Happy birthday!

"Friends long absent are coming back to you."

This was my fortune cookie at dinner last night. And it was so appropriate because after dinner with my family I got to hang out with old college friends. And that was wonderful. There's just something so organic and natural about that type of community. Staying out late and not wanting to go home...talking about relationships, movies, travel, work, family.

"We are fun" - Bev Tseng.

The past two weeks have been a blur of old friends, new ideas, school, exams, packing, and flying. But, I am HOME now. It is nice (and a little bittersweet) to be home.

Airports are such interesting places. So, I have this friend who works at the airport. And simply knowing him (and hearing some of his random stories) makes me see airports totally differently. So, yesterday, as I was flying from BWI, I tried to count how many airport employees I came in contact with (meaning I had to talk to them, hand them something, or take something from them). 10 people in 30 minutes. I came in contact with 10 people. And each of these people are people that have lives as complex and diverse as our own. It’s so easy when you’re at an airport to get so caught up in the goal: making it to the gate on time (or making sure you’re in the front of the B line so you don’t end up with a middle seat). We end up not actually seeing the people that are making things work. I always have to give mad props to facilities and operations type people. Seriously, our world would be chaos if not for these smart smart smart people. Next time you have some time to kill at an airport, look around and see how much planning and work had to be done to get you to your gate. Did you notice the housekeeping lady that makes sure the trash in the bathroom isn’t overflowing? 20 bucks says she’s a super-nice person. Say hi to her next time. Did you notice all the monitors telling you arrivals and departures in the lobby? Someone had to decide that that would be helpful for you someday.

I went to a retirement lunch for an old coworker of mine. And, I was really moved because he had worked for the State all his life. Started out as a high school kid, cleaning glassware for the lab. By the time he retired, he was doing extremely important diagnostic testing for the State. So, at his luncheon, he made it a point to invite the janitors for our building that he was friends with and the young glassware prep guys. He was telling the rest of us to make it a point to protect these guys. He challenged us to shun the social stratification that creates this relational hierarchy of us and them. That we all need each other. No one is dispensable. No one is more important.

Ok, I’m done soapboxing for now. Time to clean the house…

We'll continue with the lists theme:

Things I want to do over the Great Vacation (my 1 month at home in December/January):
- Hang out with my family
- Hang out with friends, A LOT. Knitting, watching Gilmore Girls, drinks, dinners, lunches, coffee, movies, bowling, anything!
- Hang out with Jason
- Sleep
- Apply for fellowships/jobs for fall
- Catch up with Chanthip

Movies (theater and video) I want to see:
- Ocean's Twelve
- Spanglish
- Finding Neverland
- It's a Wonderful LIfe
- Fight Club
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya sisterhood

Places/things I want to eat:
- Buffalo chicken pizza from BJ's
- Boba from Fantasia
- Chicken Salsa
- Falafel Drive-In
- Chinese food from Loon Wah, A&J, Fatima, Dynasty, Hong Fu, Tainan
- Jamba Juice
- Cafe Raj
- La Burrita
- Zza's
- any of the wonderful korean restaurants on El Camino

Anyone want to eat/watch movies/sit around/do nothing with me?

Gosh..I'm so homesick...2 days...

I am a posting machine. This means I am procrastinating again...

stolen from other people's blogs/xangas.
11 (not so) random things you like
- Henry, my teddy bear
- Fresh flowers from special people
- Laughing with friends
- My pink napping blanket
- Day-old lasagna
- Sitting outside on a cold, clear night, looking at stars
- Monkeys
- Degas' bronzes of ballerinas
- Weddings
- Paris
- The sculpture garden in DC

10 things about your physical appearance
- long half-highlighted hair
- eyes that disappear when I smile
- little straight teeth
- stubby toes
- tall
- long torso
- flat nose
- pinchable cheeks
- high arch
- short neck

9 good movies
- Gattaca
- Father of the Bride
- Braveheart
- The American President
- Mystic River
- Moulin Rouge
- Stepmom
- Keeping the Faith
- Glory

8 good friends (in no particular order)
- My Dad
- My sister
- Jason
- The girls
- Old friends (haha. i'm copping out. the social butterfly in me doesn't want to offend anyone!)

7 favorite food or drinks
- Pearl Milk Tea from Fantasia
- Chinese food (*sniff* Have to drive an hour to get good chinese food here..)
- (pardon my language) Screaming Orgasm..the cocktail, you numnut!
- Jong-Ga House in Oakland
- Razzmatazz from Jamba Juice
- Toffee Nut Latte
- Cheeseboard (a la previous posts)

6 things you wear daily
- silver necklace
- flip flops in the summer
- a little bit of makeup
- hair tie (either on my wrist or in my hair)
- watch
- sunglasses

5 annoying things
- Maryland drivers who can't stay in their lanes
- People who don't acknowledge you when you hold the door for them
- Papers that have essentially become more like homework assignments
- Miscommunications
- Unspoken expectations

4 things you watch
- The West Wing, baby!
- powerpoint slides gloss on by in lecture
- the time during the last 10 minutes of class
- Law and Order:SVU

3 things you like to do
- be in the company of old friends
- sleep
- procrastinate (heh).

2 things you touch everyday
- my comforter
- my glass of water

1 thing you wish for
- the people I love to be happy

By second semester senior year at Cal, I was ready to be done. I had all the signs and symptoms of a girl ready to be finished with college. Haha. I just said S&S. Too much health related work. =) Anyhow. In my City Planning class, we had to write 3 research papers: two 10-pagers and one 25-page final. The papers were always due in class which ran from 12:30-2. I started the first paper at 3pm the day before it was due. Turned it in by 12:30. This was in March. And then, spring break (and associated spring fever) hit. The 2nd paper, I started at 10pm the night before it was due. Got to class around 1pm. And then, graduation was knocking at our door. After being in MCB lab for a million hours a week and staying up until the wee hours of the night (or, rather, morning) to finish the write-up just so my TA could come to class high on paint fumes (that's another story), I was done with school. I had had it. The 25-page city planning paper. Started it at 7:30 am the morning it was due. Turned it in by 2pm. Slacker. (read: fool).

So, why, do you ask, do I tell this story? Because I watched the sunrise this morning. My observational epi write up is due in 1 hour and 15 minutes. When did I finish it? (ha! I started composing this blog before I finished it). Just now. What have I learned in 6 years? That I am still a fool. What did I do last night? Did I read the articles? Did I start to formulate some thoughts? I started to look at the assignment (just look to see what I needed to do, length, etc.) last night around 10:30. This was after going out for ice cream with my roommates. I then, proceeded to chat with friends in California, check email, read Xangas, buy birthday gifts and christmas gifts. Ev=Fool.

I'm going to try to tell more stories here. Because, God knows I have plenty, especially from college. If you're one of my college friends...hahaha. You may be seeing your name in lights soon.

Maybe someday we'll be standing here in suits for work..maybe...someday....(soon?)

Here's a bold claim:

I think I may love Washington, D.C. as much as I love Paris. *GASP!* Or maybe because I got to spend time in a beautiful city with wonderful friends. I cannot believe that I had not one friend, but two, fly all the way from warm California to spend a long weekend with li'l ol' me here in butt-freezing Baltimore. I have not enjoyed living in Baltimore as much as I did this weekend. It's the sweetness of spending time with people who know me - my neuroticisms, insecurities, passions, and loves. And that's what Paris was for me. And that's what D.C. was this weekend. Besides, I love the city planning and the metro system. Yes (ev=nerd).

D.C.'s also an inspiring place. Maybe because I watch too much West Wing and could hear the theme song as we walked around the mall. (or maybe that was Allen humming it behind me). I just feel so full of life and love and happiness. Wonderful. =) Oh dear, I'm gushing. I haven't gushed about anything in years. hahaha...

When did this girly girl, helpless romantic in me re-emerge? Twinkle lights, ice skating rink, outdoor cafe, sculpture garden, and what else? A Parisian metro sign. UGH. Straight to the heart. Anyone wanna go skating with me? In D.C? SF? San Jose? Anywhere? Anyone? ok, I'm sounding a bit desperate here.

Ciao bella!

It's beginning to feel like winter and Christmas! Starbucks has rolled out the red cups. I *heart* the red starbucks cups. They give me warm fuzzies. Often, because they are filled with things like caramel apple cider and gingerbread lattes. And then...after the gingerbread latte season comes TOFFEE NUT LATTE'S!! The best drink that Starbuck makes. January-March. Yum. Too bad I quit coffee. I can still have an occasional cup, can't I?

It's starting to get chilly here. The weather is strange. Yesterday, it was in the 70's. I wore flip flops!! Today, it's in the low 50's and it's supposed to hit freezing tonight. Eva told me yesterday that it normally starts snowing after Thanksgiving. Guess, I'll be giving a lot of thanks during those 4 days in California! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Coming home, seeing my family, seeing Jason, getting my hair cut, peet's coffee, cheeseboard, yum!

And then less than a month after that, I'll be home for what this Korean doc in my program has termed "The Great Vacation." A whole month at home!! Hmm...I'm going to eat my way through Italy. I'm going to sleep. I'm going to go shopping with Jess. I'm going to sleep in forever. I'm going to see Jason and Marcia get married. (!). I'm going to sit around with Jason. I'm going wine tasting. I'm going to see friends. I'm going to eat at French Laundry. I'm going to drink Peet's coffee. I'm going to eat cheeseboard. The Great Vacation.

Ok, every paragraph has talked about drinking coffee and eating cheeseboard. That warms my heart =).