The joys of our profession

After a grueling 8 hour long contracts exam...

K: I feel like a shell of a human being
G: Well, you are a lawyer
K: .....
But I'm not even a lawyer yet
G: Oh, you'll lose that shell soon enough

On a happy note--one exam down, two more to go!

Brief Springbreak recap

After an awe-inspiring and relaxing four days in Guatemala over spring break, where I thought I had hay fever, it turns out I was developing a cold. After 9 months of dressing overly warm (a real feat for me), popping vitamin C pills regularly, and keeping my distance from anyone who sneezed, I have finally succumb to sickness. Bummer.

But onto a more positive note, traveling with S was a real joy as we split our time in Guatemala between serene Lake Atitlan and colorful Antigua. I could feel my pace of life slowing down immediately once we arrived on the lake as I spent time lounging at our lush eco-friendly hostel--a true reprieve from the demands of law school. In Antigua, Spanish style architecture and engaging locals kept S and I wandering around and taking photos (and being photographed! Not many asian tourists in Guatemala apparently) from dusk to dawn.

Less than one month to finals, then write-on, then one day to breath before summer job begins (with my birthday jumbled in there somewhere). Gotta fight through the sickness then fight through the pain of trying to catch up with all the work I haven't been doing these last few weeks. Can I do it!? Only time will tell...

& finally,
Happy b-bday Jmei.

Berkeley Wandering Pt. 2

Today I decided to walk to Monterey Market, a produce grocery store only .6 miles away. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and walking outside reminded why the west coast is truly the best coast (also the bus wasn't coming for another 56 minutes and I was getting tired of waiting).

Monterey Market itself was amazing--full aisles dedicated to different types of produce. A whole aisle for root vegetables, and aisle for mushrooms (my favorite!), an aisle for avocados and tomatoes, you name it. Each aisle contained at least one item that I had never heard of or never seen anywhere else--pretty excited to find some recipes for these odd whatchamacallits. There was also a fresh juice machine in the front and I was very tempted to buy some fresh apple juice and make spiced/mulled hard apple cider (is that a thing? It should be a thing).

Working the juicer. If only I wasn't allergic to fruits...

How do you eat this??

Mushroom aisle. I die.

Creepily taking photos of other people shopping. Check out all the weird root veggies. 

There's something soothing about exploring aisles in a grocery store. Or maybe that's the procrastinating-law-school-work side of me talking.

After Monterey Market I got sucked into two more shops on the walk back--a butcher shop and a coffee cheese store. The people running the cheese shop were extremely nice and gave me all sorts of free cheese samples. While they told me what to pair with my cheese and I nibbled on sample after sample I couldn't help but think that this was what a neighborhood should feel like. The lady who came after me was greeted by name and received a free chunk of cheese that the guy behind the counter had been "saving for her." I need to go back.

And they had cute Japanese cups in their window display!

On the walk back I saw an old couple side by side on their canes walking in my direction. They stopped to confer about something and the overhang of a blossoming tree between them and I framed them perfectly. Unfortunately there was a guy walking behind me and I was too embarrassed to look like a creep taking photos of an old adorable couple--such a shame.

Instead I got a picture of the side of this weird toy shop

And a doll house! That framed emboss up top, wow.

All in all a successful afternoon of wandering around Berkeley. The residential areas are very nice, especially as it seems spring is around the corner. Which also means allergy season is coming up soon. Next time, Berkeley Wandering on Allergy Medication. Promises to be interesting.

Gonna make some harvest roast chicken with grapes, olives, and rosemary tonight.

Weekend with T

This past weekend T came to visit from Japan.

I rushed through the airport almost teared up as I caught sight of her sitting at the airport door--with her snapback hat, big suitcase and oversized red backpack looking for all the world like it was totally normal for her to be in California. In America!

Throughout the weekend we brought up old inside jokes and created some new ones. We also spent a lot of time with my family during a car ride to Napa where we played family feud with some pretty funny results.

K: name something people get chased by in movies
Mom: boyfriend! 

K: other than a bull what big animal would you not want in your china shop
T: panda

K: Name something people buy to show they are successful
F: money
A: children

K: Summer sport using a ball
T: beach balley
K: beach ballet?
T: yes K: ballet?
T: yes (mimes serving a ball)
K: volley! Beach volleyball!

 K: when someone's waiting for you after you go to the bathroom what do you say when you come out and see them waiting?
T: the flush is broken
K: ....

T reminds me that it's important to stay connected to those who I care about and who care about me. I hope we will meet again soon and that when we do...she'll finally want to build a snowman.

Do you have any personal experience with lateral support?

8am shenanigans

M: ah gotcha. yeah wheat’s the weather like?
K: grainy


J: are those cheetos
K: no, they're a japanese snack I grabbed out of my cabinet
they're called "curls" or as this bag says"karl"

J: I can smell them, karls
K: want one?
J: kinda. what is japanese cheese like?
K: haha, I'll pass you one after doremus stops looking this way
J: hahaha
....
J: omg, shut up I want a karl
K: hahahahahhaha

S: lateral support?
K: yeah when the professor calls on people
she asks stuff like
"have you ever lost something?"
"have you ever misplaced something?"
but when she called on me she was like "do you have any personal experience with lateral support?"
and I was like...uh.... no
S: hahahah, i have no idea what that is
K: it's when there's a land on top of a hill and another land beneath that hill
and then someone like carves out a piece of the hill
S: like a hobbit den
K: then the land on top of the hill kind of landslides/crumbles down
yeah, and then gandalfs land falls down the hill because there's no lateral support
S: then gandalfs all like
you shall not pass bitch

J: I'll start coughing really loud to cover up the noise of opening that bag
K: hahahahaha
or she should make a joke
and everyone should laugh
so I can open this bag
J: no one's listening, no one will hear the joke

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.