Berkeley Wandering

With a little under a month until finals it's time for me to hunker down and get to work. Of course, it's also important to intersperse work with interesting study breaks. Today, I decided to go on a walk and wander around the neighborhood. Although I've lived in North Berkeley for three months now I have never taken the time to just meander. During my wanderings I ran into...

A friendly cat

A vocal squirrel

A hot sauce shop

Tasted several hot sauces: a garlicky one, a cumin one, and a sweet one

Bought the garlicky one to make spicy chicken wings

A man working the register at Trader Joes with the most amazing golden eyes.

A dog park that I will take Momo to on Monday. 

A print shop 

With very cool "vintage" posters on the walls

A man on the street who winked at me when he saw me looking into the print shop

A building with an accessible roof. 

I attempted to climb up but the last set of stairs to the roof was closed off/under construction.

Enjoyed the sunset from my own balcony.

The spoils of the day!

All in all a rejuvenating walk around the neighborhood and a beautiful afternoon. It was nice to have some time to think and engage with my environment rather than rush by it on my way to class. Can't wait to set off in a different direction another day and do some more exploring.  

My cohort

M, a long time friend from high school, commented after spending an evening with some of my lawschool friends, "your law school cohort is really cool". And they are!

I'm lucky and thankful to be surrounded by cool people at school and at home (with my roommates in Funderland).

Can't wait to hang out more this last week of October. From there it's a straight shot through to exam-stress-freak-out-month of November/December. See you on the other side.  

One Month Checkin: Law School!

It has only been a month since I started Law School, but it feels like forever. The sheer amount of information that has been packed into this past month (and reading, activities, etc) has been way denser than any other point in my life. ever.

I've met some really interesting people, but since studying seems to be everyone's top priority it's hard to find time to really connect with other law school students. In fact, I've probably hung out more with my roommate JM's med program friends more than I have with most of my own cohort.

In a nut shell law school has been intellectually challenging, intensely stressful, and socially a mixed bag. But moreover I see potential lawsuits and liability EVERYWHERE. I should make an app called "you can sue for that". Next stop, MBA.

----Bonus material, a post I wrote two weeks back and was just too tired to press "post" or something---

Titled: Eat, Sleep, Read, Repeat

Two weeks into law school and it's been incredibly busy. Every day I wake up around 7am (which, for those of you who know me well is a feat in itself), walk for 10 minutes, bus for 10 minutes, and then arrive for my first class at 8:30am. From there it's a blur of Civil Procedure, Criminal law, Legal research and writing, and torts, plus a lot of reading and briefing in the library thrown in the somewhere (and sometimes lunch) until it's 5:00pm and time to head back home to cook dinner and hang out at Funderland(tm) with the homies and sometimes do more work/reading. 1L is like having a job!

The material is dense and intricate but incredibly interesting. Each reading assignment is like overcoming a small very jumbled obstacle. Hopefully it becomes at least slightly easier over time.

Some days are very rough for academic reasons. Some days are rough for other reasons. Yesterday was a day of burn-out academics. Today was a day of burn-out emotions. At least every day's different.

Heading out to Lake Tahoe this weekend for some R&R with my trusty Criminal law and Legal research and writing books in tow! It'll be nice to get outside for a while before I get right back to the grind.

My brain is fried--hope this post makes some semblance of sense. Have a happy labor day weekend y'all!

Sleepless in Seattle

Spent a weekend with college blockmates in Seattle. It was just like being back in college with Seattle as the backdrop. Amazing times that can't be put into words--so in the spirit of the previous post I'll put it into quotes (some context, a lot of these quotes are from random games we played throughout the weekend: contact, minority report, kings cup, shuffleboard, etc)

"The teams are: W drink and... drink, W"

M: "Would you rather always drive 60 in a residential area or always drive 40 on the freeway?"

AT: "The rule is... mates have to make mating sounds whenever they drink"
J: "Cuckoo"
W: "Come on Toshi!"

AT: "Would you rather have everyone think that you had sex with a goat but you didn't, or would you rather have had sex with a goat and have no one know about it?
R: "Do people think that I liked it?"

K: "What is a la vender mimosa? Is that spanish?"
AT: "You mean, lavender??"

J: "Oh man, why did I have to be partners with DRUNK W?"

AT: "Get thee to a funnery!"

K: [laughing uncontrollably] "Ok, I have a word in mind that starts with con--let me think of a hint"
W: "Wait, I think I already know what you're thinking"
K: "Seriously? Ok, on three--one, two three"
K&W: "Constipation"
R: "... that was my word"

R: "The hint is, something that I don't need"
K: "Consent"

Quotation Mood

I have come to realize that quotes are not universal--a meaningful quote to me might be just another ordinary sentence to you. Sometimes even a quote that resonated with me at the time of writing fails to stir any response when I look at it again. In a way, this all makes quote collections wonderful.

The more I read and the more quotes I write down the more I wish life itself could be reduced to personally poignant memorable phrases.

"Hell, we made it so efficient I became unnecessary. I made myself irrelevant."
--Dave Eggers
A Hologram for the King

"She had gone too far into the unhappiness of the world to start all over again. If she could choose to unlearn everything that was supposed to have made her wise, she would start all over again. Ignorant and hopeful, she would marry all over again and have a child all over again and drink beer with her handsome young husband on this city beach at night. They would be enchanted beginners all over again, kissing under the bright stars. That was the best thing to be in life."
--Deborah Levy
Swimming Home

"When you are surrounded by endless possibilities, one of the hardest things you can do is pass them up."
--Haruki Murakami
Norwegian Wood

"Impossible bliss, incalculable heartbreak, and never a hope of separating one from the other."
--Ken Grimwood
Replay

"You compete with your own limits to transcend the self in imagination and execution. Disappear inside the game: break through the limits: transcend: improve: win. Which is why tennis is an essentially tragic enterprise... it is tragic and sad and chaotic and lovely. All life is the same, as citizens of the human state: the animating limits are within, to be killed and mourned, over and over again... life's endless war against the self you cannot live without."
--David F. Wallace
Infinite Jest

"That's what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories."
--Haruki Murakami
1Q84

"You can't regret the life you didn't lead."
--Junot Diaz
The Brief Wondrous life of Oscar Wao

Hope you enjoyed a little slice of my mind!

Lawschool case consuming

"A boy throws a stone into a pond. The ripples spread. The water level rises. The history of that pond is altered to all eternity. It will be altered by other causes also. Yet it will be forever the resultant of all causes combined. Each one will have an influence. How great only omniscience can say. You may speak of a chain, or if you please, a net. An analogy is of little aid. Each cause brings about future events. Without each the future would not be the same. Each is proximate in the sense it is essential. But that is not what we mean by [proximate cause]. Nor on the other hand do we mean sole cause. There is no such thing.

--Judge Andrews; Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R

Who knew that court cases involved so much philosophical thought? Looks to be an interesting 3 years ahead. 

London

London Day 1: We find a speakeasy bar that is hidden behind a painting. R breaks a vintage chair right as he sits down---they comp us his drink. Next bar; we explore the Old Mexican and a flaming B52--get charged for only one drinks (and mind you pounds are quite expensive). I do believe London agrees with me.

つうーちゃん、ろんどんすごいです。いしょうにいきますようーにゃん（；

Re: Culture Shock

It's been a week since I left Japan (although it feels like much longer) and I'm still adjusting to some cultural differences. Surprisingly, I haven't been muttering Japanese under my breath like I thought I would be; instead, here is a list of some of the things that have thrown me for a loop this past week:

High Counter Tops: In case you didn't know, on average, Japanese people are shorter than Americans. This means shorter kitchen counter tops, sink counter tops, etc. In Japan, if Momo stood up on her hind legs she could neatly prop her nose against the kitchen counter top and almost snag some food. In America, it would take a Momo + a half a Momo to do so.

Lights: In Japan, lights that have a pull string usually take three pulls to turn completely off. Here, it just takes one pull. I may or may not be inadvertently turning my lights off on and then off again.

Politeness: I'm willing to wager there is no country in the world with politer service than Japan. Needless to say, American cashiers, waitresses, etc. don't even come close.

Hearing Multiple Languages: Is that... Spanish? Vietnamese? French??? I haven't heard those languages in AGES!

Sending Mail from the Mailbox: You mean I don't have to go to the nearest combini (convenience store) to send mail? I can do it from my door step?? What I still don't understand is, if Japanese mailmen deliver mail to your mail box, why can't they also pick up mail to be delivered. Mystery.

Spices: It took me only one trip to one local supermarket to find every spice that I needed (dried dill, chipotle chile powder). Astounding!

Car Parking: I'm still getting used to not backing up to go into car spaces. And the whole driving on the other side of the road shindig.

Beers: I never realized American supermarkets held so many different kinds of beer. I guess I'm going to have to branch out from Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo (although Sapporo will always hold a special place in my heart).

Premier Status Loss: Not really related to culture shock but still a surprise none the less (I'm so spoiled!!). Goodbye shorter lines and earlier boarding.

The Return

Current Location: California
Mood: さみしい

It has been an intense 8 months in Ishinomaki, Japan, where I have learned more about the human condition and its struggle with self, others, and God than any other time or place in my life.

Personally I've gained so much.

It's interesting that prior to traveling to Japan I honestly thought that I would spend most of my time in Ishinomaki alone. Since I didn't speak Japanese I believed I wouldn't be able to make friends. At the time I didn't see this as a bad thing. Instead, this isolation would heighten my powers of observation. Like a true anthropologist I would be able to observe and sometimes participate, but never lose that objectivity befitting a researcher. But of course my plans went the way of the best laid plans of mice and men.

Within a few weeks all objectivity went out the window. Instead, I was immersed in a strange land (Japan) with a new way of thinking (Christianity) in an organization where more often than not I had no idea what I was doing.

If all of this was at times overwhelming, what kept my head above water was the new people that I met and the friendships I made. (Funny how the one thing I thought I would have none of these last few months ended up being one of the biggest things I took away from this experience.) Two people in particular, V and T, were people I grew to depend on for anything--a good laugh, a drink, a cry, a heart-to-heart.

I know both of you are reading this, so I just want to say I miss you & thanks for being a defining force in my life. Because of you, I have changed for the better. I know we'll meet again. But even while we're not together in person, know that you will always have me to lean on! (onpu)

A Year In June: The Things She Could Never Say

             “Why did you decide to stay here?” Mina asked. Normally she tried not to pry, but this time she felt compelled to ask.

            June swirled her can of beer around like a glass of wine and thought for a split second before answering. “It’s because, I love you,” she said, surprising herself. Yet, she was sure these were the right words, her true sentiment. She swirled her can a few more times and inadvertently started to count the sustained silence in her head. She was cut off at seven when Mina responded.

             “Thank you,” her voice was breaking, “for those words and for staying here. I know it has been difficult to be with me these last few weeks. I will explain when I can. But I want you to know that you are--,” her voice strained dangerously as she tried to verbalize her conviction, “—you are precious to me.”

            “Zen zen, it’s not a problem at all.” June said, as she leaned back on the porch she and Mina had built. The night air was still a bit nippy this last day of May, but as she lay there, gazing at the moon that was slightly obstructed by Mina’s back, she couldn’t help but smile and feel that everything was finally just perfect.  

A Year in June: Chapter 23

May 31, 2012

Dear June-kun,

            I hope that this letter gets to you first, before you hear it from anywhere else.

I want to tell you that I am going to die.

            I failed at becoming a stronger person. Instead, I became a person who always needed someone else—I became a burden. I realize this now. For a long time I depended on Joseph. Even the idea of Joseph was enough to help me overcome tough times. But Joseph was false. He was not who I built him up to be. I believed him and he tried to take advantage of me. This is a violation I do not think I can forgive and something I will never forget. I tried for the last month, but I couldn’t. It broke me. He was not my savior; no can save me, I realize this now, because I had already died so many years ago.

            I know you care about me, but I did not want to become a burden to you as well. You are smart and caring. You have infinite possibilities in your future. I was lucky to be your roommate. Tanoshikatta desu. Please have good memories of our time together.

            I regret the day I met Joseph, but I am glad that I met you. Joseph gave me a hollow existence, but your goodbye gave me peace. It is with peace that I write this and with peace that I will leave this world. I hope you will not regret our time together—I know I never did.

Forever,

Mina-chan

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A Year in June: Chapter 22

            Mina’s bike grinded to a halt at the bus stop, kicking up dust that made both of their eyes water. June was reluctant to get off the bike. She missed the feeling of the wind in her hair and Mina’s comforting presence at the handlebars. She was already feeling nostalgic, but was determined not to show signs of weakness. They stood side by side facing the road, watching the wind swirl the dust at their feet.

            “June-kun, can I ask you for something?”

            “Sure, anything.”

            An old man on a bike pedaled slowly past. Mina and June nodded their heads politely.

            “Can I have your home address?”

            June laughed. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to be asked. “Sure.” She wrote down her address on Mina’s hand. “Don’t lose it—I expect mail!” she said, trying her best to be upbeat.

            “You will get mail” Mina assured her. The bus came soon after. There were no tearful goodbyes or plans to visit or promises to always be friends. Perhaps they were too old or too jaded for those types of farewells. But as June queued up to board the bus, Mina suddenly grabbed her hands and squeezed hard. June did her best to suppress a wince at the force of her grip.

“Goodbye, Juniper.” Mina said, uncharacteristically formal.

            “Goodbye, Minazuki” June replied in kind.

            With that Mina let go of her hands and a slow lopsided smile—the first one June had seen in ages—spread across her face and brightened her countenance significantly. June was captivated by this transformation. This is the Mina I knew, the Mina I know, she thought and started to reach for Mina, but the old lady behind her was getting uncomfortably close to bulldozing her over. Instead, bowed apologetically to the old lady, waved at Mina, and boarded the bus. By the time she got to her seat and looked out her window, Mina was gone.

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A Year in June: Chapter 21

             Boston in June. It was a hot muggy day, about a week after her flight from Narita to Washington DC and from Washington DC to Boston. Her hair, normally already a spastic mess of curls, was untamable. She tugged at it as she entered the cool office building for her fellowship follow-up interview.

            As she entered the building, her cellphone dinged with an alert sound set for her international messenger. She hadn’t heard the sound for weeks, not since she left Japan and stopped contacting people internationally. Who could be contacting her from overseas? As she pulled out her phone it rang out again, and again, and again. Bewildered and avoiding the questioning stare of the receptionist she bowed apologetically, instinctively mumbled “Sumimasen”, and went to a chair in the corner of the lobby. Once seated, she proceeded to read her flurry of messages.

            They were from Minamisanriku. From locals and relief volunteers who were still in Japan. People whose numbers she had gotten and only contacted once or twice, usually to give them their restored photographs.

The messages came in a mix of Japanese and English, but one thing was clear. Minazuki Saito was dead.

           

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