ONLY IN 'BERZERKELY'

After a long day of walking around in SF, nothing beats the joy of being able to take off your shoes, prop your feet up and relax. But you don't always get what you wish for...

Ben and I had BARTed over to meet Mike in SF for some dim sum. We walked off all the food by window-shopping around. Chinatown never ceases to amaze me. I guess I'm easily amused by all the random junk that they sell in the "Bazaars." And the boys and I had a good time laughing at all the expensive crap that Louis Vuitton sells... "Only $425 for a change purse!" Being in Chinatown reminds me a lot of Bill Murray's character in "Lost in Translation." I'm about a good head taller than everybody. One lady even accused me of pushing her cuz her head came up to my purse and thought I had shoved her intentionally.

Trying to get back to Berkeley was the hard part... apparently the BART police noticed some "suspicious activity" going on at the Berkeley BART station. They commanded all the BART lines to bypass the Berkeley station, leaving Ben and me riding back and forth, jumping from BART to BART, going from Ashby to North Berkeley, and then back. After trying to figure out which station would bring us closest to home, we finally decided upon Ashby, where Pabs picked us up at the corner. We never found out what the "suspicious activity" was... we only saw lots and lots of people at the Berkeley station, each watching the trains whizz by. *shrug* Maybe somebody wanted to bomb the Berkeley station? Watch for it on the 10 o'clock news.

MY CRAZY FRIEND MO

So after a long escapade in Pakistan, Mo (AKA Chicken-Suit Guy) is finally back in the States... this time, maybe, as an engaged man. See, while running amuck in Pakistan, he met a girl, and now he's got about 2 months to decide if he really wants to marry her, or else cut her loose and let her marry somebody else. He tells me nonchalantly, "I'm 25, it's about time I settle down anyway." Funny that he never mentions the word "love" when referring to this maybe bride-to-be. Crazy Mo... he's always up to something. This whole marriage thing is a bit more complicated, but his intentions are good. All I can say is that it's a cultural thing... I guess you gotta be Pakistani to understand...

Aside from the early wedding bells, Mo's always been a smart guy. When Mo speaks, people listen. And yesterday, he spoke to me. After a very loOOoong dinner conversation, I'm left going on a quest to do some soul-searching. I don't know why I'm a workaholic. I don't even know who I really am. All I know is that I've got a lot of growing up to do...

A PCITURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS



Ain't it the truth?

No better way to ring in the new semester with a bit of partying on our first night back in Berkeley. Though it's been fun, I can't help but miss the boyfriend in LA.

I've been pretty anti-social lately. Sorry Roomies, especially Caroline. I promise I'll be more in the mood to go out sometime next week. *wink* This downtime is much appreciated after a crazy semester. Been doing the whole family thing... staying at home and hanging out with the sibs. New Years' wasn't a night of drunken debauchery for me. But, let me add, to all the people that have tried to get me to drink... I only drink with my brother. Yes, I drank with a 15-year old. We had a bit of champagne and red wine (but mostly sparkling apple cider). Then we played poker games. I forgotten how much fun he was. It was a night of laughs as we counted down with Clay Aiken on MTV. (No Dick Clark for us, thanks to Gabbo and Bowling for Columbine.

The sister and I have been getting along just peachy, too. We still get into the occasional scream-fests, (And yes, she still always beats me.), but for the most part, we've been cool. Tomorrow, we go shopping for shoes!!!

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.