Blogging Under The Influence

BUI.... maybe it would be a better, more liberated, way of blogging? Posts need not be perfectly composed. (FYI: this is just a thought, not actuality!)

Let's rewind a bit:

My second semester at AU went better than expected. I did well in all 3 of my classes despite the full-time internship. However, I wouldn't recommend leading a full-time double life (employee by day, student by night) to anyone who wants to stay away from words like breakdown, grumpy and undernourished.

Of the few breaks between work and the books:

Happy Birthday, Jan!

Party delegates

Dancing divas

Mike and I checked out the Cherry Blossom Festival around the Tidal Basin ...

There were a couple of adults-gone-drink happy at a friend's birthday party mid-semester:

I can't remember this at all.



You lookin at us?

The month of May: I turned 27. Uh-huh. I gathered a bunch of friends a few days before the 11th to help me rip up the dance floor. Yay-yuh. Well actually, the club got too crowded and I had to resort to pushing and dancing at the same time. Hey don't hate. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Team Modern: Angela, Mike, Jo, Daniela, Josh, Lam, Taline and Claudia

Wassup foo.

Backing it up.

May 11th came with lots of rain (too bad for the graduating class of 2008 at AU). I happily celebrated it low-key style with Mike -- we went to see the movie Maid of Honor (really cheesy) and had a phenomenal dinner at Mie N Yu in Georgetown. It was one of the most relaxing and awesome birthdays I've had in a long time.

After the semester ended, Mike and I flew to Cali for some family time, Marnee Thai, the N Judah, boba, Juice Plus smoothie and filipino grub. I met his sister Jen, and Mike broke bread with my family. Here's us at Jen and Adam's new home, aka "the boot". It's about an hour and a half south of SF... where deers and anteaters roam free.

As I've said before, Mike is tall. His height rivals the redwood tree on the right.

Hangin out with the siblings ...

Dinner at Buca Di Beppo in SF. "Don't bring pie," said Rick.
Take note: mango mousse cake works better. Tried and tested by Mike.

Here's an attempt to be one with nature ... more specifically, Shenandoah National Park.

Left picture: Where's the elephant? Right Picture: The Big Cheese and the Sweet Pea


Ja Rouge, one of Mike's good buddies from the Peace Corps, came to hang out in DC for a weekend. Here's us after stuffing ourselves with delicious Lebanese food.

The kaak dessert was exquisite.

Not sure if I told most people but I was supposed to go to the Niger Delta this summer to assist an NGO with several of their community development projects. Well, I'm still in DC because my Nigerian plans went to mush. It's probably for the better because that area is a conflict zone and the Consular Officer who rejected my visa said that I will probably get kidnapped over there. My parents think that my visa rejection was a divine intervention because they were worried about me going there in the first place. Anyway, that's that and I'm in for some DC adventures this summer.

Spread yourself thick

Greetings,


Life this semester is a trip. As I type this, I wonder how on earth I've lasted this long. Backing up a bit, I started a full-time internship mid-January with the State Department's Bureau of Europe and Eurasian Affairs assisting the Kosovo and Bosnia desks. In addition to 5 full days in the labyrinth halls of State I also have a full-time load of 3 graduate classes. Before this week, I was also maintaining a part-time job as a server. Without stating the obvious, I needed to reevaluate the situation. I was starting to sink from the weight of my responsibilities. What was I thinking? Others may have done (or are doing) the same but only superhuman cyborgs might have emerged out of it successfully. The strain of switching gears from intern to student to server became almost unbearable for me. So I re-prioritized. One of my commitments had to go for now so I excused myself from my server job. It's a minor adjustment but gave me major relief. Lesson learned mid-semester: spread yourself thick. I still have the internship and school to power through so we'll see how this experience turns out. Catch ya on the flip side.

PS. Congrats to my cousin Rics for passing her nursing board exams!

Wassup?!

After a grueling first semester (in which I emerged relatively successful and slightly traumatized), I flew back to California for some much needed R&R with family. My parents took some time off from work to hang out with me and we all enjoyed the opportunity to strengthen the invisible umbilical cord.

Christmas was great and filled with traditions of mashing potatoes, pecan tarts galore, midnight mass, presents on Christmas eve and going to the movies on Christmas day. It was fun hanging out with my siblings and although we can still act like crazy people around each other, I did notice that we've all grown up. We each had things going on in our lives during the holidays that didn't necessarily include the nuclear family unit. But such is life!

After a great week with the family, I flew to Portland, OR to ring in the new year with Mike. We made our way around the city with a 2nd rented car (the 1st one was damaged by a kid driving with a suspended license! thank God Mike was unharmed.) and spent time with several folks. The first stop was at his mom's. She was a gracious host and I really enjoyed meeting her. She shared childhood stories of Mike and Jen (Mike's sister) and even showed some priceless photos. (Haha) We also hung out with a couple of his college buds while watching the Zags game and guzzling some beer. Matt, a friend from PC Romania, was able to come out and join us for a bit of merriment. Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was visiting Mike's good friends, Kevin & Emily (& baby Carter). Their 4-bedroom nest was very homey and the peacefulness of the area was a nice change of environment. We watched movies, hiked up a trail during one of the veeery cold mornings and just chillaxed. We welcomed 2008 at Kevin and Emily's with games (a creative charades diversion suggested by Mike), yummy finger foods and lest I forget, alcohol.

The girls on New Year's Eve

After a short (and I mean short) stop back in DC, Mike and I flew to Cancun, Mexico to stock up on some R&R together before the craziness of the Spring semester started. He picked one of the most romantic getaway resorts nestled between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum and I was completely elated when we finally arrived after a long day of travel. The package he got was all-inclusive so we drank and ate to our heart's content. Cocktails at anytime? You bet. One of our favorite drinks was the El Dorado (named after the resort) -- a mango concoction that was so absolutely fabulous that I could drink one as fast as I could down a Juice Plus smoothie.


The only time that we went out of the resort was to see the Mayan Ruins in Tulum. The ruins were well-preserved -- and so they should -- but there was a small part of me that wished I could have climbed up or touched one. Hehe.

Here is one of the bigger ruin structures.

The resort was a beautiful seaside property and one of its major selling points is the access to beach beds! But herein lies a secret -- you actually have to get up at the butt crack of dawn (quite literally) and reserve your bed for the day. We thought it was a system unfair to people who wanted to sleep in and relax. Call me crazy but aren't those the prime reasons for taking a vacation?! Naturally, we slept in like true vacationers and was fortunate enough to score a bed in the middle of the day.

Here's Mike with the beach beds in the background.

The weather didn't always cooperate during our stay but when it did -- we laid out and enjoyed the beach!

In the picture below, we tried to capture the setting sun in the background but was just a tad bit late. Photo still turned out nice though.

The resort was beautifully maintained but like all things -- it has its flaws. The customer service was less than perfect in terms of information coordination which left us with a taste of dissatisfaction at the end of our stay. However, looking beyond the imperfections of the trip, I truly had an incredible time with Mike. I have beautiful memories from the trip to keep in my memory jar that I could take out from time to time and let out a sigh of contentment.

Happy December

"Every morning I awake torn between the need to save the world and the desire to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day." -- E.B. White (author of Charlotte's Web)

It's finals week -- the homestretch.

First snow of the season fell yesterday!

The different slices in my DC pie

DC is treating me well. I like it here. And here's why:


Graduate school is a big chunk of the pie. Heck, it is the reason why the DC pie exists. I like what I'm learning in classes; I like exploring issues about the developing world. School work is demanding but I'm not one to back down from a challenge. I signed up for it. No pain, no gain.

The photo below is of me, Professor Hirschmann, and my classmate Kenny. It was taken on Halloween Eve immediately after class. Looking pretty dapper, are we not?





I've attended some special events only possible in DC like the visit of the Dalai Lama. See below. I got as close as I possibly could to the steps where he descended and where the public was allowed but it still wasn't close enough. I only got to glimpse the shiny top of his head -- but a glimpse still!

There are so many interesting talks, luncheons, conferences and events in and around DC -- that aspect of the pie is something I will have to explore more of next year.

Enjoying the company of new friends (and strengthening the bond of some old friends) is another slice of the DC pie. The photo below was taken during Natalia's bachelorette party that I co-organized with Carolyn (the furthest one on the right). I think this picture was taken earlier that night when everyone still looked amazingly sober. (wink wink)

Unlike California, DC has distinct seasons that remind me of my time in Romania. The photo below shows the changing colors of the leaves, a true sign of the fall season. One particular tree (on my regular route to school) had its leaves turn bright red -- absolutely stunning wouldn't you agree? The DC environment is a pleasant addition to the pie.

And lastly, perhaps the biggest and most important slice other than school is my time with my boyfriend, Mike. Whether it's studying, laughing, talking, dining out, dining in, reading, watching movies, taking leisurely walks, drinking, dancing, snuggling, exploring new places, or even relaxing in silence -- I feel inexplicable contentment and joy when I'm with him. He is beautiful inside and out. I seem to gravitate towards people with the same values -- kindness, sincerity and ambition. And he gets me. He is incredibly smart and intuitive. We are both pursuing the same career -- to do some good overseas. So in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, this is the "Zsa Zsa Zu" (to those who know SATC, you know exactly what I'm talking about). Yay-yuh.

The photo below was taken at The Kennedy Center when he took me to see Ballet Hispanico and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, a mix of his interests and mine.

"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze; and when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts, their words are sweet and strong like the fragrance of orchids." -- J Ching

Life in DC

Question: What are the 3 main activities of a graduate student?

Answer: Reading, reading, and oh yes, more reading. My apologies for having been MIA.

I moved to DC without a hitch about 2 months ago and spent the first week making my new nest homey and fully stocked. I live in a two-bedroom apartment that is not conveniently located near a Metro station ... but it works. The neighborhood feels safe and that's not only because we're situated next to a church (not Catholic). I have an extraordinarily grounded roomie named Susan who also happens to be a former sitemate in Sibiu, Romania.

My brother Jona actually flew out with me (separate flights, same day) to DC to help with luggages and apartment shopping. I put him right to work and he was a big help in hauling heavy purchases! During his visit, he walked EVERYWHERE around DC and as a result, is able to shoot out tourist information about DC for anyone needing it. :) He also hopped on the good ol' Greyhound bus to explore the neighboring states of MD, PA, MA and NY. Also within the first two weeks, my parents came for a visit. We met up with family friends and relatives in Virginia, New York, and New Jersey in order to familiarize me with a support network in case of an emergency (and for holiday feedings, of course).

Graduate school is demanding but I'm loving the challenge. My program, Development Management, fits me well and I am very excited at the potential doors it will open after graduation. The director of my program, who also happens to teach my favorite class, is fantastically attuned to students' abilities and needs. He hails from South Africa and likes to teach class in casual attire and sandals (flip flops!).

The staff in the program, as well as my fellow grad students, are great. The diversity of experiences that each one brings to class discussions as well as to chats over happy hour (hehe) and social gatherings is a real positive aspect of the program.

I work part-time at an upscale Austrian restaurant in Georgetown called Leopold Kafe but will soon make the transition to an upscale lounge owned by the same guy. I have never been in the service industry before so this experience has been a real change for me -- a welcome distraction from paperwork and cubicle life.

At the beginning of the month, I was invited to Jan's parents' farm estate for a "picnic" of sorts:

2 Charlie's Angels out on the farm

Peace Corps Romania peeps (L-R): Ning (17), Angela (19), Jan (19), Mike (17), and Susan (16)

Yeah, that's me jumping on the trampoline. It was pretty fun.

Mike and Angela <3

Sunny So Cal

... is a place I can always go back to and feel right at home in. Not including the Hollywood scene and major traffic, Los Angeles is a great place to be. It's such a sprawling metropolis that if you live there long enough -- you will find your favorite spot that you'll keep coming back to and fail to stray away from for too long. I have done such a thing and my handpicked spot is Pasadena. Whether it's a lazy stroll along bustling Colorado Blvd, a visit to the Huntington Gardens or a drive through Los Robles, it has something for every mood every time. To those who share my sentiments, I am confident you know exactly what I'm talking about. There's something about that city. I wonder if there's anyone else who feels akin towards a city they didn't grow up in?

Before flying east for the winter, I made sure to hang out with my grandma, relatives, cousins and friends in LA. And what a BLAST. My grandma recently turned 75 and to me, she's still so radiant -inside and out. What's your secret, lola?

I've been reflecting a lot on this thought the past year: What makes a true friendship? And I may finally have part of the answer. (My apologies if this seems obvious to most people) To me, the test of a true friend is unconditional acceptance amidst change. If you found someone who accepts you without hesitation including acceptance of the choices you make that eventually shape who you will become, then hold on tight. You are one lucky duck.

To S, S, S, D, P and K -- I consider your friendships one of the truest. Grazie for the last hurrah in Pasadena.

"This is me. I don't know how else to be. I have a forgiving heart." -- Angela