Gentes da Diáspora
Ei-los que partem
novos e velhos
buscando a sorte
noutra paragens
noutra aragens
entre os povos
ei-los que partem
velhos e novos
Ei-los que partem
de olhos molhados
coração triste
e a saca às costas
esperança em riste
sonhos dourados
ei-los que partem
de olhos molhados
Virão um dia
ricos ou não
contando histórias
de lá longe
onde o suor
se fez pão
virão um dia
ou não
-Manuel Freire
I've signed up to take Portuguese next semester, with the hope that come January, I'll be using some of it in Portugal.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
It's over! My City Planning studio is over! It's actually kinda sad. I love studio and I hope this isn't my last. Studios have been one of the biggest highlights of my college experience. The final review today went really well for everyone. (and I must say, my group in particular really pulled it together and were dished only compliments by our panel of reviewers...a Berkeley City Planner, the architect of the biggest Development firm in Berkeley, and a well known and respected Urban Designer)
In the end our teary eyed Professor showered us with praise and wished us well, and we did likewise to her. People were patting each other on the back, many of us have become friends over the course of the semester. Overall, it ended on a really really good vibe for the 15 of us. I can safely say I learned a lot too. We put a lot of hard work and it really paid off. Woohoo!
But now that it's over...time to study for finals (boo!). Of course, before that there's a party tonight (yay!). And at least I can safely assume that in at least once class, I have a big fat A coming my way (yay for studio!).
In the end our teary eyed Professor showered us with praise and wished us well, and we did likewise to her. People were patting each other on the back, many of us have become friends over the course of the semester. Overall, it ended on a really really good vibe for the 15 of us. I can safely say I learned a lot too. We put a lot of hard work and it really paid off. Woohoo!
But now that it's over...time to study for finals (boo!). Of course, before that there's a party tonight (yay!). And at least I can safely assume that in at least once class, I have a big fat A coming my way (yay for studio!).
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
So....I was in Studio from 5pm on Sunday to 8am on Monday. Yep, my first all-nighter in Wurster. I dodged that bullet in 11b, who would've thought it'd hit me in a City Planning studio? I made my way home by 8:30...finished up some photo shop, went back to studio at 12:30.
And I slept at 10. Slept through my alarm and woke up at 12:45...missed a review session. Oops. Kinda outta it and grumpy today. But something really cool cheered me up in ED100....I got a shout out from Professor Roy. It was really flattering. The class was having an open question/answer review session and the topic of nostalgia versus history came up.
While answering a question on the topic, Prof. Roy started talking about theme parks and said "In fact, Nick wrote a great paper on Disney theme park's use of history, about a year ago...right Nick?"
I looked at her and smiled goofly and nodded....thinking..does she want me to say something. But I stayed quiet...I was still getting over the fact that I was served a compliment in front of a lot of my friends and classmates by a prof. that is one of the most well respected in the CED.
It felt good...especially since in that class things often go over my head and I don't feel confident enough to ask questions and participate. It really made my day.
And I slept at 10. Slept through my alarm and woke up at 12:45...missed a review session. Oops. Kinda outta it and grumpy today. But something really cool cheered me up in ED100....I got a shout out from Professor Roy. It was really flattering. The class was having an open question/answer review session and the topic of nostalgia versus history came up.
While answering a question on the topic, Prof. Roy started talking about theme parks and said "In fact, Nick wrote a great paper on Disney theme park's use of history, about a year ago...right Nick?"
I looked at her and smiled goofly and nodded....thinking..does she want me to say something. But I stayed quiet...I was still getting over the fact that I was served a compliment in front of a lot of my friends and classmates by a prof. that is one of the most well respected in the CED.
It felt good...especially since in that class things often go over my head and I don't feel confident enough to ask questions and participate. It really made my day.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
So...no Europe this summer for me. But Leo and Lauren and I are planning on going in January (brrrr). Found this off a European weather/travel web page:
For Sightseeing/Culture in reasonably comfortable weather conditions:
Spain: with the exception of Madrid[cold] and the North[wet], Spain is generally warm and pleasant in January. The best bet for a dry cultural experience is in the south, visiting the magical Moorish cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada, where the days are warm and the nights coolish. Barcelona too is a lively, interesting city, though it can be a little chilly/wet in January. Swimming in the Mediterranean in winter is no fun, nor is the sad, overbuilt coast that is now dedicated to sod-the-culture, we want sun, sea and sangria tour groups.
Portugal: A bit wet, but often warm with blue skies in January. Try the pleasant old-fashioned atmosphere of Lisbon, or further south to the Algarve for outdoor pursuits.
Italy: The southern part of Italy has generally mild winters with blue skies, so Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sicily are excellent cultural targets, while Amalfi takes good care of those who need a scenic uplift. Venice is chilly, damp and foggy, but has an interesting, spooky quality, enhanced by the lack of tourists [and relatively welcoming locals].
Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona, Lisbon, Algarve, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sicily, Amalfi...and a spooky/interesting Venice? Sounds like some good choices to me!
For Sightseeing/Culture in reasonably comfortable weather conditions:
Spain: with the exception of Madrid[cold] and the North[wet], Spain is generally warm and pleasant in January. The best bet for a dry cultural experience is in the south, visiting the magical Moorish cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada, where the days are warm and the nights coolish. Barcelona too is a lively, interesting city, though it can be a little chilly/wet in January. Swimming in the Mediterranean in winter is no fun, nor is the sad, overbuilt coast that is now dedicated to sod-the-culture, we want sun, sea and sangria tour groups.
Portugal: A bit wet, but often warm with blue skies in January. Try the pleasant old-fashioned atmosphere of Lisbon, or further south to the Algarve for outdoor pursuits.
Italy: The southern part of Italy has generally mild winters with blue skies, so Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sicily are excellent cultural targets, while Amalfi takes good care of those who need a scenic uplift. Venice is chilly, damp and foggy, but has an interesting, spooky quality, enhanced by the lack of tourists [and relatively welcoming locals].
Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona, Lisbon, Algarve, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sicily, Amalfi...and a spooky/interesting Venice? Sounds like some good choices to me!
Monday, May 03, 2004
So this weekend was pretty cool.
Thursday was very productive. I met with the prof who is my advisor for the first time, and we had a very nice conversation. I actually got some good advice too! Go fig. She looked over my resume as well, and gave it a thumbs up. So I felt confident taking it down to the CED "Show and Tell" that evening, where CED alumni set up tables about the company's the work for. Carey & Co, an Architectural Preservation and Planning firm was there. I would love to have an internship with them. I had a great conversation with the Vice-President (a CED arch alum) and submitted my resume. Sent an e-mail that night. Still waiting to see if anything comes of this.
My uncle got married and I missed it though. But it was at 2:00 on Friday in San Jose City Hall, kinda hard to get to seeing that I scheduled to meet with my studio prof at 5:30. Argh. Then Mikey gives me a hard time about it even though I already feel bad I didn't make it. Butt nugget punk. Hehe.
I've been spending most of the weekend either writing my ED100 paper or thinking about writing my ED100 paper or worrying that I'm procrastinating because I'm not writing my ED100 paper, or working on studio. I will be quite relieved after tomorrow when my LAST paper of the year will be turned in and I can focus my complete attention on designing a new streetscape and parking/retail complex for University Avenue (that's my part of the studio project).
But nevertheless, the weekend was lots of fun. Steph's 21st bday party was great. I managed to drink enough to have a good time....but also remember every thing that happened. (Okay that sounds bad. It's just that the two times I've been drunk since my 21st, I over did it. No regrets, never been sick, I just need to get a better idea of my limits.) Anyways, remembering everything is both a good and bad thing I suppose. I make some pretty dumb comments when I'm drunk. The truth is, I know they're dumb as I am saying them, I'll say strange things to garner a laugh (him....I am my father's son). And Lauren enjoys recounting each phrase to me the next day, while I hit myself in the head.
So after a night of drunkenness, poor Kat has "the worst hang over ever." Check out her blog for a transcript of our humorous morning-after exchange. That afternoon, Lauren, Eric, Erik, Candice, Kay and I headed down to the Presbyterian Church to see Kat's final Wind Ensemble performance. It was very nice, and I couldn't help but think it was 'very Berkeley' of the group to be out drunk partying the night before and then quietly watching a symphonic performance some ten hours later.
And on that note...Chris is still waiting to hear back about his Berkeley appeal. I think I'm just as, if not more, wound up about it then he is. He's submitted his SIR to Davis already, so if he's not a Golden Bear, he'll be an Aggie. No shame in that, Davis is a great school and he's looking forward to going there if that's the way the ball bounces. But I've been reading the "college confidential" discussion boards, which are inhabited by overly-paranoid high school seniors to see if any of them have heard back from their Berkeley appeals. Apparently some have, with a few successes. It gives me hope. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out by tonight.
All right, time to head down to campus.
Thursday was very productive. I met with the prof who is my advisor for the first time, and we had a very nice conversation. I actually got some good advice too! Go fig. She looked over my resume as well, and gave it a thumbs up. So I felt confident taking it down to the CED "Show and Tell" that evening, where CED alumni set up tables about the company's the work for. Carey & Co, an Architectural Preservation and Planning firm was there. I would love to have an internship with them. I had a great conversation with the Vice-President (a CED arch alum) and submitted my resume. Sent an e-mail that night. Still waiting to see if anything comes of this.
My uncle got married and I missed it though. But it was at 2:00 on Friday in San Jose City Hall, kinda hard to get to seeing that I scheduled to meet with my studio prof at 5:30. Argh. Then Mikey gives me a hard time about it even though I already feel bad I didn't make it. Butt nugget punk. Hehe.
I've been spending most of the weekend either writing my ED100 paper or thinking about writing my ED100 paper or worrying that I'm procrastinating because I'm not writing my ED100 paper, or working on studio. I will be quite relieved after tomorrow when my LAST paper of the year will be turned in and I can focus my complete attention on designing a new streetscape and parking/retail complex for University Avenue (that's my part of the studio project).
But nevertheless, the weekend was lots of fun. Steph's 21st bday party was great. I managed to drink enough to have a good time....but also remember every thing that happened. (Okay that sounds bad. It's just that the two times I've been drunk since my 21st, I over did it. No regrets, never been sick, I just need to get a better idea of my limits.) Anyways, remembering everything is both a good and bad thing I suppose. I make some pretty dumb comments when I'm drunk. The truth is, I know they're dumb as I am saying them, I'll say strange things to garner a laugh (him....I am my father's son). And Lauren enjoys recounting each phrase to me the next day, while I hit myself in the head.
So after a night of drunkenness, poor Kat has "the worst hang over ever." Check out her blog for a transcript of our humorous morning-after exchange. That afternoon, Lauren, Eric, Erik, Candice, Kay and I headed down to the Presbyterian Church to see Kat's final Wind Ensemble performance. It was very nice, and I couldn't help but think it was 'very Berkeley' of the group to be out drunk partying the night before and then quietly watching a symphonic performance some ten hours later.
And on that note...Chris is still waiting to hear back about his Berkeley appeal. I think I'm just as, if not more, wound up about it then he is. He's submitted his SIR to Davis already, so if he's not a Golden Bear, he'll be an Aggie. No shame in that, Davis is a great school and he's looking forward to going there if that's the way the ball bounces. But I've been reading the "college confidential" discussion boards, which are inhabited by overly-paranoid high school seniors to see if any of them have heard back from their Berkeley appeals. Apparently some have, with a few successes. It gives me hope. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out by tonight.
All right, time to head down to campus.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
After yet another city planning lecture discussing the evils of Disney, I'd like to reiterate something.
The Lion King, was awesome. Especially the new songs by Lebo M, the South African songwriter who is responsible for those famous opening lyrics..."Nants ingonyama bagithi baba." (yep those are the actual words, thanks google). The broadway version adds a whole new level of depth and emotion to the stories and characters of the movie, especially through the new songs. Maybe because it's the first time I've ever seen a major play, but hearing the songs performed live was amazing. It was hard to believe that the people on the stage were making that music. The whole thing really moved me, and I think that has a lot to do with the themes conveyed by the story and the song lyrics; Life and death, the cyclical nature of time, coming of age, finding your place, seeking guidance from the past....they all really resonate with my own views right now.
Wait, there's no mountain too great
Hear the words and have faith
Have faith
He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you
I really like these lyrics and the meaning they try to convey; that those who have gone before us are watching over us, that by remembering them, they live on within us. That's some deep stuff to take from a Disney movie, and now, a play. But it's all too easy to be flippant about anything that comes from Disney. Regardless of the corporations aims, I have much respect for the group of people that brought this one piece of art together. So my profs can go on and on about Disney as a symbol of rampant capitalism, I don't care. The Lion King rocks.
The Lion King, was awesome. Especially the new songs by Lebo M, the South African songwriter who is responsible for those famous opening lyrics..."Nants ingonyama bagithi baba." (yep those are the actual words, thanks google). The broadway version adds a whole new level of depth and emotion to the stories and characters of the movie, especially through the new songs. Maybe because it's the first time I've ever seen a major play, but hearing the songs performed live was amazing. It was hard to believe that the people on the stage were making that music. The whole thing really moved me, and I think that has a lot to do with the themes conveyed by the story and the song lyrics; Life and death, the cyclical nature of time, coming of age, finding your place, seeking guidance from the past....they all really resonate with my own views right now.
Wait, there's no mountain too great
Hear the words and have faith
Have faith
He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you
I really like these lyrics and the meaning they try to convey; that those who have gone before us are watching over us, that by remembering them, they live on within us. That's some deep stuff to take from a Disney movie, and now, a play. But it's all too easy to be flippant about anything that comes from Disney. Regardless of the corporations aims, I have much respect for the group of people that brought this one piece of art together. So my profs can go on and on about Disney as a symbol of rampant capitalism, I don't care. The Lion King rocks.
Friday, April 23, 2004
These past few days have been excellent. On Wednesday night, for my mom's birthday I hopped on BART and met up with the family to go see the Lion King Broadway musical. It was everything I had hoped it would be, a must see if you enjoyed the movie at all. I just can't get over the music. It was awesome, and the whole family really had a great time.
I stayed the night in Downtown SF with my family, then we woke up early Thursday morning to come home to Mountain View (yes, I skipped all my classes....you only live once). Thursday was spent running errands with my mom in preparation for my auntie Lydia/godmother/nina's joint extended family birthday party with my mom. Various members of my extended familia had a nice dinner at Chevy's and celebrated with cake and ice-cream at my house after.
Of course, lately, whenever my extended family gets together there's bound to be some drama, and I was up till around 2am having a heated discussion with certain members of the family. Eh. Family isn't perfect, it's not a well run machine. There's no natural order of communication with a large family such as my own. Sometimes it's better to have a third party relay information, especially when a direct discussion would feel awkward or uncomfortable. Sometimes you have to put the concerns of others before your own. But that's no excuse to portray yourself as a martyr. You can't sacrafice your own identity for family. But at the same time, too heavy a focus on the self, the individual, what's best for you and only you, THAT is what can break a family, and a person, apart.
Anyhow....that most likely flew way over most of your heards. So, moving on,
I just got back from dinner at Kapp's with my dad. Downtown is hopping tonight! The weather is so nice that everyone is out and about. I ran into two people I know while walking along Castro Street, which was encouraging since I have a paper about how Downtown Mountain View is an anchor in community life. Hehe. The annual Downtown Parade is tomorrow, Chris is in it for MVYAG. It's always a fun event. Unfortunately I'll miss it this year, but for a good reason. Kim's bday should be really fun tomorrow, I hope she enjoys the surprise Matt has planned for her.
Alllllll right. Back to writing that paper.
I stayed the night in Downtown SF with my family, then we woke up early Thursday morning to come home to Mountain View (yes, I skipped all my classes....you only live once). Thursday was spent running errands with my mom in preparation for my auntie Lydia/godmother/nina's joint extended family birthday party with my mom. Various members of my extended familia had a nice dinner at Chevy's and celebrated with cake and ice-cream at my house after.
Of course, lately, whenever my extended family gets together there's bound to be some drama, and I was up till around 2am having a heated discussion with certain members of the family. Eh. Family isn't perfect, it's not a well run machine. There's no natural order of communication with a large family such as my own. Sometimes it's better to have a third party relay information, especially when a direct discussion would feel awkward or uncomfortable. Sometimes you have to put the concerns of others before your own. But that's no excuse to portray yourself as a martyr. You can't sacrafice your own identity for family. But at the same time, too heavy a focus on the self, the individual, what's best for you and only you, THAT is what can break a family, and a person, apart.
Anyhow....that most likely flew way over most of your heards. So, moving on,
I just got back from dinner at Kapp's with my dad. Downtown is hopping tonight! The weather is so nice that everyone is out and about. I ran into two people I know while walking along Castro Street, which was encouraging since I have a paper about how Downtown Mountain View is an anchor in community life. Hehe. The annual Downtown Parade is tomorrow, Chris is in it for MVYAG. It's always a fun event. Unfortunately I'll miss it this year, but for a good reason. Kim's bday should be really fun tomorrow, I hope she enjoys the surprise Matt has planned for her.
Alllllll right. Back to writing that paper.
Monday, April 19, 2004
Up in Berkeley for the whole weekend. It's been a while.
Ummm....I feel like I got a lot of nothing done even though I know I did quite a bit.
Thursday night I went to the SF MOMA with BUSSA. I'd never been to MOMA before, it was really cool. They had an interesting exhibit about a town up north that got destroyed to make way for a reservoir in the 1950s. Reminded me of Santa Rita, NM. We went to the Mission for some very spicy burritos after. It was a really fun trip.
Friday I was very productive, albeit non-academically. I decided it was finally time to restart the fish tank. Completely emptied it (which is a no-no, but it was beyond hope), gave it a good scrubbing, and plopped my three hardy lil Zebra Danios back into their home. I want to get some new fish to add some excitement to the tank. I also moved it into the dining room, where it's more visible. This means two things, one, I get to enjoy it more, and two, I'll have to clean it more. Taking the tank out of the living room allowed me to rearrange the furniture. The new-and-improved living room has been a huge success with the housemates so far. The entire house (sans Eric E.) went to Barney's with Jess for dinner. At night, I went to Phylis' 21st bday party at Flavia & Rory's place. Got Lauren P. and Erik to walk up there with me. They felt the party was too "architectury" for them....so we left after about 45 minutes. But I'm glad I went.
Saturday....I got some reading done for CP118. Took a walk up to the Rose Garden to admire the view of the bay and the City. Got Lauren and Leo to come pick me up for dinner. We ordered pizza and hung out at Lauren's house till around 1:30am. I ate too much pizza, which I think might be what is throwing me off today.
And today....well..today, I've been playing with some photo editing software for my studio project. But after a day of editing one picture, I'm not pleased with the results. So I feel like the day's been wasted. That and, these April showers have confined me into the house. I spent most of the evening pulling together some research for one of the two papers I have due soon. Sitting in front of this laptop for most of the day is depressing. It just reminds me how much more work I have to do.
How NICE it would be to have a car so I could go take some new pictures of my studio project area, buy some new fish, and get a bite to eat and go to the grocery store. Being up here in the hills without a car on a rainy day results in mild cabin fever.
Anyways..this weeks gonna be busy. Got lots of work to do and quite a bit of fun activities lined up as well. So, I better get to bed.
Ummm....I feel like I got a lot of nothing done even though I know I did quite a bit.
Thursday night I went to the SF MOMA with BUSSA. I'd never been to MOMA before, it was really cool. They had an interesting exhibit about a town up north that got destroyed to make way for a reservoir in the 1950s. Reminded me of Santa Rita, NM. We went to the Mission for some very spicy burritos after. It was a really fun trip.
Friday I was very productive, albeit non-academically. I decided it was finally time to restart the fish tank. Completely emptied it (which is a no-no, but it was beyond hope), gave it a good scrubbing, and plopped my three hardy lil Zebra Danios back into their home. I want to get some new fish to add some excitement to the tank. I also moved it into the dining room, where it's more visible. This means two things, one, I get to enjoy it more, and two, I'll have to clean it more. Taking the tank out of the living room allowed me to rearrange the furniture. The new-and-improved living room has been a huge success with the housemates so far. The entire house (sans Eric E.) went to Barney's with Jess for dinner. At night, I went to Phylis' 21st bday party at Flavia & Rory's place. Got Lauren P. and Erik to walk up there with me. They felt the party was too "architectury" for them....so we left after about 45 minutes. But I'm glad I went.
Saturday....I got some reading done for CP118. Took a walk up to the Rose Garden to admire the view of the bay and the City. Got Lauren and Leo to come pick me up for dinner. We ordered pizza and hung out at Lauren's house till around 1:30am. I ate too much pizza, which I think might be what is throwing me off today.
And today....well..today, I've been playing with some photo editing software for my studio project. But after a day of editing one picture, I'm not pleased with the results. So I feel like the day's been wasted. That and, these April showers have confined me into the house. I spent most of the evening pulling together some research for one of the two papers I have due soon. Sitting in front of this laptop for most of the day is depressing. It just reminds me how much more work I have to do.
How NICE it would be to have a car so I could go take some new pictures of my studio project area, buy some new fish, and get a bite to eat and go to the grocery store. Being up here in the hills without a car on a rainy day results in mild cabin fever.
Anyways..this weeks gonna be busy. Got lots of work to do and quite a bit of fun activities lined up as well. So, I better get to bed.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Hello from Wurster Hall. My studio to be specific.
I am very excited. I just found out that the City Planning Department has created a new class, CP140: Urban Design: City-Building and Place Making, taught by the graduate Urban Design prof. This is great. Suddenly my major seems A LOT more well-rounded. Next fall. I'm there. (even though its on fridays...booo!)
But I still think I should get a background in Landscape Design. The more I think about it and talk to people about it, the more it makes sense. My dad reminded me that he thought I should have done Landscape Architecture all along. I've always like Landscape Design. I can imagine myself really enjoying a job in that field. Being a run-of-the-mill city planner just doesn't seem to fit anymore. Maybe that's what the planners in Mountain View meant when they said Berkeley would set me up for "something better than this." All this uncertainty and fretting over majors is a part of the process. I ran into my LArch prof in the hall WHILE I was reading the new course bulletin for CP140 posted on the wall. She'd be more than happy to talk to me about trying to get that minor down. I'm scheduled to see her next tuesday. I think I'll try for this Landscape Design minor, even if it means sticking around another semester. After all, I like Fall Semester better than Spring, and wouldn't mind being here for another season of Cal Football. Hehe. But I guess I'd walk in Spring with the rest of the gang. So it'd all work out just swell. I think.
But ya....an Urban Studies Major with a minor in Landscape Design. How cool does that sound? I like it. For now. But it sounds a lot more like the type of career I want to have now. And just the idea of that makes me happy.
I am very excited. I just found out that the City Planning Department has created a new class, CP140: Urban Design: City-Building and Place Making, taught by the graduate Urban Design prof. This is great. Suddenly my major seems A LOT more well-rounded. Next fall. I'm there. (even though its on fridays...booo!)
But I still think I should get a background in Landscape Design. The more I think about it and talk to people about it, the more it makes sense. My dad reminded me that he thought I should have done Landscape Architecture all along. I've always like Landscape Design. I can imagine myself really enjoying a job in that field. Being a run-of-the-mill city planner just doesn't seem to fit anymore. Maybe that's what the planners in Mountain View meant when they said Berkeley would set me up for "something better than this." All this uncertainty and fretting over majors is a part of the process. I ran into my LArch prof in the hall WHILE I was reading the new course bulletin for CP140 posted on the wall. She'd be more than happy to talk to me about trying to get that minor down. I'm scheduled to see her next tuesday. I think I'll try for this Landscape Design minor, even if it means sticking around another semester. After all, I like Fall Semester better than Spring, and wouldn't mind being here for another season of Cal Football. Hehe. But I guess I'd walk in Spring with the rest of the gang. So it'd all work out just swell. I think.
But ya....an Urban Studies Major with a minor in Landscape Design. How cool does that sound? I like it. For now. But it sounds a lot more like the type of career I want to have now. And just the idea of that makes me happy.
So much is suddenly up in the air right now and it's got me a little overwhelmed.
Lauren and Leo want to go on an architecture/city planning sight-seeing adventure to Europe around the beginning of June. Flight tickets are relatively cheap for that time period if we buy them right now...
Problem is, I have to wait to hear back from the city of Palo Alto regarding my internship. I kinda need the money to pay for the trip. But if I get the paid internship, I doubt I'd be able to schedule a trip to Europe. But then what would the point of making money this summer be if I can't use it on traveling abroad? That was the whole point. Catch-22.
And I don't have a passport. It takes 6 weeks to get one. May 30th is about 6-weeks away, that's cutting it a little close to buy plane tickets and hope my passport is here by then. I could pay for the two week express service, but that sorta defeats the purpose of buying our cheap plane tickets right now!
And in other news, I'm trying to figure out what I want to minor in before my telebears appointment comes up. I've suddenly come to the realization that I have a pretty keen interest in Landscape Design and that maybe after all this City Planning mumbo-jumbo, I might end up in a career in that profession instead. What I know for sure is, I want to be involved in a design profession.
The thought of being a City Planner just depresses me more and more. I blame Berkeley for this. It's given me a taste of what it's like to be on the other side of the counter, the designer not the reviewer. I do not want to be a beaurocrat in a planning office who's main job is to write zoning codes. I've done really well in all my past design studios and I want to have a chance to push it some more and see if I really have what it takes to be either an Urban Designer of Landscape Designer, or better yet, both via a dual degree. And the Landscape Design minor will not only give me a good background to go to grad school for Landscape Architecture, but also for Urban Design.
I never really wanted to be an Architect, I have a touch time visualizing buildings in my head. But I can spend hours visualizing landscapes. I was designing zoos and parks and my backyard's garden when I was 10. Suddenly me, Mister "I've known what I want to since 8th grade" is not so sure what he wants to do anymore.
The other minor which would be MUCH easier to finish is "History of the Built Environment." It is more in-line with my historic preservation ideals. But increasingly, I find myself losing interest in that overall field and finding that my passion for it is mainly rested in my passion for Mountain View's history. It doesn't seem wise to go to grad school and pursue a career in such a limited field.
So I was up late last night trying to figure out a schedule for either minor. Running into schedule conflict after schedule conflict and wishing that I had figured this all out years ago. I probably would have if I wasn't so busy trying to switch from Architecture to Urban Studies. Argh.
Lauren and Leo want to go on an architecture/city planning sight-seeing adventure to Europe around the beginning of June. Flight tickets are relatively cheap for that time period if we buy them right now...
Problem is, I have to wait to hear back from the city of Palo Alto regarding my internship. I kinda need the money to pay for the trip. But if I get the paid internship, I doubt I'd be able to schedule a trip to Europe. But then what would the point of making money this summer be if I can't use it on traveling abroad? That was the whole point. Catch-22.
And I don't have a passport. It takes 6 weeks to get one. May 30th is about 6-weeks away, that's cutting it a little close to buy plane tickets and hope my passport is here by then. I could pay for the two week express service, but that sorta defeats the purpose of buying our cheap plane tickets right now!
And in other news, I'm trying to figure out what I want to minor in before my telebears appointment comes up. I've suddenly come to the realization that I have a pretty keen interest in Landscape Design and that maybe after all this City Planning mumbo-jumbo, I might end up in a career in that profession instead. What I know for sure is, I want to be involved in a design profession.
The thought of being a City Planner just depresses me more and more. I blame Berkeley for this. It's given me a taste of what it's like to be on the other side of the counter, the designer not the reviewer. I do not want to be a beaurocrat in a planning office who's main job is to write zoning codes. I've done really well in all my past design studios and I want to have a chance to push it some more and see if I really have what it takes to be either an Urban Designer of Landscape Designer, or better yet, both via a dual degree. And the Landscape Design minor will not only give me a good background to go to grad school for Landscape Architecture, but also for Urban Design.
I never really wanted to be an Architect, I have a touch time visualizing buildings in my head. But I can spend hours visualizing landscapes. I was designing zoos and parks and my backyard's garden when I was 10. Suddenly me, Mister "I've known what I want to since 8th grade" is not so sure what he wants to do anymore.
The other minor which would be MUCH easier to finish is "History of the Built Environment." It is more in-line with my historic preservation ideals. But increasingly, I find myself losing interest in that overall field and finding that my passion for it is mainly rested in my passion for Mountain View's history. It doesn't seem wise to go to grad school and pursue a career in such a limited field.
So I was up late last night trying to figure out a schedule for either minor. Running into schedule conflict after schedule conflict and wishing that I had figured this all out years ago. I probably would have if I wasn't so busy trying to switch from Architecture to Urban Studies. Argh.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Nap98: you should come over for my family's confetti egg fight
Avengelyne01: ooh that sounds exciting
Nap98: haha
Avengelyne01: is this for easter?
Nap98: yeah
Nap98: its the only way to celebrate easter
Nap98: as far as i know
Avengelyne01: hehe
Nap98: otherwise its a boring holiday
Nap98: blahblah jesus died on the cross blablah
Nap98: give me some confetti egg smashing action!
Avengelyne01: lol
Avengelyne01: and candy
Avengelyne01: lots of candy
Nap98: right
Nap98: candy
Nap98: cant forget the candy
14 years of Catholic School sure gets your priorities straight.
Avengelyne01: ooh that sounds exciting
Nap98: haha
Avengelyne01: is this for easter?
Nap98: yeah
Nap98: its the only way to celebrate easter
Nap98: as far as i know
Avengelyne01: hehe
Nap98: otherwise its a boring holiday
Nap98: blahblah jesus died on the cross blablah
Nap98: give me some confetti egg smashing action!
Avengelyne01: lol
Avengelyne01: and candy
Avengelyne01: lots of candy
Nap98: right
Nap98: candy
Nap98: cant forget the candy
14 years of Catholic School sure gets your priorities straight.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Things are going rather smoothly right now. Calm before the storm perhaps.
All my classes are in a lull. No more midterms, papers due in a couple weeks (in my mind...that's far...far.....far away) and in city planning studio we have a fresh start with a brand new project and reorganized project teams.
An internship position landed in my lap via a conversation with an old friend from grade school who looked for any planning positions on the SCU website and found one with Palo Alto (paid!). How lucky.
I had my interview for the position today. It went really well. But I have a gut feeling that they'll stick me with a voluntary position and give the paid one to some more qualified graduate student. Damn grad students, always ruining my life. Not really...But anyhoo...
Only big snag right now is Chris not getting into Cal. Yes, yes, I know....some of you are just itching to blow this joint...it's hard to remember that there are thousands of eager lil high school seniors pounding on Sather Gate trying to get in. Now I have to help him through the whole rejection appeal process. With a 1 in 10 chance of getting in on appeal, and nothing to loose really, we figure it's worth a shot. At least we'll make someone feel really bad for rejecting him. He got into his two second choices, Davis and SCU, so the world will not end with a rejection from Cal. But Chris deserves to be here.
Update from the last entry...I did stop my lobbying and battling for preservation on Wednesday, as I promised myself. Unfortunately, the rest of break was spent battling allergies. I did manage to spend a couple days with my high school friends. We saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (good movie) and a fairly large group of us (Matt, Kim, Martin, Jen, Jamie and Rachel too!) spent a day hanging out in Santa Cruz. We had a great time.
I'm going to Boston in May for sure now! Really excited about that. Finally I get to go to an east coast city and explore. Woohoo!
Right then. All caught up.
All my classes are in a lull. No more midterms, papers due in a couple weeks (in my mind...that's far...far.....far away) and in city planning studio we have a fresh start with a brand new project and reorganized project teams.
An internship position landed in my lap via a conversation with an old friend from grade school who looked for any planning positions on the SCU website and found one with Palo Alto (paid!). How lucky.
I had my interview for the position today. It went really well. But I have a gut feeling that they'll stick me with a voluntary position and give the paid one to some more qualified graduate student. Damn grad students, always ruining my life. Not really...But anyhoo...
Only big snag right now is Chris not getting into Cal. Yes, yes, I know....some of you are just itching to blow this joint...it's hard to remember that there are thousands of eager lil high school seniors pounding on Sather Gate trying to get in. Now I have to help him through the whole rejection appeal process. With a 1 in 10 chance of getting in on appeal, and nothing to loose really, we figure it's worth a shot. At least we'll make someone feel really bad for rejecting him. He got into his two second choices, Davis and SCU, so the world will not end with a rejection from Cal. But Chris deserves to be here.
Update from the last entry...I did stop my lobbying and battling for preservation on Wednesday, as I promised myself. Unfortunately, the rest of break was spent battling allergies. I did manage to spend a couple days with my high school friends. We saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (good movie) and a fairly large group of us (Matt, Kim, Martin, Jen, Jamie and Rachel too!) spent a day hanging out in Santa Cruz. We had a great time.
I'm going to Boston in May for sure now! Really excited about that. Finally I get to go to an east coast city and explore. Woohoo!
Right then. All caught up.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Soooo....Spring Break.
Yeah. I better go somewhere next year so I don't feel like I've completely wasted my chance at having a some-what stereotypical college Spring Break experience.
Couldn't afford to this year, and no one really to go with anywhere. Everyone I know from Cal is off doin there own thing, and most of my high school friends are here in the Valley. So this break will hopefully have a good amount of R&R with the high school crew. We had a nice day together last Friday. We plan on having a get together this Friday. I hope to do something with some of them in-between as well.
I've also had some quality time with my family. We took a drive to San Juan Bautista on Saturday to enjoy the warm weather, but the fog beat us and by the time we got down there it was way too cold for the sandals and shorts we were wearing. After the very nice hour long drive through the country, we got out of the car for a couple minutes, froze our butts off, and ran back into the car to drive back to sunny San Jose. Went to the giant orange and enjoyed some Mark's Hot Dogs for dinner. I watched the Lion King DVD with my mom today, and then my whole family watched Lion King 1 and 1/2 together. Great movies.
But so far, it feels like the majority of my time has been spent putting one last punch of effort into this whole historic preservation mess here in Mountain View. I met with the head city planner leading the development of the ordinance on Friday. On Saturday morning I had a long conversation with Councilmember Perry (no relation). On Sunday I had an impromptu three hour conversation on the sidewalk of Downtown Castro Street with my dad, a random member of MVPA we ran into, and the owner of the city's oldest commercial building (b. in 1874) who's in our "rival" group, mvNpa. It was a very interesting and fun conversation and I think it fostered some understanding on both sides. (I'm sensing the formulation for a great intro to my second CP118 paper on how Main Streets foster community.) Plus, I had a two-hour MVPA meeting on Sunday. And Wednesday Chris and I are meeting with the Vice-Mayor. I've also been constantly working on trying to update and add to MVPA's web page.
Obviously, I came into break with a lot of energy to do as much as I can to get this preservation ordinance back on the right track before I retreat to Berkeley again. But my engine has run out of steam and I've grown tired of all this again. There's always more I could do. There are still three council members I could meet with if I really wanted to. There's a non-preservation related council meeting tomorrow I could give public comment at. There's neighbors I could talk to....letters I could write... and on and on it goes.
But now, I just want to go to the beach or something. Except for doing some research and taking some pictures of Shoreline Park tomorrow for a paper, and that meeting with the Vice-Mayor on Wednesday, I think I'm done working. From Wednesday afternoon onward, I plan on officially ending the productive part of my Spring Break and devoting my time to getting out of this town and having a little bit of fun.
Yeah. I better go somewhere next year so I don't feel like I've completely wasted my chance at having a some-what stereotypical college Spring Break experience.
Couldn't afford to this year, and no one really to go with anywhere. Everyone I know from Cal is off doin there own thing, and most of my high school friends are here in the Valley. So this break will hopefully have a good amount of R&R with the high school crew. We had a nice day together last Friday. We plan on having a get together this Friday. I hope to do something with some of them in-between as well.
I've also had some quality time with my family. We took a drive to San Juan Bautista on Saturday to enjoy the warm weather, but the fog beat us and by the time we got down there it was way too cold for the sandals and shorts we were wearing. After the very nice hour long drive through the country, we got out of the car for a couple minutes, froze our butts off, and ran back into the car to drive back to sunny San Jose. Went to the giant orange and enjoyed some Mark's Hot Dogs for dinner. I watched the Lion King DVD with my mom today, and then my whole family watched Lion King 1 and 1/2 together. Great movies.
But so far, it feels like the majority of my time has been spent putting one last punch of effort into this whole historic preservation mess here in Mountain View. I met with the head city planner leading the development of the ordinance on Friday. On Saturday morning I had a long conversation with Councilmember Perry (no relation). On Sunday I had an impromptu three hour conversation on the sidewalk of Downtown Castro Street with my dad, a random member of MVPA we ran into, and the owner of the city's oldest commercial building (b. in 1874) who's in our "rival" group, mvNpa. It was a very interesting and fun conversation and I think it fostered some understanding on both sides. (I'm sensing the formulation for a great intro to my second CP118 paper on how Main Streets foster community.) Plus, I had a two-hour MVPA meeting on Sunday. And Wednesday Chris and I are meeting with the Vice-Mayor. I've also been constantly working on trying to update and add to MVPA's web page.
Obviously, I came into break with a lot of energy to do as much as I can to get this preservation ordinance back on the right track before I retreat to Berkeley again. But my engine has run out of steam and I've grown tired of all this again. There's always more I could do. There are still three council members I could meet with if I really wanted to. There's a non-preservation related council meeting tomorrow I could give public comment at. There's neighbors I could talk to....letters I could write... and on and on it goes.
But now, I just want to go to the beach or something. Except for doing some research and taking some pictures of Shoreline Park tomorrow for a paper, and that meeting with the Vice-Mayor on Wednesday, I think I'm done working. From Wednesday afternoon onward, I plan on officially ending the productive part of my Spring Break and devoting my time to getting out of this town and having a little bit of fun.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Peeping Bambo's Watching You.
There's a deer living in our backyard. We should charge it rent.
For grade school Nick, this would be a dream come true. I was so fascinated with the idea that such a large animal still roamed freely amongst the hills of Santa Clara Valley. Remember, I was a little environmentalist back then and longed for the open space and countryside that my grandparents constantly reminded me used to surround Mountain View. My dad and I would go on hikes and I would be really happy if we came across a herd of deer. But usually we came across stranger animals, like a tarantula. (yes Kat, there really are tarantulas in California).
But now I look at this deer, outside my window, munching away or just sitting on the grass....and I wanna be like....awww...how cool. How pastoral. But it keeps scratching itself. And all I can think is that it probably has ticks, and that I better not go wandering in the backyard because I'll get lyme disease...
See what growing up does to you?
Also...the deer's been named Peeping Bambo by Erik. Apparently Erik likes to keep the bathroom window open when he takes a shower, and the deer likes to stare at him through the window. All I say is, close the damn window, you two are both strange animals.
There's a deer living in our backyard. We should charge it rent.
For grade school Nick, this would be a dream come true. I was so fascinated with the idea that such a large animal still roamed freely amongst the hills of Santa Clara Valley. Remember, I was a little environmentalist back then and longed for the open space and countryside that my grandparents constantly reminded me used to surround Mountain View. My dad and I would go on hikes and I would be really happy if we came across a herd of deer. But usually we came across stranger animals, like a tarantula. (yes Kat, there really are tarantulas in California).
But now I look at this deer, outside my window, munching away or just sitting on the grass....and I wanna be like....awww...how cool. How pastoral. But it keeps scratching itself. And all I can think is that it probably has ticks, and that I better not go wandering in the backyard because I'll get lyme disease...
See what growing up does to you?
Also...the deer's been named Peeping Bambo by Erik. Apparently Erik likes to keep the bathroom window open when he takes a shower, and the deer likes to stare at him through the window. All I say is, close the damn window, you two are both strange animals.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
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.
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.
Monday, March 01, 2004
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.
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.