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