ROADTRIP!!!

Like the good little Bears that we are, the roomies (plus an Aggie/Bear) and I hopped into "Big" (Caroline's Pilot), and drove out to Phoenix for a bit of football and George Lopez. The weekend was a good one, to say the least. It was exceptionally wonderful that Cal won the Insight Bowl!!!! On a field goal!!!! With 2 seconds left!!!! George Lopez was funny, as always. And Club Rio was "bumpin.'" But I'll let the pictures do the talking.


Show your Cal Pride!



Watching football in a baseball field! Hahah!



That's just the cowgirl in me...


photos curtesy of Elaine

Can't get enough? Click here for the complete Phoenix Extravaganza.

3, 2, 1...

I'm finally done with this semester, which means... that's right... 3 more semesters left for me. Unfortunately, these past couple of months have been a complete bust for me, in terms of my academics. I've basically studied my eyes out for the past 8 days for just TWO DAMN CLASSES!!! Oddly, my finals went really well. Unfortunately, I think my grades are still gonna be in the pits and I haven't exactly played the part of the exemplar student. Contrary to popular belief, I WASN'T always this stupid. There was a time when my report card read like a bunch of shooting arrows... none of these curvy-letter nonsense that I now call grades. Everybody always asks what I'm up to these days. (Apparently people have noticed me missing as a "Sproul Celebrity." Hahaha.) My response? I've been doing the same thing that I've been doing... taking care of the ASUC. Though I don't learn very much inside the classroom, my learning growth outside of the classroom has been exponential. And as much as I complain about the stress, I really do love my work. For the first time, I'm really happy making all these social changes, one person at a time. As big or as little of an impact that I've had, it's a great feeling for me to have empowered 40 other people to think differently. Think globally, act locally. It's a powerful tool, and I have my work to thank for it.

Speaking of work... why is it that people only consider it "work" if you hate what you do? If I love what I do, is it no longer considered "work"? Is it only "work" if you do it for the money? It seems like a sad existence if I have to wake up each morning and, instead of being happy about starting off my day, DREAD the idea of going into work. If that's the case, I must be the luckiest girl in the world, cuz I actually loved each job that I've held... even if they didn't seem very "work-like."

TRICK SHOT MAGIC

Lately, I've been so addicted to Trick Shot Magic. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's creative billiards playing, filled with crazy shots involving jumps and combinations. My favorite player is still Tom Rossman. He kinda reminds me of Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. He's so energetic about his pool-playing all the time and commentates while he's taking shots. The best match I ever watched was Rossman against Mike Massey. Massey is usually the favored one in any Trick Shot Magic competition, but Rossman beat him in a tie-breaker. I saw that match on the plane on the way back to LA from Washington DC. Every since then, I was hooked.

Today's match was the qualifier for the championships. The person that won, Andy something or other... a 35-year old Trick Shot Magic pro beat out this other boring, old guy and will be playing Massey in the finals. Crazy thing is, Massey was Andy's mentor. Hmm... I wonder who will win, the teacher or the student. Since Rossman got knocked out early in the competition, I'm going for the underdog. Go Andy! Plus, he has a really cute baby girl. After he won today, he ran out to the audience and kissed her. What a great dad!

So lost. So alone.

SCAREDY-CAT STEVE

For everybody unfortunate enough to know the infamous Republican Steve (no last names, in case he ever decides to google himself), with the red hair... (Poor Eric had to live with him the ENTIRE summer!!!)

I had the unlucky chance of walking all the way down Telegraph with him this morning. (Yeah, I know... what a GREAT way to start off the day.) It was that really uncomfortable scenario where both Person A and Person B happened to be walking at about the same pace, but because Person B was trying to hurry on over to class, Person B trailed ever so slightly too close to Person A, making Person B look like a complete stalker. I was Person B.

Anyway, we both got to the corner of Telegraph and Bancroft, right in front of Subway. The man that always sits by the newspaper stand asked him if he could spare some change. Get this... Steve says, "F.ck you. Get a job." Says man, "Thanks, have a good day." Steve bolts off running.

Steve. What a f.cker.

JONNY MOSELEY!

Two months ago, I was chilling with the President of the United States... tonight I was chilling with Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley. This guy was the same dude that sold himself to MTV so that I was able to watch him every Tuesday night on Battle of the Sexes.

Tonight, both Kris and Jonny were in the Battle of the Brains competition, a low-budget Jeopardy-type game held in Wheeler Auditorium. And amazingly, the students actually won!!! Jonny and I had a brief but meaningful conversation... and I even managed to NOT sound like a stupid fanatic! Hahah, and yes, he is just as good-looking in person as he is on TV!

WELCOME TERESA

So I suckered the old roommate into being a new blog member. Teresa's one of the best writers I know... and one of the funniest around. (Though, Aaron's not too bad either. You two can duke it out.) As a former Sex on Tuesday columnist, Tuesdays just haven't been the same without her this year. So for my selfish purposes, Teresa... please write often.

"BYE BYE BERDIE"

True do my DC-esque days from this past summer, I have mastered the art of smoozing at receptions. Last night, Kris and I attended a beautiful outdoor ceremony for all the "Builders of Berkeley."

Builders of Berkeley – rich, old, white men that donate millions of dollars to the campus

I have learned to carry around a glass goblet and pretend to sip a fancy drink. I have learned how to eat oysters in style. And I have learned how to make rich, old, white men laugh – at me, with me – they laugh just the same. Apparently, Kris and I were the life of the party last night. EVERYBODY wanted to talk to us. Kris and I tag-teamed and managed to wow them with our witty remarks.

It seemed all too convenient that the Chancellor just so happened to announce his "surprise" resignation as Chancellor just hours before his big soiree with a bunch of rich alum. However, what's more ironic is that at every school that I've attended, the top administator always quits long before I graduate. It started with Mr. Jepsen at Potrero Heights Elementary. Then Mr. Monsour left Macy Intermediate School. Then in high school, Mr. Devney left the school, letting us senior basically run amuck at school. And now, Chancellor Berdahl's leaving, too. Coincidence... maybe? Or maybe it's because I run them out of town...

REPORTED MISSING APPLE PIE

The day would've ended so beautifully with a nice warm slice of apple pie, left to me by my favorite guy. Unfortunately, no trace of it found... not even an empty box. It sounds like a case for Unsolved Mysteries. I shall write to Robert Stack. Meanwhile, I keep looking in the fridge, hoping that it'll somehow turn up.

I AM A VISIONARY

For every wrong turn, something always goes right. How easily I lose focus on the wonderful things in life. Thanks to my cheesy 80s music, my Amy Grant songs, and my "Dreams need hope to run free" poster, I'm back to my optimistic ways. Things are going to be good... cuz they already are. "As long as I can dream..."

RIO HONDO... HERE I COME

Whoo-hoo... "I am so smart, S-M-A-R-T." And my cumulative grade as a community college student continues to stand at a beautiful 4.0. Wish I could say the same for Berkeley... Much thanks to Gabbo for my A, who wrote numerous "constructive criticism" replies to my fellow classmates. I may have been banned from any future on-line English courses and will from hereon be known as the Rio Hondo b*tch.

Whoa... so exhausted. Here I stand, my 3rd year of college... 2 classes away from a Political Science major, 5 classes away from a Rhetoric major. I think I've made good time considering my joke of a schedule each spring semester for the past two years.

What have I learned?

Am I a more skilled writer? Not really.
Am I smarter? Not by much.
Am I a better person? Perhaps...
Have I changed? Definitely.

I've been back in Berkeley for only a matter of 2 weeks and already, I've been challenged like no other. I've been forced to have to think on my own, more specifically, think about things I never had to deal with. It's strange... I often feel out of place with my friends from back home. I think I've probably become more left of center than they last remember me and more caught up in politics than ever.

All throughout high school, we were forced to think a certain way – forced to take the fast track of APs and Honors to get to where we are. But it's only now that we're truly allowed to develop a sense of individualism and find who we really are. All I know is that my thoughts and ideas are different from "high school Jamie", yet my values and my morals haven't changed. The latter two run too deep and are perhaps permanently ingrained through my parental/cultural upbringing. But have I changed for the better or worse? That's yet to be decided. At least I'm not doing anything bad, like robbing liquor stores. But then again, being couped up in an office from 8am to 8pm isn't good, either. I guess this is one question even a Magic 8 Ball can't foretell... only time will tell.

My internship in D.C. has quickly come to an end. When I first arrived, I couldn't wait to leave. And now that they're kicking me out, I kinda don't want to leave. *shrug* (Yes, I'll be the first to admit that I tend to be a walking oxymoron at times.)

D.C. has been fun, lots of chasing after big name politicians. On today's list was Senator John Edwards and Reverend Al Sharpton. I didn't really understand why the Congresswoman supported Sharpton at first. He's basically like a shot in the dark. However, in hearing him speak today, I think I'm starting to understand. So what if he's not the favored Democratic presidential candidate? It's about getting the ideas and values represented, and for that, I respect Sharpton. Edwards was great, too. I'm torn between my choices now. The North Carolina accent really did it for me. Hahah.

A NATIONAL PASTTIME

Ahh... the joys of playing baseball in pouring rain for 2 hours! I was soaked from head to toe, starving, and cold. It's definitely not a good combo. And usually this makes for a very grumpy Jamie. (Just ask Gabbo, she knows all too well.) Yet, for some reason, I couldn't find any reason to complain about the whole experience. Despite being on a Congressional softball team ranked 151st (out of 151 teams, I think), this Far Left Fielder found some sort of tranquility to the whole experience. There's something very patriotic about being able to play baseball between two of the most revered monuments (Washington and Lincoln) and right next to the Reflecting Pool. So what if I got rained on... it's just water.

CHILLIN' WITH THE PRESIDENT

Nobody will ever believe me... but Gabbo, Arezo and I watched a baseball game with the one and only G Dub this afternoon. Apparently the President hosts 4 tee-ball games a year out on the South lawn of the White House for disabled children. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and managed to get us in for some up close and personal attention with the President. We literally sat less than 10 feet away from him the entire time and even got to shake his hand and get his autograph. *shrug* We all felt a tad traitorous to our political views, but then again, how often do you get to watch a baseball game with the President??? If there's one thing I learned today, being within the gates of the White House is a marvelous place to be. I'll be back... I know it... this time, on my own accord...

YELLOW FEVER, ANYONE?

Leave it to me to get hit on by every badge-flashing colored folk in this small district... and they get older and older by the day.

I just HAD to steal this off Elaine's blog. It's too funny...

:: Monday, July 21, 2003 ::
what is the common factor...?

abercrombie model + ucla pre-med student + up and coming entertainer/artist + cal swimmer/olympic hopeful + secret service agent..?

*smug smile* yeah, we're bad... we know it. =)

:: lainey 11:58 PM ::

"The Postman Always Rings Twice"... what a strange movie. I can't even begin to describe it, it was just weird. All in all, my night ended on a high note.

Despite what Caleb says, I am LOVING this picture.

As told to me by a wise friend to pass along to all the other smart and independent ladies out there:

"Why bring sand to the beach?"

It's worth thinking about...

And the work starts again... I'm feeling nervous and queasy. Somebody please give me the strength to get through this upcoming year alive. I'm too young to get wrinkles and gray hair.

Happy birthday to the Congresswoman. Price Club in DC is so cool. They have models of the Capitol made out of Belgian chocolate!!!! Getting sick off of vanilla cheesecake and brownies while at work is great.

The Girls of 708



(from left to right: Gabbo, Natalia, me and Adrian)

"Money and all that stuff doesn't equal a ring, because you'll always be in the books as winning a championship and being on one of the best teams ever to play the game," Payton said. "And I've been in the league 13 years. I've already gotten the big paychecks. I'll be fine."

For some reason, Payton's comment made me feel all warm and tingly inside. What a concept: less money for a championship? The Dynamic Duo is slowly evolving into the Fantastic Four. I can hardly contain myself... the Lakers are gonna DOMINATE! It hardly seems fair anymore... we've got such a staked team. Oh well, the guilty feeling has passed. GO LAKERS!

After months of going without any steak, I finally got my fair share of it tonight. The Cheesecake Factory had excellent food as always, though the service sucked. Caleb's refills kept changing, but he finally got his Diet Coke in the end.

Work was surprisingly great today. Since I was the only intern around for most of the day, I had a lot of work, which kept me really busy the whole day. They also made me collect quite a few signatures from Cannon. After the story that Gabbo told me the other day, walking up one flight of stairs was enough to send chills up my spine. Apparently a man fell and died on the stairs of Cannon two weeks ago. Granted, Cannon is a pretty big building with several staircases. I had no idea which staircase the man tripped and fell on, but man, I was scared. Gabbo told me that you can still see the blood stains on the staircase. I only walked up from the basement to the 1st floor, but the whole time, I was trying not to look down for fear of seeing blood stains. Yet, wearing heels, you kinda gotta look down to keep from tripping. I certainly didn't want to be the 2nd victim on those stairs. *shudders* Next week will be good though. I'm scheduled to tag along with the Congresswoman's Press Secretary and go to several press conferences. Plus, on Monday, I'll be sitting at the front desk all day, greeting all the smiling faces that walk into the office.

Mark the date: July 9th, the day I realized that the White House and I are one. My Congressional Intern White House tour lasted 3 hours!!! (For the average intern, the tour ranges anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour.) I swear they must have had tracking devices on Natalia and me. "They're in the Red Room.... now they're on the move... going into the Blue Room. Copy? Over." All I know is that if I ever wanted a private tour of the White House, there are several Secret Service Agents that I could hit up.

Very random... so I was walking back to the office after a wonderful lunch when I happened to run into Congressman Mike Honda. I politely said, "Good afternoon, Congressman." I think he was shocked that I recognized him and so he proceeded to ask me what school I went to and where I worked. Stupid me, I always act like the biggest spaz when I meet politicians I really admire. I rambled on and on about how I knew Patrick... without ever giving my name. Hmm, sounds oddly like my encounter with Governor Gray Davis. Regardless, Congressman Honda was such a sweet man. I wanted to say, "Hey, I know EVERYTHING about you. I read Patrick's paper." Thank goodness I didn't. I think he would've called security on me. My conversation with Congressman Honda was longer than all my combined conversations with Barbara Lee. Tomorrow, the interns and I have a photo shoot with her and then we're supposed to do tea. Funny how I don't hear about these things 'til the very last minute...

I've lost my friend... I'm a really bad person.

... and life makes sense again...

Can things be great and not so great at the same time? Maybe I'm greedy, but life has been leaving me wanting more as of late. Wanting what, I'm not so sure. Perhaps eating 1.5 meals each day could be the reason... I'm still trying to decide if coming to DC this summer was the best move for me. Kristopher seems to think I've matured much more within the short 4 weeks that I've been here than the 2 years that he's known me. What does that mean? Mature in a good way? I'm definitely not the same Jamie that people remember from high school. For once, my weekends aren't packed with tournaments, conventions, projects, or meetings... which leaves me with a lot of options on how to fill my free time. I've never spent the 4th of July waking up to champagne. I've never had to sneak in vodka anywhere. I've never gone dancing more than 3 times a year. Now I go dancing 3 times a week! Huh... which brings me back to this whole idea of growing up and "maturing." Maybe this IS what college students do and I'm just finally figuring it out. I'm having fun, BELIEVE ME, it's been a blast. Yet, part of me thinks that maybe I should've stayed home this summer. Jerry's finally going into high school and Terri's going to be a Senior. That's important stuff to me. Maybe I feel guilty for having so much fun. I usually have fun working. Right now, I hate work... I have fun NOT working. I am in dire need of some Amy Grant advice...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

What better place to celebrate the birth of our nation than at the Capitol? Hmm... it sounds great, but for some reason, I'm still longing to be in Mammoth with Kris. Last year was such a blast... fishing, swimming, tanning, eating (a lot!!!!), hot-tubbing, and even a really crappy laser show. Plus, I just miss Kris... I think we've spent the 4th of July together every year since high school. *sigh* Just commiserated with a drunken Ted about how the West Coast is still nicer than the East. But drunken Ted also insulted my Gray and is a staunch Arnold Schwarzenegger supporter. *yech*

Marry me, Gray. I'm better than the one you've got.

Guess what I learned to do...

I feel drunk, but I know I'm not...

Tonight, I played, and got played...

I have stalkers and they steal my friends...

THE END.

4 guys, 4 girls + one pillar = impromptu pole dances!!! Whoa. And today we prance around in pajamas, out for lunch and then shopping at Burberry. The life of a working girl is great! I just wish they'd double my monthly pay of $0 to $0. *shrug*

**UPDATE***
Darn it... my hopes and dreams of meeting Kobe Bryant dashed... the Lakers picked up Luke Walton. Who the heck is that?! He better be good... no Joe Shipp... *sadness*

It's almost time... just three more teams before the Lakers decide who their second draft pick will be. Their first pick was Brian Cook. There have been rumors that Joe Shipp might be picked up by either the Warriors, Clippers, or LAKERS!!!! I seriously hope the Lakers get him. I think he would be an asset to the team, considering that the team is lacking in defense, as well as a good forward. Laker ball will be THAT much more interesting... though I'll still always be loyal to my Kobe. But having Shipp on the Lakers should give me some sort of bragging rights. I DID call him all the time my Freshman year at Berkeley AND I stood behind him in a Safeway line one time... think that'll score me some free Laker tickets??? Here's a proposition... I'll marry any guy that can supply me with a lifetime's worth of front row tickets to every Laker game. Anybody? Anybody?

Double score!!!

Yes... score!!!

I just got charged 9 bucks for a 4-block drive! I would've walked, except the sky opened up and big drops of rain poured down (Summer Solstice my @$$.) Damn cab drivers in DC, always trying to rip people off!!!!!

Random outing tonight: I ended up going to some internet/sushi bar that also sells hookahs. One of the girls with us decides to smoke an apple-flavored hookah. Honestly, it smelled pretty darn good... but I'm a stickler about not defiling the ol' temple (my body). It's been an interesting night, to say the least...

If Thursdays with Natalia aren't super enough, I am just LOVING my Fridays! I had such a GREAT day!!!! Walking to work with Amit and Gray was fabulous. I got to work 5 minutes early (always a plus!). Cassidy greeted me with a smile. I opened mail and then Gabbo called me around 10am, asking me to go help out her office with constituent tours. I'm always down for meeting people from my district, so I was very excited.

Solis' office had 31 people come in from some middle school that I've never heard of. Talk about strange and crazy encounters. For all you sappy folks out there, check out this story. So I'm checking out the crowd, seeing who these people are. I spy this lady amongst the crowd and was immediately attracted to her animated way of speaking that I just HAD to talk to her. I asked if she was a teacher. She replied with, "Yes, but not with this school." Said me, "You remind me so much of my old kindergarten teacher." Said she, "I never taught kindergarten, except a long time ago at Potrero..." Together in unison, "HEIGHTS!" I then burst out with, "Mrs. Hernandez!!!!" Three thousand miles away from home, and out of some random turn of Fate, I am reunited with one of my FAVORITE teachers... from kindergarten!!!! I used to never believe that people could cry tears of joy, but today was one of those days. I lost contact with her sometime after my 4th grade year, and I'm one of those students that periodically go back to visit old teachers. Apparently, she had taken some time off from teaching to take care of her two little boys and so nobody really knew how she was or how to get in touch with her.

It was great telling her about how I've been in the past decade and how she influenced my life. All the other teachers were very touched that we found each other, too. It's like one of those stories on Oprah... and I know how cheesy this entry is gonna read to everybody else, but for me, it was stupendous.

Fridays are also great because it's the only day that Natalia, Gabbo and I all work. We were able to catch lunch together and exchange stories about what we did last night. I live with Dumb (Gabbo) and Dumberer (Natalia). (I'm Dumber.) It's cool to give sandwiches soulmates and walk down 17th Street singing the theme song to "Pinky and the Brain" in a round, while marching in unison.

When I got home, I found not one, but TWO care packages waiting for me. Star Buddy and I have been reunited!!!! Thanks to Caroline and my momma, the care packages were like the cherry on top of the sundae.

All in all, a wonderfully great day... reunited with Mrs. Hernandez, good day at work, silly but wonderful roommates, and a lovely reminder that I am loved at home (both in Berkeley and LA).

This entry, taken from Gabbo's blog, has been one of THE funniest thing I've ever read. (I literally laughed out loud for 5 minutes in the computer lab.) For record keeping purposes, I have decided to include this into my blog so that I may reflect on the silly memories that we have shared.

Sunday, June 15, 2003
WEEK 2: ADJUSTING

Ohhhhhh.... I understand what Caroline said about blogger having a new format. I "likey" too. This past week has been a lot about self-discovery, and achieving a social balance in this political ambiance. Week 2 in DC Summarized (others): Jamie has developed a "questionable reputation" thanks to former speech boy Amit, and is juggling an MC (Most Compatible), MD (Most Desperate), and a MW (Most Wanted.) Natalia managed to remove her Heinneken wristband while at her congressional office and has found her soulmate, Maximo. She styles his hair. Together they are a combined age of 6, says Natalia. Adrian is dating "Reagan," Caleb's flannel pillow. She also formed ties to Lou Pearlman (creator of BSB and NSYNC to edify the non-pop-inclined) and was liberated by France. Caleb discovered Dupont Circle fashions for men: mesh muscle tees and Lebow shorts. Week 2 in DC Summarized (me): I have become a bit of an observer this past week. Long days shape me/the working girl routine is definining my daylight social life as my role as DC Intern Extraordinaire is on display at the Longworth HOB nine hours a day. Hard nights break me/ I have slept through my nights knowing work starts early each morning, missing out on Jamie dancing on blocks, Natalia fending off overeager 18-year-old clubgoers and Adrian making up names for people in CITC after $70 Long Island Iced Teas, like "Bah-HAHA," "Tsunami," and "Subaru." Next week I won't need to stay home while they party. Granted they all have days off during the week, but like I said in high school "sleep is for sissies!" I'm adapting. In all shapes and forms. The freak weather: no problem. I bought a $10 umbrella off a shady looking character off of Farragut West. The self-doubts: I have learned this past week to dismiss snide comments from jealous people. While I never wish anything bad upon anyone it was something else to witness someone fall down some slippery stairs after making some comments to me that made me feel, honestly, inferior. While I usually do not have a self-esteem problem, being in this city of high-caliber backgrounds and high-powered agendas for only one week it was all too easy to fall victim to such mindgames. Memo to self: If this were an episode of "DISMISSED" those 15-minutes of drama are now over, you are happy and in love and that corroded third-wheel has been kicked off the show. Furthermore, the California longings: I ate at CPK with Caleb. One BBQ Chicken pizza later I felt tons better. And finally, on Father's Day to complement Mother's Day and something that made my mom happy is that I attended a Catholic Mass with Caleb today at the first black Catholic church of DC--in Latin. Unfortunately, I took only one quarter of Latin my first semester at Berkeley (Latin school dropout, yup that's me)-- so, hodie latinae gaudium non est--meaning (I think) Latin is not (no longer) fun today. It was 10 AM. I felt just a bit lost. Caleb's singing in Latin was a highlight though. Go neumes. There is no music in this lab so the whole "what I am listening to" thing is defunct for the summer unless I figure out how to integrate sound into this machine. Until then have a quote:

Troy Dyer: There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter becomes a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt.

posted by Gabby | 7:27 PM

I gave my first tour of the Capitol! Oddly enough, I still have not received any training... I didn't even know where to take the people on the tours. I had to stop and ask other interns where to go... quite embarassing. My only experience with sightseeing is when I ran amuck with Natalia on our day off (Thursday.) Just think "Dyck" or "Legally Blond 2," that's how we were. I seriously think our pictures are up somewhere, blacklisting us from ever working for the government again. Yep... that's me, "Jamie: Troublemaker." But as of late, I seem to have taken on the reputation as "Jamie: Drunken Whore." Funny this is, I didn't even drink! Nor am I a whore... at least I don't think I am...

We went to go visit Dr. McGinnis' house today, OG Cal in the Capitol director. He actually founded the program... very nice guy. Is now filthy rich and lives in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife, beautiful kids and a beautiful Golden Retriever. Kinda makes me want to up and move to DC to partake in the "American Dream." Though it's not LA, there are things about DC that I really love... and I've only been here for a week!!! I've still got lots of sightseeing to do...

Not the first time I went to a bar, but definitely the first time I had a friend so drunk, she blew kisses to every guy that she passed as she stumbled home. When asked where her ID was to get into our UC Center, she said, "Will my fake ID work? If not, we'll leave." I regretfully had to inform her that we weren't going to another bar, but going home to sleep. Interestingly enough, we all had a good time. We even had a guy try to walk us home. *shrug* Boy, do interns know how to party...

My first day day interning, here in Washington, DC... Gabby and I keep getting lost! Ironically, we always manage to stumble home. Instead of walking towards the UC Center from the Metro station after work today, we somehow walked in one big circle and ended up right where we started from at the station. We have yet to make it to the Safeway... we're told that it's about 4 blocks away. (The sad part is that we've tried to find the darn place twice already!)

I just found out tonight that Mr. Hayami will be in town in July... and he wants to meet up with me! Amazing, the man is driving cross country in a RV with his family. I'm supposed to be trained in giving tours around the capital on Wednesday, so when Mr. Hayami actually comes to visit, I should be a pro. Emphasis on SHOULD. We'll see how far I actually progress.

I met with Congresswoman Barbara Lee today. The Members were in session, so it was difficult to talk to them for very long. I'll update more as I attempt to take over the government. (Just kidding.) Crappers... ever seen "Enemy of the State"? (I know Caroline has... hahah.) I'm probably going to end up on some blacklist for that comment.

Contrary to all the other Capitol Hill interns, work hasn't been too boring... nothing that I haven't done for Wally: cutting newspaper articles, editting speeches, faxing, xeroxing and tons and tons of filing. Oooh... I even get to open Barbara's mail. But that's the one thing that worries me... Republicans totally hate her. I think she's even known as a "traitor to America," according to one website She's received tons of threatening mail and phone calls... with even a couple of suspected anthrax incidents. I think I am in the most high-profile, targeted office in Longworth... hmm... make that of all the Congressional delegates. Oh well, if anything happens to me, Gabbo will be right there with me in the office next door. Muhahahhaha.

FYI: People who search for "Jamie Raves" often end up at my site. I did a search today and discovered that Jamie Raves is actually a very famous male gay escort. *shocked* We are NOT to be confused.

Moving sucks... if anybody questions why, please read this.

Am loving LA life. Where else can you catch a movie and then get a breakfast burrito 24 hours of the day? The Italian Job was excellent. Great action... very much a thinking movie, like Spy Game. But for some reason, nobody else seems to like Spy Game as much as me. So if you didn't like Spy Game, the Italian Job was better than that. And if you DID like Spy Game, the Italian Job was just as great.

Never in my 20 years of existence have I ever felt as sh.tty or as beat down as the past couple of days. I've been attributing my negativity to the multitude of things that have gone wrong; from housing drama to internship problems to ASUC staffing to more housing drama (and now sore limbs). But alas, my partner in crime knows me best... I'm stronger than all that. Those weren't the reasons why I was in a slump... just the scapegoat. My one weakness is in dealing with emotions, and that was the root of it. I tried to fool myself into thinking that I'm independent enough to not let these things get me down. But when it comes right down to it, I'm just like every other person. I'm no Raskolnikov – the rules of the heart pertain to me, too. The one person that I wanted and needed the most didn't want to be there for me... and that's what really hurts. Mrs. Wellenstein was right. You make time for the things that are important to you... and apparently, I wasn't important enough...

Damn the Reddys. Not only did they take an AXE to Gabbo and Caroline's dresser (Story here), their wretched upkeep of their properties force me to inhale paint chips. Yes, when normal people eat FOOD, we eat paint chips. Mind you, we don't do it by choice. Their shoddy paint job chips at a mere graze. I can't believe we have to clean this place up or face not getting our deposit back. This place is already the dumps. They're gonna think that we trashed the place when in actuality, this is how it was.

UPDATE

We have sold all our furniture. No more. Craigslist DOES work!

SELLING ME OR THE COUCH?

So the funniest story I've heard in awhile... my friend Eric Chen, who goes to Occidental informed me about the couch that my roommates are selling. Apparently his friend, Karen, who goes to Berkeley, saw our posting on Craigslist and told him, whom then told me. Hmm... I wonder how they knew it was me??? Anybody need a couch?

Only $70!!!! Now only $65!!!!

Finals are long gone and done with, but I'm still learning...

It's funny how things change – one minute you think you're on top of the world, and the next, you're swimming in a dark abyss of nothingness. I learned a lot about myself today. For the first time, I don't know what I'm doing with my life. But I guess it's part of growing up, and I've got a lot of that to do. I learned that it's okay that I don't always have all the answers. The pain's still there, but it's making me stronger...

I'm done with school, but yet the pressure is far from over. We're still homeless. My future is uncertain. And I want to go home. I wish I could take on a more "screw everything" mentality. But this is me and that's just not possible. I'm being selfish and I can't think about anything else but going home. But I can't go home until I have a "home" here. And even if I do go to my real home in LA, I won't be able to be there long because of some stupid @$$ internship that I honestly am not excited about. It's not Barbara Lee that disinterests me, cuz I think she's one cool lady, it's just the thought of DC. Everybody always says, "You'll be having the time of your life," or "You're moving on to bigger and better things." Big whoop. I'm a homely girl. I need to go home. I haven't seen my family in WAY too long! After the stupid DC internship, I gotta immediately come back to some hell hole here at Berkeley and prepare for next year.

No Vegas vacation for me. No trip to Mammoth with Kris and her family. No basketball with my brother for hours on end. No all night Super Smash Bros. marathons with my siblings. No midnight run to J&S for breakfast burritos. No movies with 4 hot boys (Jerry, Jeff, Jared and Randall). No secret rendezvous to get Albertson's chicken or Subways for lunch when my mother tells us to make P&J sandwiches. No cheering for my brother at all his basketball/baseball/volleyball games. And no invigorating young minds to prepare them for college.

Yeah yeah... summer in DC. Personally, I think this summer might suck...

F*CK. For a girl that was once Miss Optimism, I'm really hating on a lot of things right now.

I'm hating the fact that...

...I have to write this paper that I know nothing about
...my paper is worth 40% of my grade
...I have until 3 pm tomorrow to turn it in
...I'm staring at a blank word doc
...I ever took this class
...Brady gave us this assignment
...people are out having fun right now without me
...all the other UC people aren't dealing with finals right now
...that I'm still homeless for next year
...my UCLA friends are barely dealing with housing issues, damn sheltered people living in the middle of Westwood
...I spread myself so thin that there's never any time for anything else
...my family and friends have been secondary to my work
...issues from the past still aren't resolved
...the ASUC elections have taken such a toll on my life
...my grades have gone from crap to crappier
...I'm hating so much when what I really hate is myself

FINALS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME

Disclaimer: This entry is not intended to sound R-rated. I was simply trying to document a very low point to my day.

I really shouldn't be complaining, considering that I have just one paper left, and then I'm done. Maybe my stress isn't with finals, but with everything else that is going on in my life. Either way, I finally take my much-needed shower today. Don't ask how long I've gone without showering... I think my stench was beginning to permeate all the way to Caroline's desk in the bedroom.

Anyway, so the shower... I take a fairly long one, cuz, hey, I needed it. I was practically done and drying off when all of a sudden, I felt all light-headed. My first reaction was "Oh shoot... I'm gonna black out here in the bathroom, hit my head on the faucet, splice open my head and be sent to the emergency room... all while I'm still naked."

I somehow managed to garner up enough strength to make it to the bedroom, and that is where I ended up passing out... yes, still naked. I think I was passed out for over 10 minutes before I finally came to. I still feel very queasy right now and as weak as ever. And with that said, now wiill somebody please write my paper???

Aaron's right... I SHOULD have a little bit more faith...

In a strange turn of events, Gabbo and I will be working RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER this summer!!!! How great is that?! Apparently Hilda and Barbara must be best friends, or the worst enemies, because their offices are right next to each other. And their respective interns, Gabbo and me, will whistle all the way to work each morning, hand in hand. Haha, maybe not... but you get the picture. 1724 and 1725 Longsworth House Office... that's the place to be.

Inspired by a conversation at 2:27am:

Hurdler4life04: i need to help you???
Hurdler4life04: you've never needed anyone's help

Huh... is that how people see me? An ice queen? That's exactly the image I don't want to portray. I guess being independent has its drawbacks. I don't mean to dominate in every arena, but I guess my perception of confidence is often mistaken for dominance. Though I don't plan on compromising my values anytime soon, I know I need to find some kind of balance so as to not scare or push people away. It seems like the more I know, the more imperfect I become... thanks for royally screwing with my head.

Sometimes it's great being stupid...

It turns out I have an extra day to finish my 25-page paper. Technically, it's not an extra day granted to me. The extra day was there all along, I'm just too stupid to realize when my deadline is. For some reason, I kept thinking that my final was Thursday instead of Friday. And since my paper is due on the day of the final, I seriously thought my paper was due in 9 hours. *sigh* It's great knowing that I have until Friday, considering that I'm only at 10 pages. I guess this gives me another 24 hours to goof off before I start freaking out again. Wow... what a vicious cycle.

My sister on being a news editor:

"It's not boring... it's informative and conservative."

She's such a Republican!

Update: I have an internship. *yay* But still no housing... though place across Dog and Cat Hospital is looking pretty darn good. Now to add to the problems: my position in office is threatened because I might not be progressive enough? There is no pleasing ANYBODY! If I'm on the edge, this is why.

There have been quite a few things weighing heavily on my heart. In order to not worry my parents, I haven't told them all my troubles, the biggest one being housing. It's much easier to be brave for someone else than for yourself. But I think I'm close to breaking... actually, on several occasions, I've actually been there. On top of everything, my grades aren't looking too great this year. Life's a bunch of trade-offs. The ASUC presidency or grades? No internship or no money? Lakers or the Kings? Hahha, just kidding. That's an easy one... LAKERS! Now if they'd only give me a win to cheer me up...

Wow. Just realizing how often I sweat the little things. It's one of my greatest attributes, as well as my greatest fault. I guess I just aspire to live in this perfect little bubble, and when things don't always go my way, it's as if the bubble pops and I'm left tasting the bitterness of reality. Reminder: Jamie, face the world... as scary as it might seem.

I have faith that things always work out in the end. I WILL find an internship. I WILL find an apartment. I WILL be okay.

Rarely do we have Girls' Night Out. Rarely do we get attacked in a feeding frenzy of overly perverted and horny males. Rarely do I come back feeling so dirty. Take your pick and read more: Gabby, Elaine, Caroline

Partisan politics suck. I'm finally back from the Marathon Senate meeting, which went for over 24 hours.... STRAIGHT! As tired and beat-up as I feel right now, I'm sure the senators feel 10 times worse. On top of being tired and hungry, the last senate meeting of the year always leaves people feeling so dejected and run-down, with tensions running high and emotions running wild. With a deficit of over $100,000, it was exceptionally difficult to balance a budget. As always, the Recruitment and Retention groups got jacked of their money. Sadly, the more I learn, the more racism I see. Maybe I've been blind for the past 20 years. Or perhaps I just refused to take off my blind-fold. But now I see.

I now also know for sure that I put the right person in office. Kris announced that he would take a cut in his office in order for other student organizations to get more funding, despite the serious financial crisis that the Association is in. The Office of the President has exactly $9.000 to play with for the whole year... not much money, but I think we can still make a lot of good changes by making the campus a more politically-minded and academically challenging environment.

Overall, much props to all the senators that stuck it through. And a even bigger round of applause to all the student groups that stayed the whole night to fight on behalf of their organization. It never ceases to amaze me to see the level of passion that Cal students have in fighting for a cause. And tonight... I sleep.

Last night, my two-year journey came to a halt. And today, I embark on a new adventure. Two years in the making, and I have finally put the rightful man in office. In a LANDSLIDE, Kris defeated Daniel by close to 1300 votes. But this entry isn't about Kris. This entry is about all the people that I've neglected throughout this process. And at the risk of sounding like a acceptance speech at the Grammys, I NEED to thank quite a few people.

First off, my roomies. Gabbo... you're the reason why I followed my heart in the first place. And yes, Kris does owe you BIG. Women of Haste... thank you for putting up with me this year and allowing me to turn our apartment into a freakin' campaign headquarters. Sorry for bringing random people over to our place at all hours of the day. Thanks for all the support and guidance and frustration that I put you all through. Thanks for slapping some sense into me when I'm dead on the bed and can no longer move. Thanks for putting up with my dirtiness, even when I smell like a mixture of sweat and sunblock after a long day of campaigning. (And yes, Zairel, next time I do laundry, you CAN jump on the clean pile.)

To my other Kris: Kristen. I'm sorry for neglecting you for the past couple of months. You're still my best friend, and I still miss flipping your hair. Thanks for giving up everything and coming out to visit me that one weekend. I really needed you.

To Teresa: my popular and famous former roommate... I never got to thank you for being so understanding of my ways last year. You were supportive and motherly and you fed me!!! You're wonderful, and I miss you like crazy!!!!

Thank you, Aaron, for always reminding me just how close the race was gonna be. And though it used to drive me crazy, I now thank you. You pushed me to work even harder. And through all the tears and frustrations, I thank you for standing by me.

Ben: I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder this whole year. I'm sorry that every time I call you, it's cuz I need a favor. You mean a lot to me and I'm just glad that time isn't my enemy anymore and that I'll be able to visit you more often. (If you want me to... just make sure you don't doggy-pile on me. I'm weak now.)

To Brett, Caleb, Patrick, Hector, Gustavo, Mike, Paolo and Camille: My inspirations throughout campaigning. Just when I thought that I couldn't take it anymore, you guys were there cheering me on. Thanks for always stopping by at the CalSERVE base to see how I was doing. And for the times that you were out campaigning, your dedication drove me to work even harder.

And lastly, the CalSERVE family... though there were times when the "collective-decision making" would drive me crazy, I DID believe. It's gonna be a wild year. But I'm ready...

How Kris SLAUGHTERED Daniel

CRASH

Here I am, sitting at the apartment. The Reddy people are running around on the 2nd floor, just banging away and making a ruckus. They apparently seem to be fixing something somewhere near the bathroom (judging by the number of bangs). Every so often, I'll hear a really loud thud and I always turn, expecting to see a Reddy man come crashing into our apartment. (Hopefully nobody lands *on* me!) However, if somebody does comes crashing through, I shall be expecting to get a hefty compensation check in the mail, in addition to the Penthouse. Though I like Herman, Nermeet and Duc... I think I love the Penthouse more...

JUST LOUNGIN'

It's a great feeling to wake up and not have to do anything. Over 24 hours of fun with Aaron today, complete with good eating. Here were the highlights:

YAY #1: Lakers won! Awesome game, but I basically predicted the outcome even before the game started. I JUST knew that my Kobe would pull through for the Lakers.

YAY #2: I know that I could easily have tagged it on right after YAY #1, but this one is too good to not have it's own category.... THE KINGS LOST!!!!

YAY #3: Reminiscing about the days of the past. Lots of good exchanges of stories. It's really nice to have finally found somebody that I can connect with at all levels.

YAY #4: I.B. Hoagies AND Thai Basil... man, I ate like a king today (like a queen?) Thanks to my special guy for bearing the elements and making food runs... and getting my order right!

YAY #5: No class til noon tomorrow!!!!

Life is good... at least for the time being. (Never mind the two 20-page papers I must write by next week!!!!)

Darn PS 118AC paper... I dislike Judy Chu more than before! She hasn't done jack sh.t for Rosemead. Why are we the bastard child of SGV? Friggin' Gabrielino essentially gets a brand new school... and I'm still fighting to make sure my trash gets picked up every Monday along with the rest of the city of San Gabriel. Hmmm... politics sure ain't fair. I should've voted for that Fred Balderrama guy... at least he taught me how to play pool.

I know I haven't blogged in a long time. All I can say is that I'm so tired that every part of my body aches... all the way down to the ends of my hair. However, on the flip side... I saw Kobe play live tonight for the very first time! LAKERS ROCK! Kobe had 44 points and basically flew!!!! Move over Michael Jordan, there's a new legend in town. Caroline and I waited around after the game and watched all the players board the bus. Man... soooo much fun! To top it off, our "friend" Carlos got arrested for being a die-hard fan. Hahah, hilarious.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GABBO

My days are starting to all blend in together. I don't even know night from day... I don't even know where I'm living anymore. I'm neither here nor there. All I know is that I'm exhausted and it is time for bed.

It is doomed before it even begins...

Sheisty people get what they deserve. I have just witnessed a crime and yet I have no idea what the heck happened! I was walking back to the apartment after getting a huge tri-board and I was rounding the corner to our humble street when all of a sudden, I was roughly shoved into the shady computer store. All I remember were 3 big guys. The one that shoved me was a big black guy with corn-rows and huge studs on his ears. I had NO idea what was going on until after the owners (Asian couple) came running out after the 3, also roughly pushing me aside. The lady shouted, "Ah, they got away. Call 911!" Guess where the three big scary guys went? Er, down our street! So now, I'm a bit scared about everything. The worst part of it all is 1) I don't know what happened, and 2) I don't know where they went! *shrug*

Aside from my scary encounter... Walking down Sproul is great. I LOVE hearing, "You're Kris' campaign manager? I'm gonna vote for him." I still stress out, but at least it's a good stress today. *smiles*

Definitely a good day... lunch break and all. Floating on cloud 9, well deserved after a very crummy day yesterday.

I now know what it feels like to be high on life. It's such an amazing feeling. Caleb... you should probably stop reading now because the rest of this entry will be very cheesy, but I can't help BUT feel the way that I do. I have just experienced THE MOST amazing and moving night of my life. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that such an event would be possible. However, tonight, Kris proved that the ASUC IS capable of bringing a diverse community together and work to achieve one united cause.

Kris approached me with the idea of Relay for Life last semester and I have been the one opposing voice throughout the process. Honestly, how many college students would give up their Friday night AND Saturday morning to walk on some stupid track?! Well, try over 2,000 students! And how about adding $30,000 (and counting) to that number? It was nothing BUT successful! The Luminaria ceremony was so touching... over 300 candles lit in a row, each one representing a person that either battled cancer and survived or a loved one that passed away due to the disease. Words cannot express what I felt tonight... and for a girl that has something to say about EVERYTHING, it's quite a change for me. Complete with good friends and good people with hearts of gold, all of a sudden, nothing seemed to matter. I didn't care that I was completely drenched from head to toe, or the fact that I was as cold as ice, or that I was so hungry I could eat a horse... I was lost in the moment. I can't even begin to describe the warmth felt in my heart... all I can say is that it is a good feeling.

Tonight, a community REALLY came together. People from all walks of life came together and made something beautiful happen. I have renewed faith in mankind... this is the reason why I joined the ASUC: to help people, to do good. I'm still in awe of what Kris did tonight and as his campaign manager, I have never been as proud of him as I was tonight. Through all the arguments, the laughter and the tears, THIS is the reason why I do what I do... all the sleepless nights, the loss of weight, the physical and emotional frustrations... I witnessed a miracle tonight and it has given me hope.

Hmmm... very confused. Drunken confessions only lead to trouble.

Hook, line, sinker... YES!

SUCH A LOSER...

Who you ask? Answer: me! Finally met a really mean bus-driver today. He didn't close the door in my face, nor behind me, but ON me! Who the hell gets crushed by a bus door?! Ooh, me, me... pick me! Grrr...

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

Much to your disappointment, this entry isn't about sex... I usually leave that up to my former roomie, Teresa. (Shameless plugging for y'all to read Sex on Tuesday columns!) If there's one thing I realized tonight, it's that guys and girls are built competely different. As in my conversation with Elaine tonight, which sparked this blog entry... besides the obvious physical differences (duh!), males and females handle things in different manners. Maybe it's because of the testosterone or maybe I'm just completely WAY off base, but guys tend to internalize all pain and frustration. Like a soldier, they keep taking it and for that, men truly amaze me. It's kinda like a "Show No Mercy" tactic.

For girls, it's a different story. Of the two genders, girls tend to be more emotional and sensitive about things. Now, I'm no typical girl, but I think I'm starting to fall right into that category. I'm usually pretty rock solid when it comes to being professional. I don't normally let my emotions get in the way. I'm a trooper, I keep fighting until I get what I want. But lately, each day is a battle for me and at the end of the day, I'm battling myself to try and keep the tears in. I don't think guys really understand that... at least, not about me. I'll say a thousand times that I'm okay, but I'm really not. I don't want to show any weakness, but it's definitely been an uphill battle. Thank goodness for girlfriends... they know the true me, whatever that is...

It feels good to be called "princess" every so often... feels even better to be treated like one.

RANDOM INTERNET SURFING

It's ridiculous how much sh.t talk goes around... I decided to do some random internet surfing today and came across the strangest things! Apparently due to my close ties with Kris, a certain political party is said to “already be looking for dirt on the campaign manager, trying to discredit her because she’s a Republican (!) (Or so I’ve been told.).”

Ladies and Gentlemen, that is THE MOST absurd thing I have ever heard!!!! First of all, I DARE you to find dirt on me! Secondly, I like Gray Davis… sorry, NOT a Republican! And thirdly, if you need to “discredit” me for any reason, obviously your candidate is a loser to begin with. Win based on your own damn qualifications, please! If you can’t do that, you don’t deserve to be president.

Sorry, for those of you interested in reading the site from where this entry stemmed from, I’m sorry, I cannot link it on this site. I don’t want said political party to come snooping around here.

GO SHAWTY, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY...

Being 20 isn't sounding so bad after all, thanks to all my wonderful friends and their birthday wishes. Ben kidnapped me early this afternoon and took me to the Super DC. It was nice "spending every waking moment" with him... gosh, haven't done that in AGES! (Thanks for lunch, Ben!) A special thanks to Jerry for letting us crash at his place. Hurray for video games and Mondo Gelato! Planet Rock the Block was also super cool tonight.

My roomies are the BEST! Zairel gave Caroline a heart attack and surprised me with balloons and a lifetime's supply of my favorite chapstick in the world! I probably also have a lifetime's supply of meat stashed in the fridge from Caroline, Gabs and Caleb. (Okay, in Jamie-terms, the stash will probably only last me for a couple of days...) Yay for beautiful flowers, Zachary's pizza and the most beautiful cake I have ever seen. Plus, I treated myself to an even greater selection of Kobe pictures for my screen-saver. Being 20 is good. Having good friends makes it even better.

To Allie Mac: Though every year, you steal my special day, I just wanted to also wish you a very happy birthday! You poor Leap Year Baby, just know that you're a wonderful person and someone that I'm so proud to call my friend. I'm glad to be sharing my special day with you. Love you and miss you much. Happy birthday! (Don't worry, you'll have an actual birthday next year!)

On the eve of my transition from "teenagedom" to "adulthood" you would think that after being around for 19 years, geez, I oughta know a thing or two about my identity... where I'm from and where I'm going. Huh, funny thing is, I think I'm facing identity issues. In my favorite Poli Sci class today, our guest speaker was the Honorable John Chiang of the State Board of Equalization. He's such an amazing speaker with great stories to tell. He told stories about his Chinese parents and their wishes for each child to grow up and become a doctor. Ironic that 3 out of the 4 children all majored in Poli Sci. He also told stories of discrimination when they first immigrated over and lived in a predominantly black community. How their apartment window was the target of rocks thrown by rowdy teenagers that lived nearby. How when all the other school kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he had rice with eel on it. How the bathrooms of his elementary school was such a terror for him, for fear of being the center of mockery among the big bullies that hung out in there. How his parents worked so hard to give them a better life…

Listening to these stories, I realized I am him! I went through the same time… the fear of going to the bathrooms cuz the girls would always pull open the door right when my pants would be around my ankles (darn those doors that never locked!), how my little Hawthorne apartment windows were always bombarded with eggs, how I was considered the strange Chinese girl with strange lunches each day. These memories… I’ve carried them with me forever, yet why is it that I needed somebody to retell these stories to me for me to remember them? I think whether intentionally or unintentionally, I have blocked out these horrible memories. I no longer physically SEE myself any different from other people. I think I’m normal… and I think sometimes I even consider myself “white” or “Mexican.”

If there was one thing I got out of class today, it’s to make a statement by being me and being proud of who I am. Though I may not be able to change society and the way we are subconsciously segregated because of different support groups, I can make something out of the life that I was given. That means, while being proud of my own culture, we need to also be aware of other cultures and celebrate those cultures. I can make a difference based on the actions I take, but more importantly, I need to recognize the effects that my actions have on others.

Dinner was at Fu Lin’s tonight (I really should be the poster-child for Fu Lin!). I learned that Elaine (the co-owner) is from Hong Kong and she also speaks Mandarin. We spoke for quite awhile and she confided in me that sometimes she doesn’t know why she came to the States. She left a life of luxury to scrub floors and serve a bunch of Berkeley students. Why, I asked. She answered, “For rights. You don’t get rights in Hong Kong… but life here is hard. I make very little.”

Growing up in the United States, I think I have taken for advantage the rights that we have, cuz I haven’t experienced it any other way. But maybe it’s time that I start using my privileges to uplift others. I can’t mask the fact that I’m Chinese, but I can exist and make a statement with my living.

Kobe... MVP!

DATE WITH KOBE

Whoo hoo, I am now the proud owner of Lakers-Warriors tickets!!!! April 16th... countdown to my very FIRST time ever seeing Kobe live! A semi-dream come true. As big of a fan I am of him, I have never been able to see him play in person. Which is odd, because I've been a huge Kobe-fan since Day 1. I liked him so much that I named my cutie-patootie of a puppy after him.

So fiasco to purchasing tickets... darn Ticketmaster would not accept on-line purchases last night. So I call Mr. Ticketmaster man this afternoon. After much transferring between departments, they finally connected me to the right person... Ben something or other. Nice guy. Caroline and I, in order to get the much-desired Lakers tickets, had to buy a package of 3 games. By the end of April, I'm sure the two of us will be very familiar with the whole Warriors team, along with the Arena in Oakland. We are now the ticket-holders of Warriors games against the Utah Jazz (down with Malone!!!!), the Los Angeles Clippers (yay Andre Miller, Q and "Magget"!!!!!!) and the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers!!!!! A very nice early birthday present to myself, indeed!!!!!

Stolen from somebody obviously very wise...

"Old debaters never die, they just start to judge."

Nobody better challenge me to a eating contest. I'll CREAM ya!

SPEECH MAN WANTED

You can always tell when a person was a product of high school speech and debate. Case in point #1: Patrick from Leland. Case in point #2: Yelda from Logan. I'm still not sure what it is that makes it so distinguishing... maybe it's the way they carry themselves? the way they speak? the way they act? the way they scream professionalism? the way they can persuade you about anything and everything? the way they think? Um... I choose all of the above. *dreaming about a speech man of my own*

Every night, before I slip into bed, I feel as if I've been run over 10 times with a bulldozer (given my past, that's a very likely possibility). I go to bed with a heavy heart and toss and turn all night long. My mind races with all the things I need to do, or should be doing, that a good night's rest is never achieved. Hence, why I haven't blogged in ages. You may ask why I torture myself so... even I've found myself asking that for the past couple of weeks.

However, last night has renewed the spark and excitement. I now understand why I do it... it's for the cause. People have sacrificed so much for me, it's my turn to do the sacrificing. My college experience has not been heightened by the classes I attend or the lectures I miss, but rather by the people I meet... and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

This Boeing is going.

--Flight Attendant, 9:34am, Flight 801 LAX to OAK

I'm a girl... I'm not Superman. I'm not made of steel. Ryan Knowles always taught me not to show weakness. (Dayum, that man is AMAZING!) However, this is the one time that my weaknesses are starting to show. I forget that I can't do it all, nobody can. Ironic that I need to be doing 10 things at once in order to be happy... something is horribly wrong with me.

NICE PEOPLE ROCK!

I don't know about the monsters that Gabs and Zairel have encountered on the 65, but ALL my morning Route 65 bus drivers have been so gosh-darn NICE!!! Today's bus driver really shines above them all. She had the sweetest smile and greeted every passenger that boarded with a "Good morning, how are you doing?" Upon reaching destination, she wished each us all "a wonderful day." Man, if only more people were nice like her...

NO MORE 8AM CLASSES!!!

I have NEVER been in winds so strong before... in all my traveling, from the mountains of Taiwan, to the harbors of Maine and even the ice boxes the Colorado Rockies, I have never seen winds so strong to the point where I can't even walk straight anymore. I literally thought that all 110 of me was gonna go flying off. While passing by Hearst Annex, I saw a guy struggle and fight to get to his classroom... only to walk drunkenly into a lamp post. (And no, I'm sure it wasn't because he was drunk.) I just don't understand Berkeley weather. The sun is freakin' out!!!! So why were winds as high as 35 mph this morning?! My hair is currently incredibly huge, and I didn't even style it that way today on purpose!

EXCUSE ME FOR BEING BOLD...

Okay, so, rant: I'm SO SICK of these so-called "AZN THUGS"!!!!! Once again, another "On the way to class..." stories. So, I'm walking to LeConte this time and this typical Monterey-Park-looking-squatting-chain-smoker-Rice-Rocket boy gives me the once-over and then proceeds to start staring me down. Okay... hold up, what is the deal with that??!?! Yeah, I see you lookin' at me. You think staring me down is gonna get me to smile at you and hand over my telephone number?! Uh, sorry buddy, doesn't work that way. I gave Mr. AZN a dirty look while he continued to stare at me over his shoulder. Okay, not that there was all that much to be staring at in the first place... but geez, buddy, try a different approach next time. Drop the "Gotta look hard," act!!!!

Same thing happened on the way back from campus while I was walking down Shattuck. Same situation, different guy. I thought I turned down UCI to get away from all this...

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GABS DOESN'T GO TO CLASS...

So there I was, humming along to class up to Hearst Mining, despite having an 8 in the freakin' morning class. The sun was out and it actually felt quite warm for horrid Berkeley weather. I turn the corner to walk through the narrow passageway that leads into the building when all of a sudden, this front shovel comes careening down the pathway. (Okay, so it wasn't really "careening" but it was moving pretty fast!) Like a deer caught in the headlights, I scream like a mofo! There it was... the spikes at the end of the shovel pointed directly at my chest area. It barely stops inches short of turning me into Jamie mince-meat pie. By this time, I'm wheezing up a storm after screaming my lungs out. The driver looks down at me coolly and says, "Haha, scared ya!" What the heck?! No more humming to class!!!

This is what my roomies and I think about at 3 in the morning: 1/26/03.

DEPRESSING... JUST DEPRESSING...

Grrr... my boys suffered a loss today. Cannot believe they just THREW the game away... to the Warriors, no less!!!! My only comfort is believing that the Warriors are like the Clippers – they beat teams that are good, but lose to everybody else. (Like the way the Kings lost to the Clippers... hahha, those LOSERS!)

Also on tonight... Trista, the Bachelorette, eliminated Rob! Rob was such a GREAT guy, definitely my #1 pick. Oh well... tonight just wasn't a good night for TV... but I'm sure Friday will be better. Nets, you guys are going down! (Even though I still like Kidd.)

BACK AT BERKELEY

I managed to catch my brother's game yesterday before I left for Berkeley. It was SUCH a great game! With 2.4 seconds left on the clock and just one point down, the coach tells the boys, "Just disperse." So the inbound play goes to my brother, who then passed it to – off one guy's head and another guy's arm – Brent. Brent shoots it right before the buzzer goes off. Nearly gave me a heart attack with a bounce at the front of the rim, a bounce at the back of the rim, and then a circle around the rim before it fell. TIGERS WIN BY ONE! Yay!

The ride over to the airport was the worst. Terri and Jerry didn't go with us to the airport, so I had to say goodbye to them at the house. It just kills me to have to say goodbye. I feel like I miss out on such a big part of their growth. I guess it's just the motherly instinct in me... plus Jerry's my little baby. Just thinking about all the basketball games I'll miss, all the Super Smash Brothers matches that I won't get to play, all the arguments that I won't be able to have with Terri... makes me all teary-eyed. But I promised myself that I wouldn't cry at the airport. Had to stay strong for the parents.

Once again, at the airport, I was strip-searched like a common criminal. Then I found out that my flight was delayed by a whole hour. Kris kept me busy for awhile by staying on the phone with me. We talked about her two "new friends." Haha. That playa. I managed to get bumped up to an earlier flight. I was the second to the last person they let on, so my choices for seats included sitting between two fat chicks or sitting in front of the already smelly bathroom. I chose two fat chicks. BAD DECISION! Not cuz of the two fat chicks, but cuz of the two valley girls that sat behind me. Their conversation consisted of, "Well, I'm a 3rd year majoring in bio... cuz yeah... cuz... like... like... you know... I dunno... bio's cool... I guess... " Ugh. You're a 3rd year?! Girl, learn how to speak!!!! I tried to fall asleep, but the two fat chicks took up the whole armrest... so I ended up flipping through the lastest issue of "SkyMall". They have some pretty spiffy stuff.

I came back to a dark, cold, and empty apartment. But the loneliness allowed me to gather my thoughts and recollect all the fun I've had over break. Perhaps the scariest part about my leaving home for college was the possibility that everything would change without me – as if I wouldn't fit in when I got back. It's nice to know my concerns were for naught. Life changes... but my place in the family doesn't...

WOOHOO

What a game... The Clippers killed the Kings tonight!!!! Did I mention KILLED?!!!! I lost my voice sometime during the 4th quarter from booing at Vlade and the rest of them SAC losers. Highlight of the night: Jackson got, not 1, but 2 technical fouls called on him at the same time and was kicked out of the game. The whole arena boo-ed the sucker out. Haha. Final score: 112-107. New found love for Andre Miller...

BACKTRACK
Forgot to mention all the other fun I've had since last Thursday...

Thursday
Turns out I only had dinner with one Mock Trial Coach... but had a lot of fun driving out to Huntington Beach and ate great food.

Friday
Out w/ Mr. Narumi to Tony Romas... ate like a king. (Not that I'm a guy, but I sure do eat like one. It's scary... had a 7 ounce steak and half a rack of ribs.) We also watched 25th Hour, starring Caroline's hubby Edward Norton. Once again, another amazing performance by Eddie. Pretty good movie, but like Caroline said, "Too many references to 9-11!"

Saturday
The wonderful Fullerton Speech and Debate Invitational where I judged my brains out. Scored dinner that night w/ Tony at Outback. (Yes, I've been eating a lot of steak... Gabby swears I'm on the Atkin's Diet without even trying.)

Sunday
Judged some more... laughed at the semi-finalists that Nermin, Gabs and I had to judge. Sad thing about that is, the speeches were supposed to be dramatic, not humorous! As Gabs and I later concluded, the two of us sealed the fate of those competitors... so sad. Haha, like Gabs and I, an extemper and an OO-er, really know anything about DI. By the end of the night, I got that same feeling I used to get after a long tournament. It's that feeling of being soooo horribly exhausted that you don't even have the energy to lift your hand to your mouth to put food in... forget about finding the energy to chew and swallow! I somehow managed to conjure up enough energy to spend a nice dinner with Gabs, Vero, Lauren, Paul, and Smitti and then drive the girls home. All in all, it was nice to play "Captain" for a day, even if I'm not really a captain anymore. Like I always say, I'll always care for the team. They made me so proud... 10 breaks into semi-finals. I love the novice kids, they're so cute!

Monday
Had lunch with Mr. Ashbran, Gabs, and Pablo. Haha, Mr. Ashbran is still the same. Goes off on random tangents, but that's why we love him. Also had a heart to heart w/ Pablo. So proud of him, our Pablito has grown up... he has reassured me that there are still good guys out there.

Tuesday
The Getty.

MR. PERFECT... ALMOST

Still kicking myself in the butt for not talking to "Sid" at the Getty... Outing w/ the roomies today to the beautiful Getty in Santa Monica. LOVED the Dorothea Lange exhibit. Also LOVED Monet's artwork... he's still my favorite painter. It never ceases to amaze me the way he can paint so that his work looks like a bunch of random brushstrokes up-close, but it all comes together and creates an image once you back up and take in the whole picture. Very symbolic... the way we fuss over minor details and miss out on important things in life, yet everything becomes much clearer once we see the bigger picture. We also figured out where Caroline's wedding reception will be... in the Central Garden. Ahhh, sooo beautiful! For Caroline's wedding, all the guests will sit on surfboards in the middle of the stream while Caroline sashays down the dirt ramp. (Good thinking, Gabs.) Haha. It's okay, Caroline, I'm sure renting out the Getty won't be all that expensive in a few years... *hopefully*

Anyway, onto Sid... not really Mr. Perfect's name, unfortunately, I don't even know what his name is! Mr. Perfect came strolling through the courtyard while the girls and I were sipping our mochas. There he was, all dressed in full suit and tie, looking so confident, poised, and handsome. He headed straight for the 3rd floor of the West Wing... straight for the Monets! (Yes, the girls and I followed him... discreetly, of course.) I noticed that he was carrying a flowpad (total plus! reminded me of a speech boy) and a book. What was the book? Only a book written by Hermann Hesse! Still in awe of ANY guy that reads Hermann Hesse! After that, we nicknamed Mr. Perfect "Sid", after Hesse's book Siddhartha. Sadly, he was not amused by the way I analyzed the way Monet portrays the bell towers in one of his paintings. (At least Gabs found it funny.) Through our detective skills (or rather, mostly Gabby's detective skills) we have come to the conclusion that he's a successful businessman that works near Santa Monica and goes to the museum to unwind after a long day's work. He's also a conservationalist that takes the Metro to work everyday, hence the book in his hand. And he's obviously a smart man that enjoys literature and Monet paintings... and stupid me, I've missed my chance...

THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR

These past three days, I have witnessed first-hand the legacy that I have left behind at Macy Intermediate School. Six years ago, I single-handedly brought competitive sports back to Macy after a 13-year breach. As an eighth-grader, I was a TA for Ms. Briley (now known as Mrs. Dean to all the young'uns). I remember during 5th period one day, I was going through some of the stuff that she gets in the mail (one of my daily tasks) and I came across an invitation to a girls' basketball tournament. I did some fast talking and managed to sweet talk her into letting us start a team. Kris, Karen and I became known as The Triple Threat. That year, we slaughtered every team but could not hold our own against the smelly armpits of the Suva gigantors. (It sucks having a team of 5-feet and under girls!) We ended up taking a huge 2nd place trophy home that year, and it's been sitting in the library showcase ever since, along with our picture. Since that year, Macy has been an avid participant of competitive sports. This legacy has been carried on that I am now able to watch my little brother (the cutie) share the same experiences I had in 8th grade. It's truly been a joy watching all the boys play... it's nice to know that I've left behind something great.

Now a quick run-down of what I've been up to...

Monday
Went out with Allison, Abie and Corey. Laughed so hard my cheeks hurt even the following morning.

Tuesday
As dorky as this sounds, had a lunch date with my favorite teacher, Mrs. VanCott. Haha, being the two talktative people that we are, we were constantly fighting to get the other one to listen. *sigh* She makes me want to be a teacher all over again. Jerry was the highest scorer of the game, with 15 points... as was Kobe with 45 points. Was definitely a good day for basketball.

Wednesday
Took my little cutie out to try to get my mom a George Foreman Grill for her birthday. (Yes, the present serves selfish purposes, I know!) Darn Target... totally out of stock. Ended up at Blockbusters where I rented Goldmember for the cutie. He gave me a guilt trip, saying that Terri and I always go out with friends to watch movies that he wants to see, but nobody ever takes him. We watched that night... he loved it. However, I don't think that my dad was too happy about it. Apparently, he doesn't approve of the humor/content.

Today (Thursday)
Went to brother's game again... yay, they won! Went to the other Target in Whittier and got the George Foreman. Then returned The Sweetest Thing. (No late charges for Elaine!) And finally treated the siblings to In 'N Out... Mark made my fries while Eric toasted my buns. Haha. Now off to have dinner with my Mock Trial Coach (and currently brother's teacher), the other Mock Trial Coach and high school College Counselor. Wait, it gets better... tomorrow is with the high school Band Director...

OUR FOURSOME DOWN TO THREE...

Elaine pretty much got the gist of it... so refer to her blog for complete details. Yay for Pat and Oscars' PLUMP breadsticks, Caroline's impromtu piercing, pool, "Chicago" (mainly cuz of Richard Gere), junk food, Eric and Mark (hotties!), and last but not least... good friends.

OoOOooO... PARTY-GIRL JAMIE

Been out every night this week except tonight. It's been good, decent fun, but I must admit, I love sitting my on arse at home, too. Did nothing but stay in my pajamas all day and watch a bunch of mindless TV, including replays over the Rose Parade, over and over and over again. Being home in LA has been associated with my life without any stress. And though I do agree that some stress is often good, I desperately needed a break from all the stress that I was puting myself through at school. It's a nice feeling being totally carefree, again. I've spent so much time with Kris this past week that we're both on the verge of killing each other. LOL. (Just like Ike and Tina, right?) Gosh, how I've missed the friendship we shared in high school. Kinda sucks that we're on different UC campuses, but things should be a lot better after she takes her car up North. Then we'll be able to hang out all the time! Haha, don't know if that's a good thing or not...

New Year's was a lot of fun... hit up two parties in one night! Jane and Jilly's awesome birthday bash and then post-midnight drinking with my roomies. (Yes, Elaine, you are now an honorary Haste girl.) Okay okay, so I make things sound a lot more scandalous than they really appear to be. Party #1 consisted of playing Taboo, Guesstures, watching Lilo & Stitch, and eating tons of good Chinese food! (Hey!!! My kind of fun!) Then we counted down with Dick Clark and celebrated over some sparkling peach cider. Party #2 was at Elaine's house where Caroline and Elaine's "brothers" were getting down with sparkling cranberry cider. (Newsflash: Sparkling apple cider was soooo last year! Haha.) More movie watching, or rather, rewinding to watch some "Academy Award winning acting" from Drive Me Crazy. Go figure... crazy boys. Then we listened to Elaine's "brothers" free-style while Caroline and I listened from the kitchen. "Honest, I was just there cuz I was hungry!" LOL.

Conclusion: No crazy drinking party, no lip-locking at the stroke of midnight, no bumpin' and grindin' with guys... just good clean fun with old friends, just the way I like it. So what if people think I'm a big prude... I'm fun no matter what. Baby, I'm the life of the party.