 11A and can actually do something with my drawings whereas my models from 11B just collect dust.

3.) Environmental Design 11B - Intro to Design Studio
-See Above. But this class introduced me to Flavia, Phyllis and Rory, three people who my Cal experience would be so much less fun without. Plus a bunch of other folks who were fun to have class with. Oh..and Luke, my instructor's dog. Strange dog.

4.) City Planning 111 - Intro to Housing
-Eye opening course, my first with Professor Roy. Got a great paper out of it too.

5.) Chicano Studies 70AC - Latino Politics
-Another eye opening course, I learned quite a bit about my own family's history in relation to larger events and got to see a movie my great-grandma's were in...which moves this course up the list.

6.) Political Science 171 - California Politics
-Bruce Cain is an excellent professor and this class really gave me a better insight into how this wonderful state of ours works. If you're at all interested in California politics, take this class.

7.) Environmental Design 1 - Intro to Environmental Design
-Fond memories of my section in this course put it high up on the list. In this class I solidified my friendships with Leo and Lauren, met a couple other CED friends like Jacqueline and Melissa, and got to know a bunch of other people that I continue to enjoy taking classes with in the CED.

8.) City Planning 115 - Urbanization in Developing Countries
-Ananya Roy's classes are really interesting and she has very powerful lectures, but this class didn't quite do the same thing for me that CP111 did. Nevertheless, its pretty high up because Prof. Roy challenges my perceptions of what city planning is, and although this often frustrates and confuses me, its rewarding. Plus, I got to write a paper about Disney theme parks. The 5th grader Nick inside of me is absolutely thrilled that I was able to write about Disneyland in college.

9.) Ethnic Studies 150AC - People of Mixed Racial Decent
-Overall, I think that this class could have been better. But the very fact that there is a class like this, and that it introduced me to one of my all time favorite novels now, La Maravilla, and had the author come in as a guest lecture, puts it in the top 10.

10.) City Planning 110 - Intro to City Planning
-I enjoyed my GSI in this class, we got along really well and the projects assigned were interesting. And, the fact that I kicked ass grade-wise helps too. My first A+ at Cal. And I remember the lecture mentioning Mountain View a few times, which made me like the class even more.

11.) Geography 159AC - The Southern Border
-I wish I was able to invest more time into this class than I did. Prof Manz and Shaiken were great, especially Prof. Manz. The subject material was very relevant and well presented. My first and only class with Erik, and that was cool too.

12.) Geography 50AC - California Geography
-It was about California. It was about Geography. I got to write about my family's history for a term paper. What's not to like?

13.) ESPM 10 - Environmental Issues
-The prof in the class was really really cool. The class was a last minute filler but was really enlightening. Lauren R. was in the class with me too, and that was fun (when she was awake)

14.) Geography 70AC - The American Urban Experience
-I like this class, not so much because of the lectures (they weren't that great) but because of the project we had to do. I got to learn a lot about Uptown Oakland and had a good time doing it.

15.) Astronomy 10 - General Astronomy
-Lot's of fun to be in a class with Kat, Ryan, and BJ as a GSI....but I couldn't really get fired up about the subject material. Filipenko is a great prof, and I enjoyed his lectures. But Astronomy just isn't my thing. Pretty amazing stuff though.

16.) Geography 10 - World Regions
-Interesting, but not very much of what was said stuck with me.

17.) City Planning 39A - Frosh/Soph Seminar w/ Prof Emeritus Meier
-An experience that I wasn't quite ready for as a freshman... and maybe still not ready for? Not sure. Professor Meier had a totally foreign notion of what City Planning was, and a lot of the stuff we talked about was either waay out there, or just over my head. But he is an admirable individual and the class was certainty not as bad as its position on this list might suggest.

18.) Statistics 2 - Intro to Statistics
-Stats was interesting, I didn't hate this class. Didn't love it either, but the Prof made it tolerable and I got to bug Lauren P. during lecture.

19.) Math16A - Analytic Geometry and Calculus
-This class has the distinction of being the only class at Cal I really did not enjoy at all. I hate Math. I really do.

Wow, 19 classes. Plus 4 this semester. Getting close to the end. That was kinda fun. Makes me realize that I've really enjoyed almost all my classes here. Lucky me.

Looking back at the last semester, I've realized that San Francisco Architecture was the best class I have taken here at Cal. With only about 18 kids in the class, we really got to know each other and Professor Tobriner well. The tours to San Francisco were great, I've gained a whole new perspective on the City. For our papers, he let us write about things that really interested us. And at the end of the semester, he invited us to his house for a get together where we told stories and talked about our papers.

The people in the class were great too. Not only were some of my friends from studio in it, but the diversity of people that go to Berkeley was represented really well. We had exchange students from Scandinavia, New Zealand, Russia, Hong Kong, and Argentina...not to mention various parts of the United States. It was cool to actually work with graduate students too, and hear about the research they were doing.

I hope everyone that reads this blog and goes to Cal, gets the chance to participate in at least one class like this. They're out there, you just have to find them. That's pretty much the whole deal with Cal. The oppurtunities for a great educational expirience are out there, you just need to go out and find them yourself. You aren't spoon fed them like you might be in some schools. And personally, I like it that way.

Not a cloud in the sky here in Mountain View. Looks like its gonna be a nice weekend.

Chris had a huge victory last night at the Saint Francis versus Serra basketball game. SFHS lost (51-61), but you couldn't tell from the good vibes that were filling the building during and after the game. Last year, Serra brought a huge cheering section and typical of Saint Francis in recent years, the Lancers had virtually no students at the game. Chris happened to be there doing a radio station broadcast, and was humiliated by the experience. He would not let that happen this year.

The promise of free-dress on Monday if 150 kids came into the Rage Cage cheering section worked better than anyone could have imagined. It was a football game crowd at a basketball game. The Rage Cage was packed, loud and rowdy. The second floor was packed with students too. The whole gym looked more like a mandatory school rally than like a sporting event. But more importantly, they cheered. They ensured that the Lancers had a home-court advantage, when, in past years the others teams cheering sections drowned out the SFHS student section, if there was on at all. The team was able to close a 25 point deficit in the 4th quarter and come within a few points of tying it in the last couple of minutes. The place went absolutely wild. The second floor students even stood up! (...WITHOUT me yelling at them like at the Bellarmine Basketball game) What otherwise could have been a blow out, ended up being a really exciting and fun game for everyone.

When the Serra crowd tried to pull a Bellarmine and started using some...disrespectful...cheers, their deans jumped on their case, kicked one guy out, and had the whole student section exit the gym before the end of the game, leaving the Lancers to celebrate their moral victory. So after the final buzzer rang, and the band began playing the alma mater, the Rage Cage and the team got together and sang it. They then filled the court, hanging out, talking, laughing. There wasn't a disappointed face in the gym. Chris, who had lost his voice by the 4th quarter, was just smiling.

All year, Chris has wanted to show his school that it can be fun to have spirit, go to games, and cheer. It makes high school a more memorable and fun experience. Last night, it seems that his dream was realized. What a nice early 18th bday present for my little brother.

When life gets a little tough and stressfull, its really nice to have a couple of friends who will drop what they're doing, head back to campus after spending the whole day there, come to my studio, bring cheeseysticks, candy, and beer, and just hang out.

So, I'm rethinking my decision regarding the Daily Cal. I'll go tomorrow and take that writing test, turn in my resume, and see what its like for a while. It can't hurt to give it a try.

Candice's party was a lot of fun last night. It even got broken up by the cops, but being part of the "inner-circle" of friends, everyone I knew was able to stay to just hang out and talk with people. I did not get drunk, but I had enough to drink to be relaxed and talkative. And I woke up feeling really good this morning. So, great party ladies of the apartment. Hope the clean up isn't too bad.

And the weather today is really nice. One of those crystal clear days that comes after gloomy weather. Cool and crisp, my favorite type of Bay Area day.

To illustrate, here is the view from our front yard this morning:

So, school's started and so-far-so good. Some of my classes seem like the same-old-stuff I've already learned in other classes, but that'll help out later as long as I can stay awake and pay attention.

They're ALL in Wurster...which is something that would have horrified me as a freshman, but now its kinda nice. Wurster has really grown on me. I only wish I lived closer now, especially with studio. I'm really looking forward to being in studio again, especially since its a City Planning studio taught by a planner that worked for Mountain View for five years!

I decided over winter break that I wanted to get more involved with on-campus activities, so I went to the Daily Cal staff recruitment meeting yesterday. I'd like to write for them, but I've realized that I might not have the time. My schedule runs late into the day, which is bad since that's when they edit and put the paper together. And a the whole environment of people who spend a lot of time together seems to dominate that office. It's the same environment that pushed me out of yearbook at Saint Francis because I couldn't devote myself so fully to one activiety. Not to diss the whole "spend way too much time together" environment, its just that I'll get (and have gotten) enough of that with studio.

So..I guess scratch that idea...and on to idea # 2, staring an undergraduate Urban Studies/City Planning student group at Cal! Hehe...we'll see how that goes. I just do not want to leave Cal feeling that I didn't try to get involved here. And time is running short.

Good luck with the new semester everyone. I know a few of you are having a tough time right now. Just remember to take it easy, have fun. Chill out. It's way cliche...but you're in one of, if not the, greatest public universities in the world.... Schwarzenegger be damned. I know sometimes it may feel otherwise....but you are lucky to be here. Try not to forget that.

Heading down to SoCal this afternoon with Matt and Kim to visit Jen at UCSD.

SoCal twice in one winter break? I dunno if I can handle that much SoCal. I'm sure I'll be sitting in a few hours of traffic once we hit LA. But San Diego is nice, so I'm looking forward to going there.

Didn't mention it here yet, but the day after Christmas my family spontaneously decided to follow my cousin's family down to Disneyland. An excellent trip, it was really fun to take my cousin's kids (ages 4 and 7) to the park for their first visit there.

But Disneyland was insanely crowded. I've been there on some of the busiest days of summer, and I do not remember it ever being this bad. But then again, when I went during summer the park had a lot more rides that were "people eaters," they kept the walkways a little more..walkable. In addition, both Big Thunder and Space Mountain were closed...thanks to budget cuts which have reduced daily maintenance, forcing their closure over long periods of time and resulting in at least one deadly accident last year. I don't know if you've noticed, but the quality and quantity of new attractions there has dropped drastically over recent years. The current company leadership's insane penny pinching is chipping away at the famous quality of Disney product.

If you know me well, you know I've long been fascinated by Disney themeparks and that at one time my dream-job was to be an "Imagineer," one of the guys that designs them. I know some of you find that despicable (ahem..Lauren and Leo) but I know more of you have spent quite a few happy days at Disneyland or at a Disney movie...and know where I'm coming from.

So in light of this, I encourage you to poke around the following site:

www.savedisney.com

It's by Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew. He was the head of animation until a few months ago, when he resigned in protest of CEO Michael Eisner's destruction of Disney quality, and he's now working to have Eisner be fired or resign. They'll send you a FREE bumper sticker if you add yourself to their mailing list. And who can pass up a free bumper sticker? Not I.

All right...I need to get some stuff done before I leave town. For those of you who are my Cal buddies, have a nice last weekend of freedom, and cya soon.

Elephant Seals...

aren't they just the most handsome critters you've ever seen?

My day trips with Leo and Lauren, the three of us have realized, have established a pattern. They involve going out to the wilderness on the outskirts of the Bay Area, looking at some strange animal (last time it was Elk at Pt. Reyes), and then topping the day off with a trip to burger king, where we all order chicken tenders.

Yesterday we made the 1.5 hour drive to Ano Nuevo Point to see the Elephant Seals during mating season. (no...we did not see any actual mating...we did see some chasing and fighting) Took a guided 2.5 hour hike around the reserve. Quite a fun experience. I had not been there since I was 10. Those elephant seals can move pretty fast. And they are HUGE! I thought my childhood memory had exaggerated their size, but those things are ginormous 5000 pound beasts. But most of the time they're just flopped down in a dune like the one I took a photo of.

The drive to and from Ano Nuevo was a constant battle to see if my geographic skills were better than the Global Navigation System on Leo's SUV. I win! The GPS had him going around in circles at the Stanfurd Shopping Center on the way to his OWN HOUSE....I was utterly horrified that Leo did not just follow his own sense of direction while in his own city and instead had to rely on a computer. Pity the geographically challenged, for they shall get lost on the Earth.

Lauren and I also got to see Leo's house in Palo Alto for the first time. Whereas our drawings and projects from past studios are stuffed behind a bed, crammed in a shelf, decaying in the yard, or hidden in a closet...Leo's work is proudly displayed by his parents throughout the entire house. Of course, the modern art-galleryesque feel to the Eichler lends itself to such displays. His house was uber-cool, as was his family. Lauren and I are jealous Leo. You hear that? Jealous. Haha...wait...you live in Palo Alto...I take that back.

Well, tonight was the Saint Francis versus Bellarmine basketball game, at Saint Francis.

Once again, Chris has taken on the daunting task of dismantling the apathy that has taken over much of the student body when it comes to pride and spirit.

For Football, he and his yell leaders (modeled after Cal's) were pretty successfully in bringing people into the stands and getting them to cheer again. It helped that this year's team was really good and went all the way to the CCS Final.

Not so with the basketball team. The school has seen more promising teams..and basketball has never been as big of a deal as football. So it was no surprise that Bellarmine beat Saint Francis, on the court and in the stands. Chris succeeded in getting students to the game. The gym was packed to capacity (my dad couldn't get back in at one point). It's an old-fashioned gym, two stories. I sat on the second floor next to the student section with my parents, and Matt and Kim. For me, Matt, and Kim, the last time we had been up there together was probably or sophomore year at a rally. It was kinda cool.

But about 1/4 of the gym (one side of the second floor) was taken up by the very loud, very rude, and very obnoxious Bellarmine cheering section. Being an all guy school, its a lot easier to pump up the volume and get loud. They've been doing this for a long time. (although they were surprisingly quiet at the last football game where SFHS whooped them....hmm maybe this was their way of venting frustration over that loss) With six yell leaders, six megaphones, and at least 200 students all standing up, they filled the gym with noise from the start.

Chris on the other hand, was one of four yell leaders, with one megaphone (none during the first half), and a student section that refused to stand for the entire first half. Bellarmine was showing us up, cheering "We Can't Hear You" and "Why Are you Sitting." Taunting the players and the crowd, and using the oh so creative "Buck the Lancers" cheer. All this, after they held a conference for all schools in the league about sportsmanship in cheering, saying not to do these types of cheers. (keep in mind these are Catholic schools...most of the stuff would totally fly at Cal..hehe) The administration at SFHS held Chris to this code of conduct, but with Bellarmine it was a case of "Do as I say, not as I do."

The best word to describe Chris' face during the first half is complete disgust and exasperation. On one hand you have Bellarmine, with its dean right there allowing the students to break the cheering rules it made. On the other hand you have our stands, sitting pretty and just watching Bellarmine's student section give their team home court advantage.

If there's one thing Chris and I both HATE, it's apathy. If you're gonna take the time to come to a game, you might as well root for your team. The student section was filled with 'popular' SFHS kids, too self-conscience to stand up, and yelling at those that did to sit down. Every time Chris tried to get them to stand or make noise, they sat and stayed quiet. He was ready to give up by half-time.

I wouldn't have it. I figured, what have I got to lose? I am no longer confined by the social cliques that dominate the school, I don't give a rats ass what these kids think of me. And I did something I lost the confidence to do after my frosh year as a Lancer; I stood out.

When Chris and the Activities Director tried to get the students to stand up after half time ended, and when a few of them did but the rest kept sitting, laughing nervously....I stood up and started yelling at them to do the same. I yelled and yelled and yelled. I jumped up and down and yelled. I yelled at kids that, if I were still at that school, I'm sure I would have been way too intimidated to even speak to. I even offered the girl in front of me a dollar to stand up. (She did, but I kept the dollar) I made a fool of myself. And I didn't care! It felt really, really good.

And guess what? After looking at me like I was crazy....they stood up. They started listening to Chris and cheering louder. Even when it became clear we weren't going to win in the last 2 or 3 minutes, they stated chanting "We've got girls" and "Football" (we beat them this year). And when someone on the Bell side yelled "You Lost CCS," I yelled back "And You didn't Come Close!" loud enough so they could hear it across the gym.

So yes, Saint Francis lost, and yes the Belle Boys were louder than us, but I helped give Chris at least a minor victory. He got some of his school to let their guard down for once, forget about lookin cool and disinvolved like a Calvin Klein model...and at least gave Bellarmine something to hear as they cheered "This is OUR House" in our own gym.

Some of those cocky Bellarmine guys stirred up some hostile emotions after the game by jumping on some cars, drawing penises on others, and taunting students. And suddenly it seems a lot of Saint Francis students are planning on showing up at the next game, this time at the Bell's gym at the end of the month in hopes of giving them a piece of their own medicine. But unlike the Bells tonight, Chris wants to keep it classy. If one things clear, the decades old rivalry between those two schools has been renewed once again tonight

Looking back, I can't help but feel a little bad for not getting more involved at Saint Francis. But my mind and focus was elsewhere, doing the things outside of school that eventually got me into Cal. Tonight in a way, I got another chance to have an impact at that school by helping out my brother in his quest. It takes guts to do what he's doing, and I have much pride and respect for him. Hopefully tonight was one step in the right direction.

New Years Eve. Some years it's a blast. But this year, all I can think is "eh." Hopefully dinner will be nice with my family.

I remember when I was a kid, New Years was as simple as spending a night with my cousins while our parents went out. We'd bang some pots and pans around the neighborhood at midnight, watch fireworks on TV, and be excited over staying up so late. Some years it was at my great-grandma's house in Santa Clara, other years it was at a hotel.

For a couple years it was a big dinner at a Benihana style restaurant and a movie with various members of my extended family. During high school years it was a big family party at my Aunt Rosemary's and Cousin Lisa's that we could invite our friends too. Those years were some of the best New Years I remember.

For 2000 and 2002 it was parties at my house with some of my family and my high school friends and big count-down celebrations in Downtown Mountain View. For 2003, it was a family trip to Monterey, a laid back evening enjoying all the "First Night" festivities they had going on.

This year, all my high school friends are doing their own thing. Various members of my extended family are too. It's been a rough year for many of their families. It doesn't seem quite as easy to get together as it used to, at least for this year.

Even my brother might split and go hang out with his friends. So what it comes down to is I might be counting down to midnight with my folks and maybe and aunt or uncle or two. I can't complain too much, at least I'm not completely alone.

But anyways....here's to 2004!

Community Development in Europe

Summer Abroad program through UC Davis. Anyone else interested?

All things considered, Christmas went well.

Feliz Navidad.

All right. Random history update.

My family has lived in Santa Clara County since 1917. At least the Portuguese half of it. I always say we've been here since the 1930s. But that's just my mom's side. My great-great grandparents left the island of Madeira off the coast of Africa for Hawaii in 1909. They lived in Kahuku, Oahu for eight years, then took a ship named the Wilhemina to San Franciso which arrived on March 17, 1917. They settled in Santa Clara and lived in a house that stayed in the family until I was a kid. Spent quite a few lazy summer days at that house. Lot's of good childhood memories. If I ever win the lottery, I'm buying that house back.

That's all for now.

The Result of Studying for my Southern Border class too much....Southern Border dreams:

For some reason, the Big Game was in Mexico. At least I think it was Mexico, but my subconscious was getting all the Latin American countries I've been studying mixed up in my head.

Anyways, the Big Game was in Mexico out near the coast but also near the desert. It was indoors for some reason too. Anyways, we were all really scared about going because Mexico was having a revolution and angry mobs of Mexicans were coming and hunting down any Americans that were in the country. So we all had to be REALLY quiet inside the stadium....no cheering at all. But being Berkeley, people didn't follow the rules and starting cheering against Stanfurd. And then all the sudden huge mobs of Mexicans and their military storm into the gym throwing tear gas. Everyone runs for their lives, I make out of a revolving door.

Then I embark on a journey through the desert, trying to make my way home to the US border. I'm tired and thirsty, I pass skeletons of others that have tried to make the same journey. Things seem impossible but I make it! I'm at the border. It's a lush forest, and wouldn't you know...the White House is right there. I don't know why. It just was. I safely make it across the border and everything is fine.

So....let's dissect the meaning of various things in this dream:

Big Game: Don't quite know, but that bonfire rally poster is still on my door. Maybe I'm thinking about Chris and his Spirit-building drive at Saint Francis.

Indoor Stadium: The bowl game Cal is playing will be in BankOne Ball Park, indoors, which I found strange so it must have come up again in my dream.

Angry Mobs of Mexicans: All right, this has nothing to do with any issues I have over my ethnic identity. Rather, I've been studying bloody revolutions in Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, and Cuba for my Southern Border Class. In Cuba, one of the countries I was reviewing after going to bed, and Guatemala, people were trying to end US domination. Hence the mob attacking us at the Big Game in Mexico.

Revolving Door: One of the terms I've been studying is the US's "revolving door" border with Mexico. People make it across, get captured by the INS, get sent back, and do it all over again.

Journey through the Desert: The militarization of the border pushed Mexican immigrants into remote deserts near Arizona.

Bones in the Desert: As a result of being pushed to the desert, many die during the journey.

White House at the Border: No clue. Really. Could be a lot of things.

So there you have it! My dream was a review session for my final today! Thank you subconscious, thank you.

Back in Berkeley.

Time to study. I'll start tomorrow. (I've been saying that since Sunday) Oh well. Let's not think about that, ya? Let's think about all the fun stuff I did this over-extended weekend. Ya!

On Friday, I hung out with Matt and Kim! I can't believe I haven't seen Kim all semester. We went to Peggy Sues and walked around Christmas in the Park....happy that it was a crisp night and it wasn't raining on us like the weather channel said it would. Then we came back to my house and played a game of "let's see how many faces we can identify w/o looking at their names from our senior class yearbook!" We all did pretty bad....but I think I did the best. Hehe.

Saturday....I saw Saint Francis loose it's CCS Championship game to some school from Salinas. 17 to 13, the other team scored in the last 2 minutes. It was pouring rain, but the stands were full on both sides at San Jose City College. Chris and his Yell Leaders did a good job getting the crowd into the game considering the weather. But the band....the band left at half-time. No, they didn't just put away their instruments to avoid any water damage, they got up and left the game on a bus for no good reason. Typical Saint Francis apathy rears its ugly head. The Cal Band would NEVER do something like that. I wonder how the band would feel if the football team left their Winter Concert half way through.

Sunday...I started putting Christmas Lights on my grandparents' house. I also saw Elf with my parents and grandma. A Christmas Classic! Go see it. Also...I think on Sunday I went on a drive with Chris. We checked out the new McCafe at Mountain View's McDonald's (McDonald's is trying to be all hip and Starbucksy...and it looks like they've succeeded in MV) and took a drive to Shoreline.

Monday. Walked to the Little Store around the corner with grandpa for some Tamales and Pan Dulce. That was really nice, especially since he treated me. Can't wait until I have some of our family's homemade tamales in a couple weeks. At night I was on my way to Berkeley with my parents, Hayward to be exact, when I called Erik and realized the review session I was driving back to Berkeley for was on Tuesday. After some debate, we turned around and headed back home, but had a great dinner at the Spaghetti Factory in Downtown San Jose. I also finished putting the lights up that night.

Today I had lunch with my dad at the new sandwich place in Downtown MV. I then went to City Hall to drop off a letter and report on preservation in SF I did for one of my classes to the City Council in Planning Dept. I got to review a plan for a historic building and catch up with some of my old co-workers. It was really nice to see them. Then I went across the street to Kaiser Hospital where my Auntie RoseMary, Marisa, Lisa, Angelica, and David were for a check up. Since it was pouring and I didn't have a car, my Auntie Rosemary offered to drive me home. I got to talk with her, and she read my Mixed-Race paper which I had interviewed all of them for last week.

Now I'm back in Berkeley. Watched some weird-ass movie with Ryan, Erik, and Lauren instead of studying. Put up some of my mom's old Christmas decorations here and just wrote possibly the most boring blog entry you've ever read on this page. Sorry. I'll do a witty and short post next time. Promise. Maybe.

Woah! Portuguese-Azorian pride in the main stream media? Awesome.

I have a new found respect for Nelly Furtado and her new single, with people in Azorean costumes dancing in the video. Haha. Sweet.

Paint my face in your magazines
Make it look whiter than it seems
Paint me over with your dreams
Shove away my ethnicity
Burn every notion that I may have a flame inside to fight
And say just what is on my mind
Without offending your might

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
So say what you want

You tell em Nelly.

She had a crush on Him since She was a little girl. He didn't know who She was. In their small mining town, Santa Rita, New Mexico, her family was considered poor, his more well-off. In reality, both families were poor compared to people living on the Anglo side of the segregated town.

He went to California with his family, to work in the fields after His father was kicked out of the mines by Anglo management for trying to organize a Mexican mineworkers union. She stayed in the town with Her family, went to high school, and blossomed into a beautiful young woman.

He enlisted to fight in World War II, was almost engaged to another woman before leaving, but was sent a 'Dear John' letter while he was in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, She waited for Him, tried to catch a glimpse of Him whenever He came back to New Mexico. She became determined to eventually catch His eye.

His mom's prayers to the Virgen de Guadalupe were answered, when He came back safe from the War. His family made a pilgrimage to Mexico City, as His mother had promised the Virgen before He shipped out. But on the way they stopped in Santa Rita.

She found out He was in town. She was fresh out of high school, one of the prettiest girls in town now, chosen as its Queen. She put on Her makeup and Her best dress, and decided to walk by where He and His brother were hanging out, under the pretense of visiting a family friend.

And finally, She caught His eye as He saw Her walk by. His brother said "WHO is that?!" Saying She would be his. He said "No Way, She's going to be mine."

And with that, He began to court Her. He made the pilgrimage to Mexico City with his family. He went back to California. She stayed in New Mexico. They started writing to each other.

In 1948, He went back to New Mexico, proposed to Her, and married Her in a whirlwind trip. He brought Her back to California, to Mountain View, where they started a family.

55 years later, my grandparents are still together. Their relationship is far from perfect and things have been rough at times. But their love for each other has not grown old.

I heard a lot of things today, good and bad. But that's one story I don't want to forget.

Oh....it looked bad for a while. Yes it did. That first half had me "looking like I was gonna throw up" according to Kat. Awful flashbacks to freshman year when the Cal football team was under Coach Holmoe, and it sucked. A lot.

But after halftime, the Bears came back from a 0-10 and showed the packed Cal section and the embarrassingly unpacked Stanfurd home-crowd who really deserved to have the Axe this year. Final score, 28-16.

2 Years in a Row! A win at Stanfurd Stadium! Bowl Eligibility! This hasn't happened for our school since the early 1990s. Last year was NOT a fluke. Who knows, maybe this is the start of a new era of greatness for Cal football. As long as we can keep Coach Tedford here.

And speaking of coaches, dinner was a lot of fun. Eric, Erik, Wycee, Kat and I met up with my high school friend Sarah (born a Stanfurd fan) and her friend Ross at Kapp's Pizza Bar and Grill in downtown MV, and were soon joined by Kay, Candice, and Dan who drove all the way down from Berkeley just to spend dinner with us, in honor of my 21st...thanks guys.

Since high school, Kapp's has been my favorite restaurant in downtown, for a lot of reasons. But ever since I started going to Cal, and realized that it was owned by Joe Kapp, a former Cal Quarterback who took the team to the Rose Bowl, and who came back and coached the Bears, with a claim to fame as the coach that orchestrated the greatest moment in college football history, The Play in 1982....the restaurant took on a whole new meaning. (Oh, he also was the QB for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s)

I met Coach Kapp with Eric when we were freshman. A waitress saw we were wearing Cal stuff and took us down to meet him. He told us to go steal the axe from Stanfurd after having lost the Big Game. (This year, there was no need to steal anything.) Tonight, the place was filled with celebrating Cal fans. Before it got busy, Coach Kapp came to our table, and I invited him to sit down and talk for a while. He talked about what he thinks of Howard Cosell, Sarah's Stanfurd sweater, and of course, the game. What a better way to celebrate our team's victory, then to sit with one of Cal's greatest living legends? Awesome! The table next to us sang a really good version of the Cal Drinking Song with him, never heard that song before. Good times!

It's hard to believe next year will be my last Big Game as a student. At least, that's how its supposed to work out. It'll be at Memorial Stadium, home. 3 in a row? Can we do it? I think so.

But now the focus is on a bowl. And if the timings right, I hope to be there.

The Bonfire Rally was awesome, the best one I've been to.

I'm so psyched about tomorrow! Go Bears!

Well, I'm back. For a little while. I need to start writing papers, or my Thanksgiving Break is going to be hellish.

I don't remember being this busy since I had studio. Every weekday I'm trying to do work or thinking about doing work. If you haven't heard me complain about it yet, I have three term papers to worry about, and until today I had a midterm too. Midterm is done, the papers are left.

The research is done for two of them. The research hasn't started for one. I need to start writing but I'm kinda burnt out. Things have been crazy, especially with my Historic Preservation group back home. We had a big city meeting yesterday that I couldn't go to, but was working like crazy to prepare for between Sunday and Wednesday. An opposition group has formed that has complicated things a bit. Things worked out from our POV, but it's just one step in a process that will last all year. (yay...) But it's okay, Mountain View is worth it.

And of course, I turned 21 two weekends ago. I spent that weekend, Veterans Day weekend, with my parents in Reno (cool), with a side trip to Virginia City (way cool). Sorry, didn't win any money, and sorry, didn't get very drunk.

But....I did get VERY drunk last Saturday. Yes, I, Nick, got sloshed. My parents and older cousins had been planning my birthday for weeks. I thought it was just a normal family party for my grandma and I in honor of our birthdays. So, I had no problem fulfilling the requests to take shots with my cousins, or uncles. I thought I'd be in bed by midnight.

But then the surprise limo pulled up at 9. And it was time to REALLY go out. And boy, what a night out. Basically almost all the 20-somethings (family and friends) at the party made sure I had a great time. Thanks guys. And thanks to my brother for video-taping me when I got back. Oh, and thanks to my parents for showing that video to my grandparents. Ah well...it's all good!

Oh, Friday before my birthday, my high school, Saint Francis, beat those damn Bell Boys, our big rival in football.

And I'm hoping that Berkeley will pull off a similar defeat against the Furds on Saturday. I should be writing my papers, but all I can think about is the Big Game. I'm really looking forward to it. If anything, it'll be a nice stress reliever for me, especially if we win, and win big. It realy is a big game this year, the first time Cal would win 2 in a row since the early 90s, and we would become bowl eligible, which could equal a group road trip if the timing is good. Lauren and Leo expected my hair to be dyed blue this week. I'm not that bad guys. Almost, but not that bad.

But the Campanile sure is purty when its lit blue with Cal logos on it. A nice new touch.

So, Fiat Lux, Stanfurd Sux, Go Bears!

Maybe it's just that time of the year, but this house creeps me out. This neighborhood creeps me out. It's so cold in here. Maybe if the heater was on I'd be less wound up.

But for the second time, I've heard screams coming from the area behind our backyard. Loud screams...full of anguish. Not playful, short, high-pitched screams...blood curdeling. Tonight they sounded like a man. The windows are all closed so they were faint, but I heard them once and thought it was the TV in the other room. Heard them again and I knew it wasn't.

First time I heard them I looked towards the window and saw a huge spider on the floor. That's another thing. The spiders. Why so many spiders? I hate spiders. Killed that mofo. Maybe the scream was an omen for me to kill the ugly spider.

Anyways, it wasn't the first time we heard screams from that area back behind the house. The first time they sounded like a woman, and we all heard them. Tonight is was just me. But that time they were loud, and went on for a while, and we almost called the police. But didn't. ::shudder::

To make matters worse, behind our backyard is a city-owned pumping station/open space area. Behind that is this abandoned two story pink house. Looks like no one has lived in there for years. It's falling apart, the windows are broken. Anyone could break in there pretty easily I guess. I wonder why it's empty? It's right on Euclid Avenue...one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood, across from the park. Prime real estate. Why is it just sitting there like that. Ack.

Leo suggested the screams might be from in there....that maybe it's a crack house. For some reason that's a lot more comforting then my thoughts of restless spirits that could be roaming just outside our backyard.

It's nights like these that I miss the comfort of La Loma.

Now that I've got that stupid Astro midterm out of the way, I can happily look back at this past weekend and say it was lots of fun.

Friday, Halloween, started with a field trip to San Francisco for my SF Architecture class. The weather had suddenly shifted from record-breaking heat earlier in the week, to a blustery, cold, and rainy weather (woohoo!). It set just the right mood for a walking tour of the city's waterfront. We walked from the Ferry Building, down the Embacadero, and all the way up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Quite the walk, but well worth it. After that I took BART to Caltrain and headed to Mountain View to finish up the preparation for the haunted house.

What would Halloween be without the Perry family Haunted House? I couldn't let a seven year tradition disappear, if even just for one year. While my dad, mom, brother, and his friends were at the SFHS Homecoming game.....myself (tour guide), Mikey (the king of buttnuggets), Sabrina (creepy girl in the wall), Kat (coffin/foot grabber), BJ (coffin/foot grabber), Erik (leaf-blower/guy that makes little girls cry), and Joella (candy giver outer) successfully scared about 150-200 people! It was great. To everyone who reads this and was there to help out; I thank you, dozens of kids thank you, Mountain View thanks you.

It's hard to describe Old Mountain View on Halloween night. I feel like it's what Halloween should be like. The neighborhood embraces the holiday. It's not just for kids, but for families and adults as well. People congregate at the haunted houses like my family's that pop up throughout town. Neighbors actually talk to each other, catch up...act neighborly. Kids roam the streets, treating the neighborhood like its a gigantic playground. It feels like a Norman-Rockwell painting come to life, except quite a bit more multi-cultural.

I decided to go back to Berkeley on Halloween night. Couldn't miss another of my house's own parties. Joella decided she wanted to see Berkeley and came up too. The party was a lot of fun.
The highlight came towards the end, when the remaining guests spent a few hours in the dark telling true ghost stories. And for the first time in a while, I wasn't the only one telling them, which made it more fun (and frightening) for me. We also looked at the 'evil' Ouiji board I took down from my grandparents' attic, too creeped out to risk playing it.

Next weekend, I turn 21. My family is taking me up to Reno to celebrate. The following weekend, my grandma and I will share a birthday party with the extended family. Then the next weekend it's the Big Game at Stanford. The following weekend will be Thanksgiving.

Which pretty much means from now until the end of the month I'll be in Mountain View every weekend doing something fun. Which sounds great...only until I remember that within the same span of time I need to finish THREE term papers. Gag. Wish me luck.

Tonight I felt like,

I am not as fun as a cornfield in Hollister.

Whice may be true.

But...I feel slighted, almost insulted.
Not so much because old plans were broken,
(I'm used to that)
But because I was left out of the new ones.
And I wonder if they ever planned on telling me.
Or if I would have been left hanging come next Friday.

Few actions can hurt me more than being left out.

So, yes. I went to LA this past weekend. I guess a good way to describe the trip is laid back and low key. Some good conversations, some good food, and a lot of hours spent in a car on the freeway or in LA traffic.

Highlight was Eric's mom's cooking, especially the homemade lumpia.

Almost-highlight was almost seeing Cal beat UCLA in overtime at the Rose Bowl. But that didn't happen, so it kinda ended up being a low-light, which sucks because it was the whole point of the trip, at least for me.

The weather didn't help either. Candice and I (even the SoCal guys at times) longed for the crisp cool October weather of the Bay Area. ("Where's the fog!") The middle of October and it's pushing 100 in LA.....It's just not right! I refused to pay $3.50 for a medium coke at the Rose Bowl, the result was I was thirsty for the rest of the day. No sunburn though. Woohoo.

Also, went to Hollywood on Friday night. Didn't see any movie stars. Almost saw a movie at the Chinese Theatre, but didn't. Someday.

~~~

On a completely different note, the CED almost screwed me again on Friday. Sending me back and forth like a retarded pinball between the City Planning and Architecture offices trying to figure out whether Astronomy counted for one of my graduation requirements the day before the drop deadline. The beaurocracy of the college is something else, a major pain in the ass, but luckily things ended up Ok this time around.

Also, I've done really well on all midterms (except Astro..pass/no pass..so..eh). If I manage to write good research papers, this semester could really pay off.

Also, I'm entering a Disney Imagineering design competition with Leo. It should be fun. Top-secret conceptual design phase right now, so I won't say more than that. Don't want you stealing our great ideas. Ya... you. You stealer you. But, it feels really good to be designing again. This semester, I've realized I can't spent my whole life just writing and researching. I need to have another outlet, I like drawing, making models, and the creativity involved in addressing design problems too much to drop it completely. So, urban design/architecture is now back in the picture some way or another.

That's all for now.

Back when things made sense...the last true Mtn. View v. Los Altos football game - 1981

I finally went to a Mountain View v. Los Altos football game tonight. As I always predicted, my parents stood in the end zone, extremely confused about which school to root for.

You'd think rooting for Mountain View would be a no-brainer for me and my family...welll...this is a bit confusing but let me try to explain...

Once upon a time (when my parents went to high school) there were three high schools in the Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District. They went to Mountain View, the district's oldest and most diverse high school (almost 50% minority students) located right in downtown. Then there was Los Altos High, home to mostly wealthy, White students from Los Altos. Finally, Awalt High, located in South Mountain View, with students from the more wealthy part of Mountain View and southern Los Altos.

In 1982, Mountain View High was closed as a cost cutting measure and a way to conform to state mandated racial integration of the district. Each school in a district needs to reflect the district-wide racial composition....this is a problem since Los Altos is a predominantly White and much of Mountain View is around 50% minorities, and we're lumped in the same district together.

Los Altos High and Awalt were integrated by splitting Mountain View's student body amongst the two schools. To help Mountain View cope with the loss of its school, Los Altos lost its old mascot, the Knight, and got Mountain View's colors and mascot, the Eagle. Awalt lost its name and became Mountain View High School, but kept its old colors and mascot, the Spartan. A line goes right down the middle of Mtn. View and Los Altos now, dividing the two cities in half so that each high school is about 50/50 from each city.

So, even though I live in the heart of MV, I would have went to Los Altos. Bleh.

For my parents and other relatives, this is all a very big deal. You have to remember that they came from an era when high school pride and pageantry was a much bigger deal then it is now. And...my dad was a football player and my Mom was in the school's drill team. The racial and class divisions between Mtn. View and Los Altos added fuel to the rivalry. Think of Mountain View as Cal, and Los Altos as Stanford, and you get the picture. They did NOT like Los Altos, and the feeling was mutual. The annual football game between the two schools,was thus, THE event of the year, and held at Foothill College at night.

So, for my parents and their fellow alumni, going to a MV v. LA game now is very confusing. The game is still at Foothill College at night, but everything else is all switched around. Do they root for their former arch-rival Los Altos, since it has their school's colors and mascot and represents our half of MV? Or do they root for their school's namesake, even though it has their other old rival's colors and mascot? Kinda hard to root for either school, since half of each student body is from Los Altos, and the rivarly between the two cities still kinda exists. They found some peace of mind by thinking how ticked off former LAHS Knights must be that Mtn. View kids have now invaded their alma mater.

All in all....the whole situation is absurd. Mountain View residents cheering for Los Altos High, Los Altos residents cheering for Mountain View High, alumni cheering for their old rival's mascots, and half of each crowd cheering against their own hometowns. So, unsure where to sit, we stood in the end zone and just watched the two crowds scream at each other from across the field. A Los Altos High School girl to her friend while walking by us: "I HATE Mountain View (referring to the high school)...but wait...what am I saying...I live there!"

While watching the game, we talked about how maybe the schools should be renamed...but decided that would just result in even more confusion for a new generation. Or, the district should be split by city boundaries so Mountain View students wouldn't need to be used to integrate Los Altos' high school, and each city could have a school of its own again. Fat chance that will ever happen.

But, I guess that in the end, everything worked out tonight. My parents' school's name, mascot, and colors did not loose.

...in other words...the game was a tie.

PPiplani: I agree.
Auto response from Nap98: Since most people in NorCal and the Bay Area did not support the recall, I say we split from SoCal and let them have their Governor Arnold all to themselves.

SarahElizabeth44: im with you nick
Auto response from Nap98: Since most people in NorCal and the Bay Area did not support the recall, I say we split from SoCal and let them have their Governor Arnold all to themselves.

Auto responce from Wahine50: "Nap98: Since most people in NorCal and the Bay Area did not support the recall, I say we split from SoCal and let them have their Governor Arnold all to themselves."

lbthekiller: hey hey...NORCAL is the one that sucks, not beloved socal
Auto response from Nap98: Since most people in NorCal and the Bay Area did not support the recall, I say we split from SoCal and let them have their Governor Arnold all to themselves.
lbthekiller: boo to you for that
lbthekiller: you think youre too good
lbthekiller: you are just blinded by the fact that NORCAL SUCKS

Looks like your out-voted Lesley.

"If it were up to the Bay Area, then Gray Davis would remain in the governor's mansion, early election returns showed.

The recall was losing by wide margins in eight of nine Bay Area counties. Local voters also favored Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante over Arnold Schwarzenegger as the best person to succeed Davis."

Bay Area doesn't follow the state trend / Recall of governor losing by wide margin as 8 of 9 counties vote to keep Davis
-San Francisco Chronicle


NorCal pride! Free NorCal from Conan the Barbarian.

Kimmybob1313: Californians have gone Mad

SarahElizabeth44: I hate arnold

Avengelyne01: save me

Wahine50: California has been terminated

Dotts123: i have never been so disgusted! eewww! I can never again feel proud to be a resident of california. Arnold???? REALLY PEOPLE???????? it is official then- you all are crazy!!! eewwww!

Nap98: movin to New Mexico

...Some away messages as word about the results of the recall sunk in.

Sadly folks, it looks like it'll be Governor Schwarzenegger signing our college diplomas.

But hey, Prop 54 didn't pass. Woohoo!

Also, who else hates that the news calls the election with only 4% of precincts reporting?!

Bleh.

Nap98: sarah, i hate to break it to you, but my architecture friends beat you to getting me drunk
SarahElizabeth44: NOOOO
Nap98: haha
SarahElizabeth44: damn it to hell
Nap98: yeah
SarahElizabeth44: well shit
Nap98: not very drunk though
Nap98: maybe your new goal is to get me smashed
SarahElizabeth44: ah ha!
SarahElizabeth44: i have a chance
Nap98: lol
SarahElizabeth44: that was always my goal

~

SarahElizabeth44: i cant understand wanting to stay in the same place all the time
Nap98: yeah i know
Nap98: even I get tired of mtn. view
Nap98: and thats sayin something
SarahElizabeth44: theres a million things i want to see and davis isnt cutting it
SarahElizabeth44: whoa
SarahElizabeth44: back up the train
Nap98: haha
SarahElizabeth44: i think theres a pig flying outside my window

...it's fun to catch up with old friends. And it's weird to think of Sarah as an old friend now. But hey, time flies by doesn't it?

On a similar note, Lauren P's birthday party was fun tonight. It was great to catch up with Hanah and meet her bf Andrew. Congrats to them on their one month, so glad they could both make it tonight.

...and to connect these two topics further, before I forget, Hanah if you're reading this, Sarah wanted me to tell you she says "hi and that she misses you."

Here's to rebuilding old bridges.

Go to Point Reyes with Lauren and Leo, or the Cal homecoming game? That was the decision of the day. And a tough one for me. But I made the right one, cause the trip to Pt. Reyes was awesome, and Cal ended up loosing.

While Leo and Lauren did a site analysis for their architecture project, I walked down 300 steps to the Point Reyes lighthouse. While goin down the really steep steps, I actually walked out of the fog that was rolling in and on to the edge huge cliff jutting out to the Pacific. There, you feel like your at the end of the world, must have been quite an expirience to live in that lighthouse when it was built in the 1870s. I talked to an older lady visiting from Norway as we made the long climb up to the top of the cliff. She was stunned that we had seals in the Pacific ocean. I like how people are so friendly out on the trails.

After that I convinced Leo and Lauren to go to the Tule Elk Reserve on the other side of the park because I read a whiteboard at the visitor center that said it was "rutting" season for the elk. (Which I guess is when the males fight each other with their antlers.) The prospect of elk locking horns was enough to get Leo and lauren to want to go. We took the 45 minute drive to get to that side of the park, and as soon as we entered the reserve we saw elk. No rutting, but that didn't matter, elk are cool.

At the reserve, we took a long run down to a large beach, there were like two other people there. It is one of the most stunning beaches I've ever been too. Huge rocky crags jutting out into the sea, a wide strech of sand, grayish blue water, surrounded by tall orange cliffs. Awesome. We climbed around the rocks for a while, relaxed, ran around, and just had a great time.

We left the beach after the sun had set, and by the time we got to the car it was dark and the fog had rolled in. As we were driving back to civilization, it was like we were on a safarri, we saw silouttes of lots of deer, owls flying along side the car, a rabbitt cross the street, and lots and lots of cows.

All in all, it was a great escape from Berkeley, I am so glad I went. Yeah.

I voted today!

...and I have the feeling I'm bound to be disappointed come next Wednesday.

grrr.

I'll summarize the amazing expirience of seeing Cal beat U$C as freakin awesome. Wow.

Celebrating my dad's birthday by eating Zachary's Pizza for dinner and Fenton's for lunch the next day....Once again, Wow. Yum.

Today is the first day of October. I've survived September as well as the first flurry of midterms. Now things will slow down a little, but the work will not stop. Three research projects, yeesh. We'll see how that goes.

Halloween's coming up and my family's haunted house tradition may end this year since Saint Francis' homecoming game is on Halloween night, meaning my brother and his friends won't be available to help out. Which means a Halloween in Berkeley?...ehhh. I do not take the death of a tradition lightly.

I have not been home in three weeks. Quite a strech for me. And it looks like I won't be home next weekend because it's Cal's homecoming, and the next weekend because I need to go to an Astronomy symposium for my Astro class, or the next weekend because we're planning on going to UCLA.

Wow. Huh.... That just isn't going to work. I'll get back to Mtn. View sooner. Or else my grandma will start calling and giving me guilt trips.

My brother likes Cal. A lot. Living in the city next to Stanford and going to private school chalk-full of young White republicans, it's not that popular of a place. He's constantly defending the school from people who hate it because someone like Michael Savage told them to.

After telling my brother that Cal only had 'waco' liberal professors and wretched politics...I gave in and decided to have a word with one of his friends.

Nap98: so your dissing my school?
Calhector: who is this?
Nap98: afraid you cant get in?
Nap98: or that you might get brainwashed?
Calhector: lol. no, im pretty sure im not gettin in
Calhector: brain wash does seem to fit berkely rather well
Calhector: good word choice
Nap98: yeah, being taught to think for yourself is sure being brain washed
Calhector: hardly
Nap98: cal is more liberal than stanford for sure, but its not extreme
Nap98: you gets lots of different viewpoints.
Calhector: yeah, cause some of the students are tuff enough to ignore the waco liberal faculty
Nap98: oh have you been to some lectures?
Calhector: no.
Nap98: so dont talk smack
Nap98: sure explains why Channel 2 uses my polysci prof as there political consultant
Calhector: Most of the protesters have never left california. doesnt stop them from complaing bout afganistan and iraq
Nap98: protesters and the faculty are different people
Nap98: and how do you know where theyre from?
Nap98: lots of the speakers ive heard walking by protests are international students
Nap98: i think theyve been outside of the state
Nap98: might have...a broader perspective youd think?
Nap98: you are only regurgitating what youve heard on the radio. think for yourself.
Nap98: no one cares what conclusions you come to, but dont write something or someone off until youve studied it yourself.
Previous message was not received by Calhector because of error: User Calhector is not available.

Hater.

My dad loves the ocean. He can just sit next to the shore and watch the waves crash in for hours. It seems to both calm and excite him at the same time. On every family trip to Monterey or Half Moon Bay, he parks the car next to the shoreline and goes out there and sits on a rocky bluff meditating on the waves. He'll try to get the rest of us out of the car, but my mom, brother, and I will usually say no, content with the view from our seats.

He has told me that it brings back old memories of being at the beach with his own dad; clamming and smelt fishing with extended family and other Portuguese-American people. It is also a timeless reminder of something larger than our problems and our lives, something that’s constant and ever changing at the same time. Looking out into the ocean, life seems to make a little more sense.

The sea calls to him…and with a lighter tug, it calls to me too. We both could not fathom living anywhere too far from the ocean. His grandparents were from small volcanic islands out in the Atlantic, the Azores and Madiera. Some left the Azores for Hawaii, and all eventually settled in California…but never did they go too far from the sea. They kept their heritage with them; they adapted it to new places and times, but never forgot where they came from. American Azoreans, I’ve heard, have very sad music that’s filled with a longing for the place they once called home.

My dad and I talked about this long before I read the passage from La Maravilla that is typed in the previous entry, that so accurately described the way we felt. That’s why to both of us being categorized as “White” feels awkward and untrue. “White” feels empty. It means nothing. It was created as term to distance one class from the other on the basis of skin tone. Portuguese means something; it’s a culture and heritage that is real. Mexican means something; it’s an ancient word that was here before the Spaniards ever were.

~~~~

I am a Perry and a Perriera. I am also a Sias. I have the blood of the Morenos,’ the Lardizabals,’ and Goies’ running through me. I am a mix of a mixture. You could say I’m half & half but when you dissect those halves you find more underneath. I look at the photos of my very dark “Mexican” grandpa’s grandparents and I see a white man with a red moustache and a brown woman with the physical features of one who has always lived here. My skin color and facial features are the product of Portuguese and Flemish blood from the Azores, light-skinned Spaniards, dark skinned Apache, and some other unknown indios, maybe Aztecs, from Mexico. Who knows what else? I am all those things and none of them at the same time.

What I know is that I am from here, a native son of California. But part of me came here from halfway across the world. Another part only recently came from the copper mines of New Mexico. And although it’s likely neither part wanted to leave the place they came from, I cannot look down upon those who are here from somewhere else…if they are here for the right reasons.

But nevertheless, some percentage of me has been here in the Americas for thousands of years. Maybe it is that part of me that grounds me… that makes me care so much for the place I was born. No matter where life takes me, although I doubt I'll ever let it take me too far, my heart will always be here.

~~~

On a trip to San Francisco earlier this summer...I found myself pulling a "dad." I forced my cousins and brother to park at the shore of the Golden Gate in the Presidio so I could take some pictures from the wharf. I didn't actually take any photos. I just went out to the shoreline and then on to the fishing pier, taking in the wind, the waves, and the fog rolling in from under that great bridge while my cousins and brother waited patiently near the car.

~~~
See them depart
the young and the old
in search of fortune
in other parts
in other breezes
among other peoples
the young and the old

See them depart
with moistened eyes
and saddened heart
pack on the back
hope in the hilt
and golden dreams
see them depart
with moistened eyes

They'll return some day
rich or not
telling stories
of far off lands
where sweat
was made bread
They'll return some day
Or not

(An Azorean Song by Manuel Freire)

(Translation by Adiaspora.com)


(a very long post, for the end of the first year of this blog)

“Abuelo,” the boy interrupted, “is it true I am an American? Vernetta says I’m a Mexican but also an American.”

“Yes, you are American, but not in the gringo sense.”

“How do you become Mexican or American?”

This opened the old man’s eyes and the chair froze suddenly in midrock.

“You are Spanish and Yaqui, you are a mestizo from Aztlan, this land, right here where the Nahua people began.” He stamped his foot into the packed earth.

“This is what a Mexican is. But you were born here in America, tambien, and that’s what a Chicano is. You don’t become nothing. It’s only the gringos that become! They are Xipe,” he said, referring to the ancient god of new growth beneath the old, the god the Aztecs distorted into the God of the Flayed Skin. It was Manueal’s word for those people on earth who do not know where they belong.

“They become other religions like choosing a hat and become other names that have no connection to places they live. They become the things they own or the cars they drive. They say that they are one-third this and one-quarter that and their ancestors came from such and such, but they don’t know nothing about them. They have no stories. They have no tribe. Their camp fire is a goddamn television. You” – he pointed at the boy now – “you know where your blood has been for the last ten thousand years, mijo. There are words and songs, palabras y canciones, that tell you and explain to you.

“You do not become American, no, no. Shit, no. American becomes you, mijo.”

He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply through his nose, then pointed over his shoulder.

“Do you smell that, mijo? The tortillas and the frijoles and the chorizo? No matter where you go, to places I know I will never see, when you walk past a doorway or a window and one of those smells hits you, you will come back here to this place and this time. Always. And that is just smell. There are things far deeper than smell.”

“Are you American, Abuelo?”

“No. I am not American. I am not Mexican. In fact, I think I am no longer Yaqui. Shit, I can’t tell you nothin’ for real. I’m nowhere now.”

He leaned back, the anger in his leather face subsiding, and he exhaled slowly, a small hitch near the end of it caused by an old drawn-out affair with Chesterfield nonfilters. Like a ghost, his pain had come into the room. Josephina by the stove felt it and stopped her moving. She stood silently looking for an insect or a snake, on her face a mixture of distress and resignation.

“You see, boy, these people up here around us are so mixed up now that no one belongs, even though this is their country, our country. Do you see?”

“Leave him alone, Manuel,” Josephina said in a hissing voice.

“You can be in the wrong place,” he continued in spite of her warning.

“Your whole life, all of it, you can be in the wrong place and not know it because you’ve lost the power to know where is right. It’s a hard thing to say. I can’t explain.”

He sat back again, composing himself and considering, then nodding to himself. He leaned forward and spoke thoughtfully.

“Someone is in a bus that sways a little on its way up and down the street, and that person is pleased and gets comfort by the swaying.” He moved his dark hand slowly back forth. “It is so comforting that this person takes the bus even when he has nowhere to go. He just rides and rides. Sometimes he stands up and lets the bus roll underneath him.

“Entiendes, hijo? That person, if he had the power, would know that his ancestors were sailors, marineros, and that the sea is calling to him. The sea is trying its best. It’s not just ruts in the road or a bad shock absorber, the sea is calling. The sway of the boat is a small thread of blood, la sangre, that comes up and ties him even when the flesh has fallen away from his dead fathers.

“It’s una brujula en la sangre, a compass in the blood, and it’s a dim command in the blood. And in decades and generations the power to hear it is bargained away in small decisions and small concessions. So he leaves the bus on the street corner and sits at a desk and suffers from something he will never understand. The curanderos will tell him he is depressed or needs a special ceremony or a vacation or something like that, but that’s not it.

“He’ll drink from bottles and sometimes throw things and maybe hit his wife. But at night his spirit throws out a net, and in the morning it’s pulled back torn. And at night the sound of the highway makes him stay awake. It is not the loud rush of the highway.” He pointed the index fingers of both hands at the boy for emphasis. “It’s not the cars or the trucks…it’s the waves, the sound of the sea and the simple people on it. He has forsaken himself by forsaking the sea.”




From: La Maravilla, by Alfredo Vea, Jr.
(I wish I could write like this)

Tonight summer ended with a bang. After years of waiting, I tasted my first Parisian burger.

The Parisian burger is famous in Mountain View gastronomical lore. Once upon a time a burger joint named Linda's served up these burgers with a secret sauce that generations of my family and other Mountain View families greatly enjoyed.

Linda's closed in 85, but you'll still find true-blue (and gray) Mountain Viewers who have spent the past two decades perfecting their own version of the Parisian. One of those people, lucky me, is my uncle.

Word that the Parisian burger was being served at my Uncle Fred and Auntie Rosemary's Labor Day BBQ was enough to bring almost my entire extended family together within a days notice....quite a feat. (As well as some of my uncle and aunts friends from high school who also fondly remembered Linda's.)

The burgers were indeed quite good, as were the fried tater-tots (also a Linda's staple), chili beans, fresh cookies from my Auntie Becky, and watermelon. The company was even better. I'd say there were about 40 or so people there, with at least half being my family. We chilled until sunset, my cousins and I caught up on each others lives, the older generation talked about days gone by. The burgers brought out old memories and stories from those who were alive to eat the originals. Everyone by the end of the night was full and happy. And that was a great way to end a good weekend.

Hello September.

I don't care very much for this month. It's not a bad month...but there just isn't much to it except school starting. And who likes that?I think we should get rid of September and add 10 days to October, November, and December. With all those holidays we could use the extra time and gaps between them.

The last week of summer and the first week of school have come and gone since I last wrote. Lot's a good memories and little trips filled those last days of vacation. A visit from my cousin's Mikey and Vanessa resulted in a random trip to San Francisco. We made Chris drive....only a week after getting his liscense (and a few days after knocking down a part of the neighbor's fence while backing up) He went up and down those hills, including Lombard Street, pretty well. Went to the city again to visit the Asian Art Museum with some of my studio friends. Lot's and lot's of Budhas. And...spent one last evening with my high school friends before going back to Berkeley.

The first week of school has been pretty good. ...except that I signed up for 23 units. Dropping Econ...so down to 19. But that's still a heavy load. I'd like to drop more, but the problem is all my classes seem really interesting and am worried that with the state budget, they might not be offered again. Still gotta figure that out.

Went home after the football game on Saturday (go Bears!). Ended up going to Great America (for free!) with Lesley, Erik, and Dan yesterday. Had a fun time. Tonight there will be a family barbeque over in Roquero-ville (The three-house property where about 11 members of the Roquero branch of my family live) One last hurrah before summer really ends and I start hitting the books.