The Grind

Your Holiness, REST IN PEACE...

1920-2005

greetings from slowdesto

After having such a busy first quarter at UCLA that she couldn't even post for three months, CafePinay emerges from the winter shadows and writes from (of all places) Modesto, CA...

After being here for less than 24 hrs, I am reminded once again as to why I would never live here. No wonder this place is on women's Most Depressing Cities list. The small-mindedness of this town surprises me. I mean, people write to the Modesto Bee (the paper), relieved that the 99 is gonna be repainted, and are assured that all the other (more serious) problems can now solve themselves. Oh, please. Maybe the repaint will remind that drivers here that it's ok to do 65 (or..*gasp* faster) on the highway.

Nonetheless, despite the wind, rain, and the people who can't drive in it, I like being up here for the yearly post-Christmas mini-vacation for JP's birthday. I am now writing from his powerbook G4 because (Yay!) now he has internet here. I kight as well enjoy myself while I can. School starts again...um...dunno. Don't care right now. =D

Current temp: 56 and cloudy
Currently playing: Himalayan Project - Rules of Engagement
Currently feeling: Chill.

feeling like a noob

Today is my official first day of grad school at UCLA. Being so long out of the loop of academia, I feel like such a newbie...except that I'm not jumping from table to table during Welcome Week to try to make friends (Fall '96 at UCI, scary) Anyways, I'm now in Ackerman Union (their student center) feeding off of UCLAWLAN. They've got booths all along the path outside, full of the usual college clubs and promotions, just for Welcome Week. Made me remember my days as an undergrad at UCI, and made me realize how glad I am to leave those days behind. I knew to steer clear of those damn solicitations they always threw in my face (except the party flyers from frats/sororities; they never gave me the time of day anyway). I'm not travelling on a bus 2 hours a day to relive my undergrad year. That's not why I'm here in the first place. That's why I'm not buying any Bruin paraphernalia; I'll always think of myself as an Anteater.

And yes, as I referred to it above, Parking and Trans decided to deny me my parking permit. The possibility of walking around Washington and Centinela alone at 9 or 10 pm wasn't compelling enough. What's worse, i guess some glitch in their email has resulted in me getting an automated email notification of that denial, every day since Monday. Need I be reminded? Ten weeks on the bus...*sigh*

I have class five days a week + lab research...My first class is a seminar at 4 today. Maybe I should go grab some Rubio's (yes they have that on campus =) )

Current temp: Cloudy at 69
Currently playing: Nothing.
Currently feeling: Hungry.

westside connected...

I'm mostly settled into my new place on the west side of town...on the edge of Culver City. Despite the fact that I would have to dodge red light cameras to get to Target (my favorite department store), this place is not all too bad. Up on Sepulveda (going north, thank God) there's a drive thru Coffee Bean in the same shopping center as a Trader Joe's! Besides, being on my own ("mostly" as I'm living with my sis) is a nice breath of freedom. Home will once again be a nice place to visit.

On a related note, as I'm getting ready for my first quarter as a grad student, today was officially my last day at my job. Nice timing: Sept 19, 2002-Sept. 17, 2004. The girls hooked me up with a nice backpack for my iBook. But the thing's got so many frikkin' pockets you'd think I was on field study in the Mojave. I could definitely use this.

It's time to get used to being a student again.

Current temp: The fan is blowing; it must be warm in here.
Currently playing: Nothing. My iTunes on this is still virgin.
Currently feeling:My eyes getting heavy

the continued edumacation of CafePinay...

An email I received today from UCLA...

I am happy to inform you that you have been admitted to the
Physiological Science MS program. You will receive official
notification in
writing from the Graduate Division Graduate Admissions Office in the
next
several weeks. Please let me know by reply email if you intend to
accept
the offer of admission to our MS program. Thanks for your patience.

Yes, I am now a grad student. For the past 2 years I've been paid to do research, and now I'll pay to do research! And once again at a *gasp* UC. Can't be that bad...at least I'll get off my butt and go for another degree.

Now to find housing...In We$twood? Uh, no.

Current temp: 65, partly cloudy
Currently playing: Spies Like Us - Styles of Beyond
Currently feeling: *sigh* content.

on a work break...
 
Onlyan hour and a half to go and I'm out.  Thought I'd update my dusty blog. 
 
Yesterday JP and I were talking about how the liberal democrats in Sac town were all up in arms over Arnold's "girlie men" comments.  *rolls eyes*  I sometimes feel sorry for the Governator because he's just a charismatic actor thrown into the foray of stupid partisan politics.  I mean, I applaud him for not taking back his seemingly "homophobic" comments.  He shouldn't;  he was using a comedic/character reference just to get his point across, as he often does.
 
On that note, sometimes I'm sick and tired of this sterilized-PC-sensitive society.  Just like what happened in Sacramento, you focus and that and miss the entire point.  Yesterday I was at Trader Joe's, picking out some flowers for my best friend who just gave birth to a little girl.  I saw a nice pink bouquet wrapped in blue and casually commented to another customer who was there, "These are really nice, perfect for a baby girl (because of the pink)"  She looks at them and says "Yeah, but remember, hmmm, don't start the stereotypes too early."  It's was a damn nice bouquet!  Oh noooo, if I give them to her she might be trapped by the societal confines of her gender!  She'll feel oppressed and feel forced to play with Barbies over trucks because I gave her pink flowers.  Who the f*ck cares?   I was reminded of my days in liberal Catholic high school, where the principal always wanted the Mass to be all inclusive, replacing "our Father" with "Our creator" and replacing the first scripture reading with nature spirit poetry. 
The essence is lost and you spend more time being careful not to step on toes. 
 
In a PC conditioned society,  you keep thinking, Would he be angry if I called him Asian American instead of Filipino?  What if I called her black instead of Afro-American?  I don't think being PC has even remotely blurred the lines between gender and ethnic roles, much less meshing them into some sort of solution equality.  That will never happen. It's made people paranoid, afraid of feeling comfortable with themselves and focused on being inoffensive.  Does being bombarded with more information and "(blank) friendly" terms really educate us and move us forward?  I don't think so.
 
Current temp:  Warm and windy
Currently playing: Team Players -DJ Honda (iTunes radio)
Currently feeling: Bleh.
 

id4...at home

The Independence Day festivties have begun around the neighborhood as I write this. All I hear is pop, whizz, and boom, sirens and ghetto bird circling, a sort of holiday symphony. Oh wait, the sirens and ghettobird...it doesn't have to be a holiday for that.

I could've gone out tonight and watched some fireworks, but I hate the tourist crowds, and there will be idiots out there who will celebrate freedom...to do stupid sh!t...on the roads, in the neighborhood, at all the tourist places.

Well, last night JP, I, and my parents did partake in the all-American pastime of baseball. Did we have homemade apple pie afterwards? Not really. But anyways, it was Angels vs. Dodgers at Angels Stadium in Anaheim. I'm an L.A. girl, so naturally I'm for the Dodgers. My hun? He rooted for the home team. L.A. rocked the O.C. in a 8-5 win. That's ok, the Angels won the night before.
I haven't been to a live baseball game in such a long time, and I wondered why I used to be so bored when I was younger. This game was more fun than a barrel of rally monkeys. Watching it on TV puts me to sleep. I guess it's just the energy of the crowd that gets me.

I hear gunshots...should I move away from the window? =/

Current temp: 67 and foggy
Currently playing: Lonely - Ian Van Dahl
Currently feeling: Worried. Where's my cat?