I spent this past Wednesday through Saturday at San Luis Obispo with Martin and Dustin. Quite the adventure. Martin goes to CalPoly so we stayed at his place down there. He turned 21 on Saturday, and the plan was to hit the bars on Friday night at midnight. Ends up Martin and Dustin decided to drink every night we were there. I ended up driving them and Martin's friends around every night in Tin's car.
(FYI it's Martin with a Spanish accent over the i...so Marteen...we call him Teen sometimes, but its spelled Tin. Just wanted you to be able to read this right)
Anyhow, I volunteered to be the DD for a variety of reasons. First of all, while they assured me ways home would be found, I saw from the start that once people were drunk they insisted on driving when they shouldn't be. I didn't want to risk that happening.
Secondly, Martin's house was a dirty. Superfund site dirty. Food in various levels of decay dirty. So dirty it stank and made my stomach turn dirty. It made the messiest the Pink House has ever been look sparkling clean. (in fact, it made me realize how damn good I have it at that house!) Thank god Martin's room was comparatively clean. The bathroom however, was awful. I didn't want to wake up with a hang over in that house.
And third, I'm low on cash and drinking is expensive. I only had 10 bucks in my wallet when we went to the bars. I had one beer. With no job this summer, I feel really bad about spending money on things I don't need.
I won't go into more detail...but Martin and Dustin weren't the most fun people to be around when they were drunk. Up till this weekend, every drunk person I've been around has been a jolly drunk. But after a certain point, Dustin gets angry and aggressive and Martin get moody and emotional. Much cooler when they're sober. Haha. Nevertheless, it was still kinda cool to see what the CalPoly party/social/bar scene is like. Worlds apart from Cal. Or at least the Cal I know. I can see the benefits, but I know now more than ever that when I chose Cal over CalPoly, I made one of the best decisions I've ever made or will ever make in my life.
The days however, were great. We went to Morro Bay and checked out the tide pools, went on an awesome sunset/night hike to the top of Bishop's Peak with two of Martin's housemates, and spent an afternoon in Pismo. Fun times. Martin's friends down there are pretty cool. I had fun hangin' with them.
So yeah...the trip had its tough times. Survivor: SLO times. But overall I'm still really glad I went. Even the parts of the trip that weren't so great at the time are already funny (or at least absurd) memories.
Tonight Martin's family threw him a bday party/BBQ at their house. A sizeable grouping of my high school friends were there. Dustin, Martin, Matt, Kim, Jamie, and Lauren B. We all really had a great time. Martin was the only one of us who drank (as it should be, he is celebratin his 21st after all..but he was only a little buzzed).
But the night, in a way, reinforced why I love my group of friends from high school so much. We are that rare group of SFHS alums that can have tons o' fun together without drugs or alcohol. God I sound like an afternoon special. But it's true. Tonight was the first night we were all together as 21 year olds, and while we all enjoy drinking every now and then, it's not something we think we need to loosen up or feel comfortable enough to have a really good time together. I'm glad to see that hasn't changed now that we're all 21. Some nights just being around them gets me on a natural high and I become really goofy and feel really at ease. Tonight was one of those nights. We can make each other drunk I guess...without alcohol if that makes any sense.
Long live Team Fuzzy Bunny Unicorn Zebra Pants!
Don't ask.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
So, my Boston photos in the previous post seem to go off-line every now and then. Sorry bout that.
I'm well into my summer vacation, and have yet to land a job. Even a voluntary one, and now its too late to really find anything good. I'll probably end up working at the Stanford Theatre again, but won't be making much money since they are hardly ever open this summer it seems. Anyways, I told them when I could work...but haven't heard back.
Palo Alto continues to lead me on. Interviewing me in April. Saying they'd get back to me in a couple weeks. Getting back to me in mid-May saying I was not chosen. Calling me the next week saying, "whoops, you're actually one of three finalists!' Saying they'd get back to me in a week. Not returning my e-mail a week later. Not returning my call two weeks later. Returning my second e-mail giving me bad news about not being chosen. BUT saying they would like to hire me for an hourly job assisting their historic preservation planner. Saying they'd get back to me last week and that I should call if they don't. Not returning my call. I'm still hoping this can work out...someday.
And since no jobs seem to be in my immediate future, I'm considering going to Cal Poly with Martin and Matt later this week.
Other thoughts:
Santa Cruz with Martin, Dustin, Jamie, and Rachel was a lot of fun. First official trip to the beach of the summer. Had a great time hanging out with a good chunk of my old high school crew.
My day in Berkeley last Thursday was very nice. The DCRP/BUSSA meetings went well, and it was good to see Kat, Candice, and Kay for lunch.
My grandpa's surprise birthday party went really well.
...now it's kinda up to me to make sure his present from the whole family, a fully paid trip to Washington DC to see the new World War II Memorial, goes well too.
Chris, my lil cuz Sabrina, and I will be taking him there from July 2nd to July 7th. The whole thing was my idea, and I planned everything, from the hotel to the flight, to getting everyone's approval and contribution. Right now, the trip is really stressing me out, because I have to figure all the logistics out and am feeling a lot of pressure to make sure that my grandpa has a good time.
I have to worry about how far he can walk, if he can withstand the heat and humidity, where we can get food for him that fits his strict diabetic diet, what sites we are going to see, who will be watching over my grandma while we are gone, etc. And he's not letting me forget any of that. I expected he would have some concerns about the trip. But I also hoped he would show some more excitement about it and spend some more time thinking and talking about the fun we could have. It would make all the stress I've gone through and am going through to plan this bearable. But instead, I get a litany of concerns from him, followed by "well, it's all up to you Nick, you're the leader here I'll just do what you say." Ack. But that's my grandpa for ya.
Hopefully, once we are there, everything will work out and it'll be a great trip.
I'm well into my summer vacation, and have yet to land a job. Even a voluntary one, and now its too late to really find anything good. I'll probably end up working at the Stanford Theatre again, but won't be making much money since they are hardly ever open this summer it seems. Anyways, I told them when I could work...but haven't heard back.
Palo Alto continues to lead me on. Interviewing me in April. Saying they'd get back to me in a couple weeks. Getting back to me in mid-May saying I was not chosen. Calling me the next week saying, "whoops, you're actually one of three finalists!' Saying they'd get back to me in a week. Not returning my e-mail a week later. Not returning my call two weeks later. Returning my second e-mail giving me bad news about not being chosen. BUT saying they would like to hire me for an hourly job assisting their historic preservation planner. Saying they'd get back to me last week and that I should call if they don't. Not returning my call. I'm still hoping this can work out...someday.
And since no jobs seem to be in my immediate future, I'm considering going to Cal Poly with Martin and Matt later this week.
Other thoughts:
Santa Cruz with Martin, Dustin, Jamie, and Rachel was a lot of fun. First official trip to the beach of the summer. Had a great time hanging out with a good chunk of my old high school crew.
My day in Berkeley last Thursday was very nice. The DCRP/BUSSA meetings went well, and it was good to see Kat, Candice, and Kay for lunch.
My grandpa's surprise birthday party went really well.
...now it's kinda up to me to make sure his present from the whole family, a fully paid trip to Washington DC to see the new World War II Memorial, goes well too.
Chris, my lil cuz Sabrina, and I will be taking him there from July 2nd to July 7th. The whole thing was my idea, and I planned everything, from the hotel to the flight, to getting everyone's approval and contribution. Right now, the trip is really stressing me out, because I have to figure all the logistics out and am feeling a lot of pressure to make sure that my grandpa has a good time.
I have to worry about how far he can walk, if he can withstand the heat and humidity, where we can get food for him that fits his strict diabetic diet, what sites we are going to see, who will be watching over my grandma while we are gone, etc. And he's not letting me forget any of that. I expected he would have some concerns about the trip. But I also hoped he would show some more excitement about it and spend some more time thinking and talking about the fun we could have. It would make all the stress I've gone through and am going through to plan this bearable. But instead, I get a litany of concerns from him, followed by "well, it's all up to you Nick, you're the leader here I'll just do what you say." Ack. But that's my grandpa for ya.
Hopefully, once we are there, everything will work out and it'll be a great trip.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Time for Boston Photos!
The North End
This is a photo of the North End, Boston's oldest neighborhood. I loved it here. The neighborhood used to be cut off from the rest of the city by a freeway, but now because of the infamous "Big Dig" where they are putting the freeway underground, its connected again. Paul Revere's house is here (and I visited it)so is the church where they lit the lanterns ("one if by land, two if by sea"). The neighborhood has been predominantly Italian for decades, with very narrow streets, small markets, and many beautiful little churches. All in all, as close to Europe as I have ever been!
The Public Garden
The Public Garden was near my hotel in the Backbay neighborhood. It's one of the oldest parks in the city and America and is filled with beautiful old statues, and a pastoral lake where you can rent swan boats and paddle around. I really liked this old angel fountain.
Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is one of the most ritzy neighborhoods in Boston. Very blue blood. It's home to beautiful brick rowhouses, cobblestone streets, corner markets, the original Cheers, lots of little dogs, and John Kerry. It's right in the heart of the city, behind the State Capitol.
This cobblestone street is really eye catching. It kind of captures the feel of the whole neighborhood, and is frequently photographed.
Beacon Street is the main street of the neighborhood. Unlike other wealthy neighborhood shopping areas, the stores here are pretty practical, but very immaculate and classy. You have high end restaurants, antique shops, and the nicest looking 7-11 I have ever seen. This little market's storefront really stood out.
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library's main branch was across the street from my hotel on Copley Square in the Back Bay. It is one of the first public libraries in the country, and is beautiful both inside and out. As my other pictures show, the sky was usually overcast most of the trip. The sun came out and streamed through the library's lobby windows for a moment when I snapped this photo.
The State Capitol
The MA State Capitol is an awesome building. This photo is looking up towards the main rotunda's golden dome.
...that's all for now. I might post some more later.
The North End
This is a photo of the North End, Boston's oldest neighborhood. I loved it here. The neighborhood used to be cut off from the rest of the city by a freeway, but now because of the infamous "Big Dig" where they are putting the freeway underground, its connected again. Paul Revere's house is here (and I visited it)so is the church where they lit the lanterns ("one if by land, two if by sea"). The neighborhood has been predominantly Italian for decades, with very narrow streets, small markets, and many beautiful little churches. All in all, as close to Europe as I have ever been!
The Public Garden
The Public Garden was near my hotel in the Backbay neighborhood. It's one of the oldest parks in the city and America and is filled with beautiful old statues, and a pastoral lake where you can rent swan boats and paddle around. I really liked this old angel fountain.
Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is one of the most ritzy neighborhoods in Boston. Very blue blood. It's home to beautiful brick rowhouses, cobblestone streets, corner markets, the original Cheers, lots of little dogs, and John Kerry. It's right in the heart of the city, behind the State Capitol.
This cobblestone street is really eye catching. It kind of captures the feel of the whole neighborhood, and is frequently photographed.
Beacon Street is the main street of the neighborhood. Unlike other wealthy neighborhood shopping areas, the stores here are pretty practical, but very immaculate and classy. You have high end restaurants, antique shops, and the nicest looking 7-11 I have ever seen. This little market's storefront really stood out.
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library's main branch was across the street from my hotel on Copley Square in the Back Bay. It is one of the first public libraries in the country, and is beautiful both inside and out. As my other pictures show, the sky was usually overcast most of the trip. The sun came out and streamed through the library's lobby windows for a moment when I snapped this photo.
The State Capitol
The MA State Capitol is an awesome building. This photo is looking up towards the main rotunda's golden dome.
...that's all for now. I might post some more later.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Wow. What a busy summer so far.
I'll put some pics up of my Boston trip soon. But the trip was a lot of fun and the city was great! And if things pan out.... Boston won't be the only eastcoast city I'll be visiting this summer! More on that later too.
Still waiting to hear from Palo Alto. Jeeze. Time to call the Stanford Theatre again. I can't sit around forever waiting for Palo Alto to get their act together. (Although I'd very much like to) But I need money.
In other news...Chris is now a SFHS Alumni. It's crazy! I'm so proud of my little brother. He didn't get any recognition at graduation for the stuff he did this year, but the Mtn. View paper got it right and profiled him in this week's article about the SFHS class of 2004. He shares the article with a profile of the super-star valedictorian and the student body president. And Chris was the first of the three to be profiled. Right on, MV Voice. They've always treated us Perry bros quite nicely.
Check it out:
Lancers Ready for Next Step
Same edition, he's the author of one of the Teen Voice articles. (I helped him write this one)
The Pressure To Drink
That's all for now. Hope your summer is going well.
I'll put some pics up of my Boston trip soon. But the trip was a lot of fun and the city was great! And if things pan out.... Boston won't be the only eastcoast city I'll be visiting this summer! More on that later too.
Still waiting to hear from Palo Alto. Jeeze. Time to call the Stanford Theatre again. I can't sit around forever waiting for Palo Alto to get their act together. (Although I'd very much like to) But I need money.
In other news...Chris is now a SFHS Alumni. It's crazy! I'm so proud of my little brother. He didn't get any recognition at graduation for the stuff he did this year, but the Mtn. View paper got it right and profiled him in this week's article about the SFHS class of 2004. He shares the article with a profile of the super-star valedictorian and the student body president. And Chris was the first of the three to be profiled. Right on, MV Voice. They've always treated us Perry bros quite nicely.
Check it out:
Lancers Ready for Next Step
Same edition, he's the author of one of the Teen Voice articles. (I helped him write this one)
The Pressure To Drink
That's all for now. Hope your summer is going well.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Let's see...some Semester highlights?
Trips to SF. On rainy days with Leo and Lauren for their project along the Embarcadero. With Erik last Sunday to escape studying for finals for an afternoon at the Ferry Building. With Steph, Candice, Dan, and Erik to hang out at the beach and then getting followed by the scary naked guy. To meet my family for a night on the town to see the Lion King. With BUSSA to visit MOMA and to have some burritos in the Mission after. One of the best things about Cal is being close to such a world-class city.
City Planning Studio! What can I say, we rocked! We were told twice that we were better than the city planning grad studios, once by the Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning. The people in studio were great, we had a lot of fun. Especially the folks in my two teams. Late nights in Wurster listening to BEPs over and over again (Let's Get Retarded), and ugh...my first all-nighter in Wurster. Even that was kinda cool. Not really, but ya, it paid off.
Haha...my first Thursday night at Cal as a 21 year old. Thanks for being so *helpful* Miss Profiet on our walk back to the house you lil punk. I forgive you for pushing me into the shrubs, weeds, whatever you want to call them.
BUSSA. What a cool group of people. and some fun activities. I started this semester with the intention of helping start a club for students studying City Planning. I never thought that it might happen so soon and be successful. I'm really looking forward to serving as Coordinator for the club next year and seeing it further establish itself.
CP118 with Leo and Lauren. Well not the class so much, all though the class was certainty interesting. But the lunches after. Endlessly planning trips to Europe, making fun of each other, complaining to each other, or just talking. Next winter, our Europe plans better become a reality. My range of dining options has also expanded vastly this semester. Thaaaanks guys.
Parties! At the girl's apartment. At Steph's place. For Flavia's birthday. For Hanah's Birthday. Good times. We need to have a good one at our place still though.
Friday lunches with the crew. When I could make it. The discussions never failed to be entertaining.
And lastly, just normal nights at the house. Watching TV, joking around, hanging out. This is a nice place to come home to.
Summer, hopefully, will be nice. But I'm looking forward to Fall already.
Trips to SF. On rainy days with Leo and Lauren for their project along the Embarcadero. With Erik last Sunday to escape studying for finals for an afternoon at the Ferry Building. With Steph, Candice, Dan, and Erik to hang out at the beach and then getting followed by the scary naked guy. To meet my family for a night on the town to see the Lion King. With BUSSA to visit MOMA and to have some burritos in the Mission after. One of the best things about Cal is being close to such a world-class city.
City Planning Studio! What can I say, we rocked! We were told twice that we were better than the city planning grad studios, once by the Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning. The people in studio were great, we had a lot of fun. Especially the folks in my two teams. Late nights in Wurster listening to BEPs over and over again (Let's Get Retarded), and ugh...my first all-nighter in Wurster. Even that was kinda cool. Not really, but ya, it paid off.
Haha...my first Thursday night at Cal as a 21 year old. Thanks for being so *helpful* Miss Profiet on our walk back to the house you lil punk. I forgive you for pushing me into the shrubs, weeds, whatever you want to call them.
BUSSA. What a cool group of people. and some fun activities. I started this semester with the intention of helping start a club for students studying City Planning. I never thought that it might happen so soon and be successful. I'm really looking forward to serving as Coordinator for the club next year and seeing it further establish itself.
CP118 with Leo and Lauren. Well not the class so much, all though the class was certainty interesting. But the lunches after. Endlessly planning trips to Europe, making fun of each other, complaining to each other, or just talking. Next winter, our Europe plans better become a reality. My range of dining options has also expanded vastly this semester. Thaaaanks guys.
Parties! At the girl's apartment. At Steph's place. For Flavia's birthday. For Hanah's Birthday. Good times. We need to have a good one at our place still though.
Friday lunches with the crew. When I could make it. The discussions never failed to be entertaining.
And lastly, just normal nights at the house. Watching TV, joking around, hanging out. This is a nice place to come home to.
Summer, hopefully, will be nice. But I'm looking forward to Fall already.
Well...
I'm done! My Junior Year at Cal, is over. And I must say, I kicked ass academically this year, both semesters. On the other fronts, I had a really fun time in the house, with Leo and Lauren, and with BUSSA, over this past semester.
But of course, for me all endings are bittersweet. Friends are graduating this year, starting their adult lives. And seeing them leave just reminds me that I'm leaving this time next year...and it scares the crap out of me. I am not ready to leave Cal. Maybe I will be next May, but I doubt it. Between now and then I've got a lot to figure out. And I can't imagine saying goodbye to all my friends here, leaving this house, leaving this whole life behind.
Over the past few days I've found lots of ways to distract myself from not studying. Since Erik's been gone one of my procrastination activities have been to read the many inspirational posters/cards he has up on his wall. One, from some guy named Buddha says:
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
I should work on that.
Meanwhile, I want to have a lot of fun this summer. Head start, I'm off to Boston on Saturday morning! Good way to start my vacation while you poor saps on the quarter system are still taking midterms (sorry...sorry...sorry).
I'm done! My Junior Year at Cal, is over. And I must say, I kicked ass academically this year, both semesters. On the other fronts, I had a really fun time in the house, with Leo and Lauren, and with BUSSA, over this past semester.
But of course, for me all endings are bittersweet. Friends are graduating this year, starting their adult lives. And seeing them leave just reminds me that I'm leaving this time next year...and it scares the crap out of me. I am not ready to leave Cal. Maybe I will be next May, but I doubt it. Between now and then I've got a lot to figure out. And I can't imagine saying goodbye to all my friends here, leaving this house, leaving this whole life behind.
Over the past few days I've found lots of ways to distract myself from not studying. Since Erik's been gone one of my procrastination activities have been to read the many inspirational posters/cards he has up on his wall. One, from some guy named Buddha says:
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
I should work on that.
Meanwhile, I want to have a lot of fun this summer. Head start, I'm off to Boston on Saturday morning! Good way to start my vacation while you poor saps on the quarter system are still taking midterms (sorry...sorry...sorry).
Sunday, May 16, 2004
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.
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.