2010

The year in review has been rather stressful. Although my best friend graduated law school, and while Patrick has been traveling the US for his residency program, I have been in San Jose trying to sort through my future.

But that isn't to say that 2009 wasn't an eventful year for me. This past summer I ended receiving some of the Recovery Act Stimulus money by getting hired by AmeriCorps. I also moved into my own apartment in Japantown in San Jose. It is quite strange to live by yourself versus having roommates. And it is funny how different living by yourself is as opposed to moving out and living with other people. For the first time I traveled out of the country and went to visit to visit Peru, site seeing and of course be able to to stand in awe at Machu Picchu. I was also able to maintain visiting places I had not been in the US; I flew into Detroit for a day to surprise Patrick's grandmother for her 80th birthday. And for the first time in more than ten years I went back to Canada to witness my younger cousin Richard marry his high school sweetheart in July.

I was the first person outside of my sister and Ray to meet and greet my nephew Zach into the world. And in November, Patrick proposed to me in the morning before we were to head out to go visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

2009 has been an eventful year. There are memories I will take with me to enjoy and cherish. There are also memories I rather forget, such as the Fall 2009 semester.

Who knows what 2010 has in store for me. No wedding plans yet, but definitely a trip to a place I haven't been to yet.

Multi-tasking

Between 20 hours of work, 15 units of school (15 hours of school) and assisting my sister with Zach, I don't think anymore, I just do.

And it makes me think, how on earth do people go through school (college, grad school, professional schools) while raising a kid? It boggles my mind honestly.

I've also lost my sanity. Just let this semester end now, thank you.

Freedom

Sometimes I wish I could be free of my cynicism, my pessimistic outlook, and doubtful attitude. There are times where I certainly wish I was more idealistic, and not so jaded by my experience in the public realm. I think about the office job, the sitting behind a computer screen for hours, and lack of interaction with people.

I think about whether or not I will ever find something I am passionate about, that I truly enjoy. I think about how my world view has changed into a bitter view of how dominant the Eurocentric ideology and thought process is. It makes me wonder if I will ever be open to ideas again.

I wonder.

I always wonder.

When will anything become certain and happy again in my professional life? When will I be excited again?

Biting off more than you can chew

My final year at UCLA was pretty hectic. I had four classes, a part time job that had me working roughly 20 hours a week, and Saturdays that were dedicated to volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. In addition to that, I had meetings to attend in the evening for Habitat.

I thought my life was pretty hectic my last year, yet I some how managed.

This year, I have 15 semester units, and I am somehow averaging 20 hours of work a week. I think I have taken more than I can handle. My GIS class is fantastic, but at the same time the workload is killing me. The studio class I am enrolled in has me making and drawing up maps, in addition to gathering information.

I need some time off in between work and school, or I will burn out soon. Despite all this, I feel like I will be fine. I always complain, but I know I will be fine. I think I thrive on a chaotic schedule.

Service

Things in life are never fair, and I understand that.

But sometimes, those things are made too obvious and can create some resentment or the lack of committment to a job. Organization is important too.

While talking to someone who is about my age at work, we came to the conclusion that it is better to enjoy the work you do. Money is nice, but if you're miserable, there is absolutely nothing worse.

Back to the Grind

I have been back in the San Jose area for over two weeks now, after vacationing in Peru and Los Angeles. The trip to Peru was cut short for reasons I will not go into on Blogger. The time I did spend in Peru was very enjoyable, and I met some random Canadians as well as a fellow Bruin Alum, thanks to Jaclyn and Kathy.

I would post photos of my trip, but the majority of my readers have either flipped through them on facebook or Picasa.

School started a few weeks ago, and I've been working roughly 20 hours a week at my job with Our City Forest, trying to compensate for the vacation time I took.

In more exciting and serious news, my sister is ready to give birth in less than two weeks! I will soon have a nephew to dote on, however, I will not be spoiling him because I am a very, very poor Aunt. I am excited to welcome a whole new generation of our families (both Ray and my sister's) into the world. Life will change as we know it, and everything around it will too.

That's my life in a nutshell.

Oh yes, my work has been postponed for a semester. Personally, I don't care anymore because it's time that I start finishing things on my own pace.

Vacation

Here I am, about to set off on my new trip to Peru, with my best friend and a good friend from college. In all honestly, I haven't had the experience of traveling the world, exploring Europe or anything that remotely resembles that sort of escapade.

I've been fairly conservative, in the sense that I have simply been afraid.

I know I'm still pretty young, only turning 27 this year, but still, I feel like I let life slip me by because I had been so consumed on competing with friends. All of that has been an internal battle in regard to academic achievement. None-the-less, I had tell myself to take a step and prioritize. Work and school will always be there.

My youth won't.

I can finish my professional goals at my own place.

Seeing the world takes a little more time. And I don't want to become more cynical than I have. Off I go, into the wild blue yonder.

Environmental Love

Dear Sir,

You are someone from the Mountainous West who has a great appreciation for trees and the great outdoors. Perhaps you think of yourself as an environmental enthusiast, who cares about nature and enjoys what mother earth has to offer. But pardon me for just a moment, please.

You are not a true environmentalist. Your disdain and disregard for the desert landscape disgusts me. To say it's "ugly" and just "brown" without any water may be true to a very small extent. Ever heard of the Grand Canyon? It's not a desert, but it is by no means the lush green landscape you hail from the mountainous west. Do you like the Colorado Plateau? Do you like eastern Washington and the Gorge? What about Death Valley when the rains come and provide a rare glimpse into the wildflower life?

An environmentalist cares about all landscapes and biomes. The tundra is no different from the desert. It's just unfortunate that the desert doesn't have a cute symbolic figure like the polar bear to rally behind.

It is one thing to prefer mountains and oceans over the desert. In fact, I can argue that it is not sustainable to live in such a place, but people do. But to totally assert that there is a sort of ridiculousness to liking the desert makes you an asinine person.

Thanks for listening to me rant. Hope this clarifies how I can't believe how little you care about preserving the natural landscape.

Canada

I haven't been back to Canada in over ten years. The last time I was here was in high school, with both my grandparents, and both my siblings. Again, years ago.

I'm only here for the weekend, for a brief visit. My cousin is marrying his high school sweetheart tomorrow. It's funny to see how people who are the same age are at different stages in their lives. While my cousin and I are the same age, he is ready to get married and settle down while I am still trying to sort out my professional future. Odd.

In other noticeable differences, my uncle's house in Ottawa is significantly smaller than I recall. I remember the summers I would spend here, a month at a time, playing hide and seek, going miniature bowling, and running around with random neighborhood kids. I have some fond memories, and some not so fond memories. But it's just strange how some things change, how some things stay the same, and how some things I always remember. I never realized how rural the suburban neighborhoods of Ottawa were. You can pick corn, strawberries and raspberries out here, go rope swinging over an actual creek filled with water, and experience summer showers. All that is non-existent in California.

It's strange how I spent so much time here in this country during my childhoods. I remember being so excited about seeing my cousins, and being just as excited when they would come and visit us in California. Time has changed, everything has changed. I think what is fascinating is to see how the dynamic has changed over time, how we were once close as children, and are now just distant relatives due to the actual physical distance. Geographic location is always an interesting factor over a long duration.

Anyway, being here reminds me of a childhood from long ago. And going to my cousin's wedding brings forth the slew of memories of hide and seek. Congratulations to them!

My own place

On Tuesday, I went to pick up the apartment keys to my own place. It's official: I have my own place to live. I've been moving things in slowly, mostly the kitchen items because all the actual furniture won't come together until Sunday evening. My sister's friends have given me their old full sized mattress, couch, and dining room set. I have heard, through my brother-in-law, that I am also acquiring a futon (which in this case, I have no idea where to put it). I am very thankful for their furniture. Unfortunately I do not have the proper vehicle to move all the furniture. I may just end up renting a U-Haul truck though in order to move everything around on Sunday. I'll get around to making a reservation for the truck.