General Life Update

I'm in the sixth week of classes and focused on surviving.
I've been job hunting to no avail. It's a tough market out there and I'm dropping off job applications and resumes right and left.
I'm also looking at Peace Corps and trying to do everything I can right now to be the best candidate once I apply. Which means that I've been volunteering at a local garden once a week! I really like it so far. It's called Spiral Gardens Community Food Security Program and it seems like an amazing program. I'm still learning the ins and outs.
Balancing an active social life and study regime is still one of my top priorities of the moment and it's keeping my hands full.

Here's a recent picture from a trip I took where I visited friends in SLO. It was great to be with my girls.

No More Shampooing

I've decided to restart my blogging with a project. After reading other blogs and websites, I have decided that I will no longer use shampoo or conditioner in my hair. Instead, I'll use a baking soda and apple cider vinegar regiment a couple of times a week until my hair's own oils are able to care for my hair. Am I crazy? Very possibly. But everyone has hobbies. Some knit, others cook, I don't wash my hair.

Like I said, this will be an experiment.
So here is the state of my hair right now.
It's always very frizzy and is confused in a no man's land of neither straight nor curly. I'm hoping as I get more natural and less harsh, my hair will start to get a natural wave. As of now, I am wearing my hair up to hide the greasies.
This is all I will be using for (at least) the next month or two.

LET THE GREAT EXPERIMENT BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

30 Rock

the last few days I've been watching 30 rock online. Yes, illegally. The thing is I always have to start things from the beginning. It doesn't even come close to Arrested Development, but it's a good filler for now.
The show makes me want to go around telling "yo mama" jokes and telling everyone to "suck it".

neon digits

I have some totally wicked nail polish colors. My favorites are hot pink, electric blue, neon orange, and zingy purple. The hardest part is choosing which colors to use.
The idea is to get all of this out of my system before I have to become an adult, get a real job, and wear boring neutral-toned nail polishes. Oh the humanity

seriously people, stop breaking in!!!!

Here I am, being a good girl and doing my homework. I hear noise coming from our door as if someone was opening the locks. Only it goes on for a while. Me and a roommate go down the stairs to see whats up. She turns on the porch light and then looks through the peephole only to see no one outside any longer. And it wasn't one of my roommates trying to get in! Ugh, shivers.

Also, I got to call 911 late last night for the first time ever because I saw two people decked out in black coats and pants casing all the cars down my street while holding a brick. I watched from my window as they would duck behind cars, run across the street, and look in all the windows. Little did they know that big brother was watching. Stupid cops took forever to come and by the time they did, the two hoodlums had already gone down another street. I am literally becoming the old, paranoid neighbor who stares out her window and calls the cops on everyone. Ok, not yet. But pretty soon I will be. AND WITH GOOD REASON!

Seriously, leave me alone and leave my stuff alone!!!! This ain't Oakland. Geez.

other hazards...

I also passed a bunch of old people cars



7 full fledged armored vehicles complete with canons and what not. I think these pictures might be illegal, so don't show any government officials.


Pretty wild flowers


And an angry dust storm that made it very hard to see for a good minute


Since I don't have a working radio or cd player, these sights kept me on my toes and entertained.

road hazards

When I was driving home from Spring Break, I was shocked at how many tumble weeds I was passing on the freeway. There was a mighty wind that day, and these things were popping up right and left threatening to take me down. It was a bit like frogger, only not. So I started taking pictures to keep myself entertained. Sadly, every time I saw a tumble weed coming towards me, by the time I could aim the camera and push the button, they flew past me. These were are all that remain from dangerous journey...

Here’s one coming down the middle of the freeway


If you look in the left of the picture, you can see a big one passing by. It was huge!


Here are some chilling on the side of the road


A small one tumbling towards me

why hello spring

spring has come and the sun is out. this all means that it's time to bust out the floral dresses and listen to happy, sugary sweet songs. Finally.

spring break in a nut shell

I have had a lot of research to work on this week. So basically I've holed myself up into my small town house to focus. Of course, this usually means I end up watching the home and garden channel instead of papers. My week has also been spent avoiding public places like the grocery store, churches, and Starbuck's. I did a decent job I guess of avoiding people.
Last night my parents and I went to dinner in Fresno, so I'm full of chinese goodness.

Back to research. yay.

everybody dance

I hope that the montage of my life would include at least one Devendra Banhart song.
This is one of those things where I can't possibly understand why the rest of the world isn't obsessed with this man as much as I am....




He is easily my "celebrity" crush. Hands down.

typical

The other day, Liz and I were chilling in our house when we heard a ruckus coming from outside our house. We went on the balcony to find a parade going down the street. Since things like this aren't uncommon in Berkeley, we thought it was just your typical, every day parade. It wasn't until I went back inside that I realized it was Mardi Gras that day. I tried to snap some pictures.

Church Winter Retreat. (pretty long ago)

Juli came up for Valentine's weekend. We had a whole day of fun in San Francisco including a night of sushi and sake bombing.

I realized that mini alcohols are the cutest things ever. Then I fell in love with them.

I tried to take cool house pictures and failed.

This is my new hero.

Housemates

In case you were wondering, these are all of my housemates.
We have fun.

Long Over-Due Pics

A few pictures from Liz's 21st.
We made sangria and jello shots the night before.
Everything was muy increíble.
I'm officially the last one left....




and this is officially half of Liz's amazing bridesmaids. What can I say? We're pretty cool.

Christina is a great, new friend. Welcome to the gang!

Just a Typical Rainy Day

The other day I was awed by the beauty of Berkeley's campus on the way to Spanish class.

He Vuelto !!! (I have returned)

I'm back. It's been too long.
Much has happened, yet not really.
My days have been filled with studying, papers, reading, and no sleep.
Liz's 21st birthday has come and gone.
My car was stolen, recovered, broken, and then fixed.
I met up with my family in Modesto, of all places.
There have been rainy days with scattered sunny ones in between.
If I can just survive tomorrow, I have made it to Spring Break.... Hallelujah.

So my grand plans for Spring Break include summer job coordinating, sleeping in, catching up on political theory reading, and writing a research paper on post-war, state-led development in Argentina. Not exactly the "Girls Gone Wild" spring break that young adults anxiously await, but welcome to Berkeley. And all this to end up with some thankless, lack-luster, low paying NGO job. I guess it's all for the cause.

Right now, I'm absolutely intoxicated with this song. I think it's hauntingly sad, sweet, and sexy all at the same time.


Along the same lines, albeit much sadder...

My goal is to get in the blogging mood yet again. So here's to hoping....

Eulogy to My Car

Last night, my car was stolen. I recently just said goodbye to the cop who filled out the police report for me. My car and I have had many good times together, so at this point, I'd like to remember some of the good memories.....

When I first bought you, I remember thinking how ugly your wood laminate was in the interior. But I grew to love that fake, shiny oak.

The first time I drove you out of town, I was with my sister. We went to a nearby city for some fun. In the Starbucks parking lot, I hit a parked car while trying to park. Yes, I cannot believe I just admitted to that. I apologize again. Ever since, I have been the most paranoid person I've ever met when it comes to parking. I am proud to say that we have never had any contact with another car after that horrible night.

From day 1, your passenger window loved to annoy me. I never knew when it would decide to stop working. It was always the worst moments when you decided not to roll back up. Countless rainy nights were spent with me freaking out and trying to manually pull the window back up.

One of the most endearing qualities about you that I will never forget, was the sound your antenna made as it went up and down. Everyone who has ever ridden in you will always remember that. Yes, it often sounded like gunshots, but it made you stand out.

You never had a CD player, but I heard many songs I liked on the radio because of you. Your dashboard lights also didn't work unless you fidgeted with a knob. We never really knew how fast we were driving at night because of you.

Every time it rained, you smelled like old milk on the inside, but I still loved you.

You were quirky, but aren't we all?

So many memories lie with you...
My first kiss was leaning against you. My first road trips were with you and my closest friends. I moved to my first apartment in you with all of my belongings lovingly stowed away in your trunk. I have singed in you, danced in you, cried in you, and laughed in you. We have seen many new walks of life together.

My love: I bought you. I loved you. I worked hard summers to own you. I learned how to drive in you.
We saw cities and countryside together. San Francisco and LA. Beaches and mountains. You were always there for me. You hugged me close and protected me when I ventured away from home. I just wish I was there for you last night when you needed me most.
You made me happy. You were the best car a young girl could have hoped for. I really hope we can see each other again soon in this life.

(I kid you not, I just shed my first tear right now typing this.)
Best wishes and come back to me soon.

Your loving owner...

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

And this is my favorite neighbor.

It's usually parked right outside our house and it makes me smile every day. They should change the names from smart cars to happy cars. Sometimes squirrels make good neighbors too.

Coke Laden Adventures

told a la comics style.

I was walking down Telegraph today. On every corner, there were kind people handing out Coke Zero samples. I said no to the first 3 groups, but was worn down by the fourth. So I got one and took it home.



I wondered to myself, "What is this Coke Zero"? After reading the catchy exterior of the svelte black can, I discovered that this miraculous sugary drink has zero calories. So I skeptically looked at the ingredient list.



I was worried after seeing ingredients like "Acesulfame Potassium" and "Phenylketonurics".



Regardless, I took a sip. Actually, I drank the whole thing because I was uncharacteristically thirsty today. For a zero calorie drink, it has my stamp of approval. The taste was pretty swell considering this stuff is practically good for you (joking by the way).



Yet it left me wondering...
Would I rather drink a cola chock full of calories and ingredients I can pronounce, or one with no calories and a similar taste? I'm sure in 20 years I'll be able to give a good answer after I have grown extra limbs and appendages from all this yummy Acesulfame.