I was up in Tahoe last weekend with my girlfriend, her sister, her sister’s friend (who was celebrating her birthday) and some random people who are now friends.
First of all, I improved my snowboarding abilities. I can now create large, slow S’s down a green-level mountain. Yep. I did have a nasty fall where tumbled a bit and strained my left shoulder, but no long-term harm done. I am painfully sore however. On the mountain, with adrenaline, wind chill and fear, you don’t realize how much energy you are exerting but boy does it hit you the next day.
In other news, I have a Chinese Economics Midterm tomorrow. The professor is this badass who decided to tell us nothing about the midterm other than that it would be fair. I am a bit worried about the vagueness of that information, but since I know a bit about China and have been following the lectures, I don’t think I will epic fail.
On a totally unrelated note, I was walking to class today and had forgotten both my keys and my wallet. As luck would have it, these two women pulled over and asked me if I could spare two bucks because they were empty on gas. I looked at the driver straight in the face and told her I was sorry,but I did not have my wallet on me.
She shot me this look which can only be described as pure mistrust and hatred. Her passenger just looked despairingly at me. The driver asked me:
“Are you Christian?”
Me: What? (A truck just passed by)
Driver: “I said, ARE YOU CHRISTIAN?!”
“No.”
They drive off. The fact that I was not Christian fended off what was surely to be a series of guilt-provoking lines about responsibility and such. I think people should really reconsider using religion as a means to attack people. It really doesn’t give off the right message.
Now, I could be totally off-base and she was only going to give me a free bible, but her eyes told me otherwise. Anyways, that was the most eventful part of my day – plus my unexciting A-/B+ first paper for my public policy class. Damn, that paper was bad – I’m pretty lucky getting what I received!
Okay, that’s all I gots.
‘Tis all.
Filed under: posts | Tags: Academy of Sciences, Cal, environmental, happiness, LEED, potluck, Ronald Jenkees, Shoei
I’m really happy!
Not everything has gone well. My job search has been quite fruitless recently and I’m getting a bit worried. My consulting projects are becoming more and more condensed and stressful as we approach our deadlines. I have a midterm on Thursday. I don’t care, life is good.
There are some things that make life pretty happy.
1. Ronald Jenkees. I dont’ care if he is an act or if he just swindled me for a good 10 dollars. Check it:
2. My Shoei RF-1000. I want to put a warpanda sticker on it. It just reminds me that I’m gonna get my bike soon. (When a good 250R owner finally pulls through to close the damn deal). Nonetheless, it is pretty exciting. Looking to pick up a Dainese Horizon jacket next. 
3. I’m going to be heading down to the Cal-USC game. This means, watching us lose in style (probably) AND eating Korean food @ Tahoe Galbi in Koreatown. Oh man, have I missed that place so. Just because it has a strange name resembling a popular Lake resort area does not mean it will be one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. At the same time, I get to visit Chris and spend some time with friends. (Excluding Jaeman as I have abandoned him).
4. Potluck was a semi-success. For a half-organized, suddenly changed, word-of-mouth event, it turned out pretty fun. Buying PlayDoh may have felt strange, but scluptionary is quite the game. At Berkeley, this game gets INTENSE. C’mon, try sculpting “remind.” I dare you. Oh, and that 10 point Taboo round was really something to behold.
God, I forgot how easily Rum and Coke goes down – all warm and bubbly.
5. The freakin’ California Academy of Sciences. I’m finally gonna go soon! Half of my time @ Cal has involved environmental consulting and sustainability. This place is LEED Platinum. I’m a sucker for rainforests. Living rainforest dome. I grew up looking at those alligators. I remember the humid air, the sound of the water on the first Wednesday of the month when the place was free. I really loved that place. Now, they have an ALBINO ALIGATOR. Done.
Plus, there’s gonna be penguin feeding.
‘Tis all.
Filed under: posts | Tags: Cal, consulting, fall 2008, j-drama, job, Orange Days, recruiting, time, workload
You know, there was one semester where I was taking 4 classes, starting up my consulting club, running a microfinance competition and still organizing the BLAST retreat. I thought that was as busy as it could be. I probably slept 6 hours on average with two hours of free time a day.
That semester flew by without big problems. Strong GPA, good experiences, new friends, etc.
This semester’s workload is probably two times as much as that semester’s with a much, much more challenging ciriculum. I can only blame myself. I did not even think I would get into one of the undergrad business courses as I am an Economics major, but low and behold, I’m enrolled. This means one huge consulting project more than I expected this semester. Now, I have 15 units with three problems sets due per week, one consulting case involving a professional services firm, one consulting case involving a local green home renovation company and still running the BLAST retreat. This equates to 6 hour nights with absolutely NO free time.
If anything, this post is simply about how utterly overbooked I am. I know my priorities, the consulting cases stand above my school work since there is pressure and expectation from the client side. Then comes job recruiting and THEN comes the school work. It really does feel like I’m working a full-time job with a double major in progress on the side.
I’m trying my best to organize everything – google calendar, google groups, syncing with my phone, efficient study groups – but, sometimes when I see my schedule as literally one continous red block of classes followed by meetings and conference calls, I want to just run away to “my spot” in S.F.
Speaking of which, there’s also a side of me that really wants to make this last year a fun one. After watching “Orange Days” (great J-Drama), I am more convinced than ever that this is one of the last times that a person can have some uninhibited fun in life. Therefore, I’m also trying to squeeze in some random parties and trips on the weekends. I think the right balance of break-time on the weekends between weeks of non-stop work will be critical in maintaining my sanity.
So, if I’m every irritated or withdrawn from my normal activities with you guys, I’m sorry! Please continue to support me and help me get through all this for one more semester!
Oh, my phone is buzzing with a reminder. Take care you all!
‘Tis all.
Filed under: posts | Tags: Cal, china, consulting, CSR, family, job, marriage, music, X-Files
Damn, I am writing for no good reason now. I’m just a tad bored. Crank up that music on shuffle, type away. I guess that’s a pretty nice way to write.
It’s weird – I think it has taken me four years to really get settled into Cal. I don’t think I’ve felt this kind of familiarity with a certain place for a while. I realized then when I was biking to class today. The world was just so known to me, I felt absolutely fearless. I know those little spots to sit and listen to the creek between classes. (Behind the Pelican, if you know what I’m talking about). I know to dodge those flyering people on Sproul and the quickest way to Evans.
But it’s almost time to say goodbye to the blue and gold – to my golden bears. I think I’ve settled upon recruiting for the smaller strategy firms for a start. I eventually want to move into the CSR realm, but I do believe setting a base should be accomplished first. I suppose I should take my CSR consulting class a bit more seriously. There just so many kids in there that don’t know anything about it other than the fact that it’s an opportunity to network with some firms. I shouldn’t complain. Whatever spreads the good word of CSR.
In other class news, I’m taking Finance, International Monetary Finance and American Economic History on top of the CSR class. I’m also going to be heading up a consulting team for BEACN. It’s quite a full plate, but as always, it’ll be fun. (hah).
The thing I am probably most interested in, other than jumpkicking my career, is this year’s BLAST program. It’s many of the leadership staff’s last year and I really, really want to make it a good one. We have an unappealing website, a very sad banner on sproul, a tiny budget, but DAMN do we do some great work for some good kids. Last year was memorable but I hope this year can top even that.
Everything else is ho-hum. I’m looking forward to going back to Shanghai this winter. Two of my cousins are getting married. One is from Tokyo and the closest blood relative I have to a big brother. The other is having a small, no-frills event on Bei Hai Dao. I have only met one of the wives-to-be. I was actually a bit sick in Tokyo and she took care of me. She’s very bubbly.
Otherwise life is life. Often, it takes the form of dinner watching the X-Files with my roomies. I was always too scared to watch that show as a kid, but now, it’s pretty good – if not just unsettling at moments. I wish the weather would cool down though. Biking uphill is not a fun event in 90 degree heat. I get to class looking like I’ve been playing world-class tennis in Tanzania.
Music pieces of interest:
Oh damn, I’ve resorted to putting irrelavant pieces of music on my posts. Uck.
Tis All.
