The Pomeranian Puppy Fund

Shopping & Bowling

2005-12-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

Another wonderful weekend of working. Blech. Both Saturday and Sunday were beautiful and sunny...and I was stuck inside a crazy madhouse Target and didn't leave until the sun set. Grrr.

But anyhow, I finally set up the Wang Family Christmas Tree...it's all sparkly and shiny, just like a good tree should be. So since we got the tree, there needed to also be presents under the tree. So, on Friday, I BARTed into the City and went shopping. First stop: the newly opened H&M in Union Square. I'll admit that I was there more for personal reasons than present-seeking, but I HAD to experience it. I was bit disappointed by the selection, but I did manage to snag these adorably tacky butterfly hair clips. ..they're green and gold, with rhinestones and glitz galore.

I did manage to blitz through my gift list...so I will be off to the post office tomorrow since everyone lives far away from me.

On Friday night, Brett and I went bowling. A few weeks ago, he had beaten me at computer bowling, so I was ready for a rematch with the real thing. We got our snazzy bowling shoes (gendar-appropriate red for me, blue for him), and hit lane #3. He won the first match 124-120 (grrr!!!)...but I bounced back and bowled a whopping 140 the second game for the win. It was then decided that it would be a best-of-three, and by game three, the fatigue was setting in, so he ended up taking it all. Good times.

Holidays

2005-12-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

As the month of December speeds along, I am gradually getting into the holiday spirit. Ho ho ho. People have been swarming Target for their holiday trimmings and presents...I try to avoid the seasonal/toy/electronics corner when I'm in the store. There is a tendency to get mobbed by stressed-out guests in those areas. But yes, with all the Christmas cheer in the air, I have been motivated to be festive, and decided to set up the Wang family Christmas tree today. Well, first, I got home and crashed for a nap. No fewer than 4 people observed that I looked very tired this morning...yup, I was up late.

Over the past year and a half, my mother has been cultivating a Christmas tree. Well, it smells like a Christmas tree, but it is quite scraggly and lanky and sparse...I would object to the non-cone structure of the plant, but my mom seems convinced that a potted tree, shapeless or not, is better than a cut tree, and therefore refuses to accompany me to the tree lot to pick out the "perfect" tree. So I have to settle for a scrawny, unbalanced substitute....it needs to be propped up in the corner to prevent toppling. Sigh.

To add the holiday spirit, I am also starting my Gift List. Both my personal wish list, and my list for others (see, I abide by the whole "spirit of giving" thing"). Top on my list is a GPS system...it would be fabulous if the little computer-generated voice navigated me through the streets of SF and kept me from looping around in the sketchy neighborhoods. I figure it will save me lots of time, and time is money. So I'm starting to research GPS systems now. Any suggestions? Oh, and if you're interested in me sharing the holiday spirit, please inform me of your curren t mailing address.

Morning

2005-12-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

It's a blah, yucky Thursday...the kind of day when you just want to curl up with a good book and drink hot chocolate and never leave your bed. Unfortunately, a Price Accuracy Workshop thwarted my plans and roused me from slumber at 4:30 AM. Have you ever woken up to a blaring "beep beep beep beep beep beep" alarm clock? Have you ever wanted to smash aforementioned alarm clock with your bare fist and crawl back underneath the covers and continue dreaming about mistletoe and presents and cookies? Ok, so I don't really have dreams about cookies...but I did want to kick my alarm out of the endzone this morning. Instead, I grudgingly obliged its blaring and trudged into the cold. My sockless toes were less than appreciative.

Thanksgiving etc.

2005-11-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

So my brother trekked all the way home for the Thanksgiving holidays, and of course he dog-napped Toby from me. He snagged the little puppy, and let him sleep on his bed for the 3 days that he was home. And then, last night, when Toby returned to my room, he yip-yapped his little head off because all of a sudden his little doggie bed wasn't good enough and he wanted to slumber in the people bed. Yip yap, Yip yap all night. Stubborn little puppy. Sleepless little Jocelyn.

Anyhow, Thanksgiving. I cooked. Alot. Karen came over for the weekend, and on Thursday, we spent the entire morning/afternoon in the kitchen mashing potatoes, roasting turkey, peeling apples etc etc. Much more room in my home kitchen than in my Japan kitchen--and a REAL size oven. So yup about 15 Chinese people came over in the evening to dine on the feast, and I somehow feel that the only person who really appreciated the meal was my brother, who really only likes Stove Top Stuffing. Ah well. I also got stuck doing the dishes. But all in all, lots of food is always a good thing, so I was Thankful for everything.

Unfortunately, the next morning, I had to rise and shine at 4 AM because Target decides to open its doors at 6 AM on Black Friday to lure bargain hunters into its doors. When I arrived at my store a bit before 5, there was already a pretty decent line snaking around the corner. Stupid, crazy people. It was drizzling and dark outside. I like shopping, but I have never once in my 23 years waited in line before sunrise for a semi-bargain. Anyhow, the entire day was crazy busy, and the store got thrashed. We did a weeks worth of business in one day. But despite all the craziness, I had a fun day--it's more entertaining when there's stuff going on in teh store than when it's slow and boring.

Football

2005-11-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I attended my first NFL football game ever. Now, I've attended football games before, but they've been college homecoming games, meaning that the focus is more on tailgating and alcohol than football. I've never really understood the footballian method of scoring, and I've never sat down to watch an entire game...the most has been the couple of minutes before and after the Super Bowl halftime show. So attending a real, live game was totally new to me.

Brett had gotten two tickets from one of his coworkers, so he asked me if I wanted to go with. Despite my footballl ignorance, I said yes. So I was to go straight from work (6 am-noon....wahoo!!!) to his place, and then we'd drive to the game. Somehow, times were confused and we ended up missing the first quarter. Oops...I felt quite bad. Anyhow, going to any live sporting event is an experience, and Monster Park (where the 49ers play) is HUGE and football fans are drunk and crazy. I kept asking Brett silly questions about scoring and strategy and football in general, and he explained it all to me in easy-to-understand terminology. The niners were playing Seattle, which is like the first place team in the league or something. In between plays, I gawked at the cheerleaders and consumed a hot dog (mmm...red meat!!!). It was quite fun despite my obliviousness to the sport.

When the game was over, the masses of fans teemed out of Monster Park and into the parking lot. Traffic galore. So rather than sitting in a stalled car and stressing out over slow-as-molasses traffic, we sat in the trunk fo my trusty little Rav-4 and chatted till the commotion died down. And then it was dinner time so we went into SF to Ghiradelli Square and shared a sundae and then it was off back home time and blah blah blah... So yes, I've decided that football is fun when there is a cute boy involved.

Sunny Saturday

2005-11-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

It's a lovely Saturday afternoon...sun is shining, birds are chirping, la-di-da. My parents are bugging me to go to a potluck that I've already said I'm not going to be attending...love it when the old folks decide that they want to plan my social schedule for me. I secretly think that it's because everyone at the potluck will be Asian and they encourage Asian shenanigans. Whatever.

I was up for work at 5 AM this morning. Wahoo. The store was SLOW so I was spent a boring 6 hours at work. Now I'm home, planning the Thanksgiving day menu. I remember trying to accomplish the Thanksgiving day feast fiasco in my teeny-tiny Japanese kitchen...if it could be done there, surely this year's meal will be a breeze. My mom doesn't have faith in my turkey-cooking skills, so we ordered a glazed bird, but e verything else I'll be whipping up from semi-scratch. I actually haven't cooked in quite a while so hopefully I still know how to manuever my way around the kitchen.

Anyhow, last night, I met up with Emily, her boyfriend Andrew, and Brett for dinner. Kinda like a double date, but that wasn't the original intention. I secretly think that it was a conspiracy on Em's part because she just wanted to meet the boy but whatever, I wanted to see him too. So we all went out to Korean food and I had a big rice bowl and a delightful Korean cocktail that tasted like grape kool-aid. Like chu-hi, but even sweeter. It was all fine and dandy and then Em and Andrew headed off to pack for LA (road trip down south) and Brett and I were once again wandering aimlessly--total lack of direction. Ended up in the bookstore. Yup. And then suddenly it was like 11 pm and I had to wake up at 5 this morning so it was a bit rough. Ah well I'm young and I'll survive.

5-day Weekend

2005-11-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

Yup, I had five full days with no work. And oh how needed it was. I caught up on sleep, played with my puppy, started reading a new book, went to the gym, baked biscotti, ate sushi, went shopping...all the important things that get forgotten about when work gets in the way.

On my shopping excursion, I spent a ludicrous amount of money on one pair of earrings. But they were quite swingy and a very cool blue sparkly...so I feel somewhat legitimized.

Friday, Thome came over late in the evening and we went out for sushi. After some driving around in the upturned parking lot, we found the restaurant. Afterwards, we went and checked out Dave and Buster's, the adult arcade with a bar and games all in one. By far the most fabulous game was the trivia one...yup, Thome and I are clearly both quite dorky. But we wond a pretty sum of tickets, for which Karen got a D&B shot glass. Classy. Went home, and watched Flashdance, that classic 80's movie...so ridiculously plotless and cheesy with blatant T & A shots. And the main guy is a sleazy, hairy neanderthal.

Anyhow, by Saturday morning, I had confirmed my two dates. But first, my grandfather was treating all of us to a traditional Chinese Brunch. Karen came along too....she's quite a fan of the Chinese fried dough sticks.

Yup so I went from brunch to mini-golf with Brett. Of course I got lost along the way, and ended up about 20 minutes late. But eventually we find each other by the batting cages...he's a bit taller than I remembered, but still quite cute. We play putt-putt golf, make witty observations about the little kiddies, and tease each other. Also got in a game of air hockey and skee ball...so it was like being little kids all over again and by the end, I conclude that he is very cute and smart and nice and funny and all those other nice things. And in the oh-so-romantic locale of the parking lot, we make plans to meet up again on Sunday.

So then it's off home I go, to change and speed off to date #2. This is an official blind date...never met the guy before, but did have one phone conversation with him, if that counts for anything. He's nice enough, but kind of juvenile. We were at Dave and Buster's again, and go through the usual first date banter, play games, win lots of tickets. Fun, but no sparks.

Sunday morning, Thome's still crashing at the Wang's, so in the morning, we go out for a big fat breakfast at Flame's cafe. Ordered french toast and an omelette and a slice of carrot cake the size of my head. Yum. I have tutoring in the afternoon, then skidaddle to the gym to work off my PMS bloat by running 5 miles on the treadmill.

And then in the evening, I had dinner with Brett. And after dinner and strolling aimlessly through downtown Menlo Park and conversating in the parking lot (again) for 4 hours about monarch butterflies and infrared surveillance and travels and persian rugs and ducks and KAOS and all sorts of other randomness, I have concluded that I think I kinda sorta like the guy and yeah....

Freedom

2005-11-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! I'M DONE!!!! 17 applications, signed, sealed, and delivered. Now all that has to happen is my profs have to write their recs, and then I just sit around and wait for the results. No more LSAT madness, no more assinine essays, no more biographical information sheets. Yippee!!! I feel like I have finally accomplished something with my 5 days off.

So yes, now my goal is to refocus on going to the gym on a regular basis. My mother has noticed a correlation between my mood and my gym visits...the more often I go run and lift and all the fun-ness, the happier I am. Needless to say, I've been quite grumpy and irritated the past 2 weeks or so. I need more endorphins running through my body. So I'm off to be a little gym bunny. Can't wait.

I am also, apparently, going on 2 separate dates with 2 separate guys on Saturday. I'm not quite sure how it happened (poor scheduling?), but I'm quite excited about going mini-golfing and arcade hopping. Fun stuff! My question is: is it bad to have two guys lined up in one day?

Update

2005-11-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ah, I had a splendidly productive weekend. Finished 16 applications, stuffed and stamped about 30 envelopes, wrote 6 checks, and emailed 3 professors. All in the name of law school. So basically, all I have left is one essay, and then I just get to sit around and wait for the decisions to start rolling in. Yay Jocelyn!!!

Also, as you may or may not know, Toby recently went off to the vet to get castrated. Castration sounds so bad. But when you take into consideration the overabundance of stray canines wandering the streets, fixing the little puppy is the responsible thing to do. So now he can't reproduce, but he still seems to enjoy "wrestling" with his stuffed penguin toy. Darned boys and their hormonally-charged instincts.

Have also discovered Panera, the new bread shop/cafe chain that's popping up all over Fremont. They have a mighty tasty vegetable soup and some delectable bread (mmm...carbs!!). As the weather turns cold and gloomy, I crave something warm in my tummy, and soup is always a good choice.

Remniscent of College Days

2005-10-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, another party. I was off to Davis to visit Karen. She's a Agricultural Economics grad student out in the boondocks of California. But figuring that Davis is a College town, there was bound to be some activity going on. So after a delightful Thai dinner (mmm...green curry!), we went back to Thome's place to get changed. Well, I stepped into my costume, and Karen changed into non-scrubby jeans. Then, since Davis is an agricultural hub with miles and miles of flat farmland, we were off to the Corn Maze. Oh yes, the corn maze. It was dark, huge, and completely indecipherable. We were wandering about aimlessly for a good hour before finding our way out. Quite frustrating.

Then, it was on to the haunted section....dark, maze-y, strobe lights, and scaryily-masked folks jumping out of the corn and following you and staring you down. One creature had a chainsaw, and the clown followed us for a good 40 feet. I was screaming like crazy, and clinging to Karen because I was so scared. Well worth the 9 dollar admission.

After the corn, the dinosaur and the Karen (I think she was embarassed by my costume) went off to this classy bar, where I had a vanilla skyy martini and she had a stout beer or something of that nature. Apparently, dinosaurs attract lots of attention because in a matter of minutes, these two Lebanese guys started talking to us. They learn 3 languages in Lebanon: English, French, and Lebanese, so my bilingualism wasn't exactly impressive. Anyhow, the guys were quite sketchy (one actually asked me if I was wearing anything under my costume!) so we tried to ditch them and skidaddled off to another bar.

Next stop: Cantina's, the hoochie undergrad hotspot where the girls wear little clothing and the boys give Marines a run for their money (according to Karen...she despises the place). We both felt conspicously overdressed, but decided to go in because I wanted to dance. So we bop along, and scope out the scene. Karen spots a doctor she thinks is hot, and I notice an un-costumed blond I find attractive. However, figuring that they're probably undergrads, we return to the dance floor and mock the inappropriate/unattractive/unfortunate costume choices (yeah, we're mean).

Not 10 minutes later, the doctor (Steve, and he turned out to be a gynecologist) is chatting up Thome, and the blond, Brett, happens to be his friend. What luck. So Karen and Steve are flirting and chatting and whatnot, and Brett and I figure out that we've both been deemed designated driver and are therefore decently sober and finding the drunken shenanigans of our friends quite amusing. Turns out he has a Master's in Aerospace Engineering, and lives in Palo Alto, which is not too far from my abode of Fremont.

So the four of us, plus the 2nd gynecologist, Will, head off to satisfy major pizza cravings. They're all buddies from college. Thome and Steve are flirting ridiculously, and the remaining 3 of us are amusingly looking on and making drunken banter. Pizza is consumed, and it is then decided that the party will move on to Steve's house. Will has a major obsession for Robin Hood Prince of Theives, and felt compelled to watch it for the 39th time that night.

Steve's house is a pit, complete with dishes of beer and raw hamburger meat lying around for his dog Wrigley. But we settle in to watch the movie, with Karen and Steve and Will on one couch, and me and Brett on the other. Mind you, my dinosaur suit has remained on and buttoned all evening. So I'm sitting there, next to this guy, and there's a tail in between us. Ya gotta love Halloween. As can be imagined, the movie doesn't get very far along before Thome and Steve have a blanket over them and are more focused on each other than on the TV screen. So Brett, Will, and I try diligently to watch the movie...quite amusing.

I am pleased to report that my dino suit stayed on all evening, and that I actually DID watch the movie. Brett seemed a bit shy, so I'm not sure if it was cuz he wasn't into me, or what. Granted, it was a bit of an awkward situation, but by the time Thome and I left at 5:30, numbers had been swapped and I had concluded that he was quite cute. So we'll see what develops (or doesn't).

Halloween Party

2005-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

So last night was the Friday before Halloween. Accordingly, there were big bashes thrown throughout the region. Lisa, a friend from 8th grade, invited me to the party that her dental school was holding. I think that it was partially motivated by the fact that she's been trying to hook me up with one of her classmates, but hey, I was definitely up for a party.

So I decked out in my classy green dinosaur suit (of course, I stopped by the grocery store along the way to buy some beverages) and drove off to San Francisco. I must admit that driving to go out is a complete pain in the ass. It involves too much planning, and a certain degree of restraint. Since I was driving solo, I was ultimately also responsible for getting myself home. Moderation was the key word of the evening.

Anyhow, at Lisa's we took shot of Stoli, which burned in my stomach since I hadn't eaten since about 1 pm (oops). My face glowed red (that Pepcid AC stuff really doesn't work, by the way), and we were off into the streets. The party was held at an art gallery, and the music was pumping (my eardrums are still ringing), and the costumes were hilarious. An outlet and plug, a glowing lightball, the requisite girls dressed like hoochies, the three amigos...and one of the amigos was HOT. Suffice to say that I got a bit tipsier, and found myself in the corner with the amigo. Oops. His story was that he graduated from UC San Diego and had a master's in history from Stanford...right. Anyhow, one of Lisa's friends had to come and find me toward the end of the evening to inform me that everyone was planning on leaving...they gave me 10 minutes, and then gave me a hard time the whole cab ride back.

So then, the two couples decided to go home and do couple-y things, and it was just me and Robert. So we decided to go and party some more. I was put in charge of driving us to the next club, and after a couple of wrong turns, we made it. I hopped down the street for some grub first (mmm...lasagna that's been sitting out all day!), then we went into the club and I found myself in the midst of an Asian party. No joke, everyone there was Asian (minus a few scattered Asian-fetishy males). And, quite sadly, I, in my merely 3-inch tall heels and dinosaur hoodie, was the tallest female there, and quite likely the 3rd tallest overall. Just like in Japan. Grrr. So I just bopped around for a bit while Robert got jiggy with some cute, tiny Asian girls. And when it got too hot inside the dinosaur suit, I progressed to stepping outside and peope-watching.

Around 2 am, we decided it was time to head back. I felt good to drive (had stopped drinking around 11), so we were off. And as Robert chatted away in the passenger seat, I slowly began to degenerate into a downward spiral of nausea. Something (alcohol? bad lasagna? lack of eating all day?) was making my tummy unhappy, and Jocelyn the Dinosaur had to pull over off the freeway to let it out. Not cute. We barely made it to Robert's house (I was driving him home), before I was ill again. He was quite nice and understanding, drunkenly musing about how this would be the most memorable part of the evening, but I was still quite embarassed. Eventually had to decide that calling my parents and asking them to pick me up would be the best way to go. I was in no state to drive, and I was left with few other options. Oh, the shame. Surprisingly, I didn't get a lecture. Mom just sent me off to shower, brought me a large glass of water, and told me to go to bed.

I have concluded that dinosaur suit + halloween party + alcohol = unhappiness for Jocelyn. There must be some kind of curse in the green fleece hood. So tonight, when I attend the parties at Davis, I will either not be a dinosaur, or not drink. Maybe I should try the costume "cute, tiny Asian girl" instead...

Mad

2005-10-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

I went from being a teacher to a manager, and after the frustrations I dealt with today, I'm not sure if trying to teach Japanese kiddies proper pronunciation of the letter "l" or trying to make adults understand that their job is NOT negotiable is more frustrating. Grrr. All afternoon, I dealt with full-grown adults coming up with excuses and failing to accomplish any of the tasks assigned to them. Makes me mad.

2005-10-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I really dressed him up. Deal with it.

2005-10-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Toby all dressed up for Halloween.

Applications

2005-10-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Blah. Have been working on applications all afternoon, and boy are they dull. I have settled on the 16 or so schools that I will be applying to. At 70 bucks a pop, that's quite a pretty penny spent on shuffling some papers around. And considering that I'll only get accepted to, oh, perhaps 3 of the schools, you could say that I'm killing lots of trees for an unnoble cause. C'est la vie...except for the trees.

I consumed a lovely chicken kebob for dinner. It was mighty tasty, and it reminded me of one of the last nights in Hiroshima when Paul and I wandered out of El Barco's in search of some late-night...kebabs. Oh the dismay when it was discovered that the little joint had shut down the grill 10 minutes prior; akin to the dismay I felt every time I walked into El Barco's and realized that all the boys were uncute and untall (or if cute/tall, then surrounded by cute&tiny J-girls). All the same, right?

I have managed to start three different personal statements to include with my law school applications, and all three are incoherent crap. I find myself writing about such irrelevant topics as Barbie dolls, shoplifting, or bicycles. Does anyone else see why I'm concerned about my chances of admission? But I guess I'll get back to it now...the hockey game is blaring on the TV screen, the doggies are yapping away, my parents are chattering in the background...yup, totally conducive to top-notch essay writing.

Reunion

2005-10-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last night, I travelled back in time: I attended my 10-year 8th grade reunion. Yup. There was a decent turnout that represented all cross-sections of my extremely group-y lower school days. I will state upfront that I was a member of the unpopular, dorky girls. I was a shy nerd with big butterfly glasses, little fashion sense, and really bad skin. I'll let you figure out which of those three have stuck with me.

Anyhow, it's amazing (and slightly freaky) how little people change. I could recognize almost everyone immediately, and they sort of turned out exactly how you would expect. The class valedictorian is now a 2nd year law student, as is the class president. The popular girl now has a HUGE engagement ring. The bitchy hot girl is still bitchy and slightly less hot. The jock is now tall and athletic and quite attractive. The Asian clique still hangs out together. The overachieving nerd now owns his own research company and rakes in the big bucks. The class clown now has a cute girlfriend. The suprise: the druggies who got expelled in 8th grade are now a pilot, agricultural grad student, and a world traveller. Who would've thought.

Quite a few people showed up with significant others, or engagement rings. One girl who I was pretty good friends with couldn't stop talking about how fabulously perfect her fiance is. Gag. I ask "so what have you been up to?" She replies "I'm engaged to a fabulous guy blah blah blah" and tells me the whole nauseating story of how they met and their love and plans...I don't care!!! I hope I'm never like that. I hope I have more going on in my life than my engagement and fiance. If I do ever become one of those horrible socially-inept people, please feel free to bop me on the head with a suitably heavy object.

However, my lack of a relationship did seems to pique the interest of some. One girl asked me if I had a boyfriend, then immediately followed up that question with "do you want one?" Apparently, I am a prime candidate for a set-up. Wahoo.

After a few drinks at the pub (at which we all self-segregated into 8-th grade-ish cliques), and reminescing about Jimmy Jiggler and secret crushes and the good old days, some of us went off to a club. Let it be known that with 3-inch heels on, I was the 2nd tallest person in attendance at this event. Grr. Anyhow, the evening finished off with more drinking, some dancing, and a fabulous late-night burrito. All in all, a suprisingly enjoyable time. Can't wait for the next one!

In Pain

2005-10-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am sore. As in I am in serious pain. My legs hurt. I can barely walk, so I am hobbling around . Why? Because I decided to be tough at the gym yesterday and worked my legs like a macho man--heavy weights, serious reps. And now that I have torn all of my muscle fibers, I am feeling the pain. Ouch. My hamstrings burn...it even hurts to sit down. Serves me right, I suppose, but sadomasochist that I am, I strangely prefer the pain to feeling atrophied and blah.

So yes...in other news... On Tuesday, the Target crew had a team build. We went to City Beach, an enclosed sports wonderland. There was pool, bowling, ping-pong, basketball, rock climbing, bocce ball. I ended up playing volleyball for about 2 hours, and thus my upper body is in pain as well. Good times were had by all, and it was concluded that we are a pretty un-volleyball talented bunch. Anyhow, I stayed at City Beach until about 10:30 chilling at the bar with one of my coworkers. Bonding is very important for a solid work relationship. Had to stop by TAco Bell (mmm....Taco Bell!!) before heading home to sober up a bit. Oops.

This weekend, I have a 10-year 8th grade reunion to look forward to. This means seeing people who were the epitomy of clique-y 12 year-olds. It means reliving my awkward junior high days. It means trying to pretend that I'm successful and lead a fabulous life. But I'm intrigued. How did all of those gawky kids turn out? What happened to the popular girls? Did any of the cute boys evolve into hot men? And what has everyone been up to? Ok, so maybe I'm just nosy...but you can bet I'll be there trying to get the dirt on all the peeps I haven't seen in 10 years. Wahoo!

Friday Fever

2005-10-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Friday night, and I just watched the San Jose Sharks game. They were slaughtered 6-3. Oops. Perhaps they are still suffering a lockout hangover and need to take a few aspirin and guzzle some water to regain their legs. One can only hope.

So yup, Friday night. Only it feels like a Monday because I am working for the next 6 days. Ah, the joys of retail. This weekend, I get to open the store in the morning, which means 6 am. And I am SOOO not a morning person.

Anyhow, my parents returned from Shanghai yesterday morning, and true to form, my mother brought back an abundance of illegal goods. (Did I mention that when my brother returned from Taiwan in August, he smuggled in two highly illegal pig-nosed turtles? So if he had been caught, he could've been tossed in jail...). She brought 9 knockoff designer purses (Chanel, Gucci, Burberry, Tod's, etc etc), 12 Pashmina scarves, and about 40 Polo shirts. It was like Christmas. So I now have a lovely handbag collection to match with all of my stylish outfits, though at the moment, I wear predominantly red and khaki, and am lacking a red or khaki-colored bag.

I baked blueberry muffins today and gobbled them down with a vengeance. Yum Yum. Ok. Time for bed because it's bright and early tomorrow morning...

Hockey

2005-10-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

yay! So tonight, after a many moon hiatus, i played ice hockey! now that i don't have sudying on my mind, i decided to rekindle my former hobby. i headed to the rink around 7 pm...and sat and watched and waited in the freezing cold ice rink for the team with familiar faces. when they showed up, i somehow managed to weasle my way on as a sub for the night. got all geared up in my old-school hockey equipment (someone actually mocked my cooper shoulder pads!) in my own personal locker room--the ice rink lobby! didn't quite feel comfortable changing in a locker room full of 15 strange, aging, grubby, smelly men. i think i was the only female in the entire building.

anyhow, stepped on the ice and was thrown right into the game--and was dying! forgot how out of hockey shape i am, and was gasping for breath on the bench. but it was good times--missed playing hockey! i opted out of the post-game "adult beverages," (again, the locker room was scary, uncharted territory for me), and headed home instead. now i'm exhausted and off to bed...

San Jose

2005-10-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yay! LSAT is over!! (For the second time). Anyhow, the test itself was relatively tame, the proctor was long-winded and overbearing, and the result is yet to be determined. There was, however, a hot guy who was sitting just behind me to the right. Tall, dark, handsome. Almost distracted me from the test. Unfortunately, I never found the time to introduce myself in between sections--instead, I was stuck waiting in line to use the women's facilities during our 20 minute break. Sigh. Another missed opportunity.

To celebrate the overness of the LSAT, we went out to celebrate in downtown San Jose. Now, you may consider San Jose the measly podunk town in San Francisco's shadow, but SJ is in fact the 5th largest city in the United States. That's right--number 5. When was the last time you placed in the top 5 of anything? So yes, SJ is a hip happen' place with a hip happen' downtown that, in my 23 years, I had yet to experience.

So we were off. I wore one of those flouncy maternity-looking tops that I swore I would never wear because I initially thought they were so ugly. In fact, the non-skintight design accomodates eating and drinking and expansion of the midsection that is inevitable during a night out. Genius! After designating Karen the official driver for the evening, we stopped by the drugstore for some Pepcid AC, and head to San Jose. We went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant, and whereas Karen and Em were classy and opted for wine, I went straight for the cocktails. Yippee. And amazingly, I remained unred through two of them.

After a long, drawn out dinner of vulgar conversation ("It gets bigger!" "Not big enough!"--neither phrase uttered by Jocelyn), I was informed that it was still to early to dance, so instead we skidaddled over to the brewery around the corner. There, I ordered a lemon drop martini from the hot bartender, and Thome and Em split a beer taster (ie free alcohol). Also managed to sequester free cherry cough medicine flavored shots from aforementioned hot bartender. Wahoo. Upon consuming all free drinks, was informed that it was now appropriate to meander over to the clubs to begin dancing.

By this point, Jocelyn, who had not consumed alcohol for a good two months, was tipsy. Tipsy enough to cut through the line of the club while Thome and Em watched with embarassed disbelief. Oh well. Once inside, there was an astounding number of short men. I was unimpressed. However, I was bopping along like crazy and making the most of my first night out EVER in San Jose.

Around 1, my friends were getting sleepy, so they convinced me that it was time to leave. Em drove home to her boy, Thome climbed behind the wheel of my car, and with me as the trusty navigator, manuevered us to Denny's for some late-night munchies. We ordered mozzarella cheese sticks (fried goodness!), and a Moon Over My Hammy with fries. About 6 bites in, we both started feeling ill, so it was enough of Denny's and time to go home.

Another first: I got to pass out drunk in my very own bed! After taking care of little Toby and stumbling around a bit, I fell into bed and slept peacefully until morning. Good times.

A Moment of Procrastination

2005-09-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Once again, I find myself with no life. Meaning that if one defines "life" as the presence of social interactions and fun excursions, my day to day existence is supremely devoid of "life." I have worked closing (ie 5 pm-midnight or later) the past two weekends, and have another Saturday and Sunday of closing to look forward to. I have been suckered into extracurricular work activities (blasted community awareness and team building!) that cut into my already depleted sleep hours. And when not indulging in the pleasures known as "work," I am slowly torturing myself with an unproductive attempt at aquiring LSAT knowledge. My nights are filled with the piercing yaps of a restless, crate-despising puppy. Life? Or some cruel joke that mimicks an enjoyable human existence?

Yes, the blessed LSAT is 10 (holy geez! didn't realize it was THAT close...) days away. And I am floundering in the pond, surrounded by logical reasoning flotsam and reading comprehension jetsom. No more, my flailing body tells me. No more. But persist I must. Persist for 10 more days, and the eagerly await the light at the end of the tunnel, the light that announces my freedom from the intolerable cruelty of self-inflicted LSAT agony.

Dog Park

2005-09-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Just like people, little puppies need to make friends. So pet owners take their canine companions to doggie parks to get them properly socialized. This afternoon, after strolling around Santana Row (the "hip" shopping and restaurant area in the heart of silicon valley, where we lack "hip" areas) with little Toby in tow, we headed to the dog park. It was my first time, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Surprisingly, the locale was poop-free and pleasant. It was divided into big dog and small dog sections. At 3.5 pounds, Toby was most definitely small dog material. He pranced in, only to be pounced on by an overzealous dachsund. Much sniffing ensued, and after about 5 minutes, Toby was all settled in and forgot all about his mommy--too busy playing with four-legged friends. So Jocelyn was left behind, and Toby went a tad bit crazy.

Katrina

2005-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so, the TV at my home has been tuned to the 24-hour news channel, where the talking heads are broadcasting their thoughts and feelings about the Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. The images of destruction and loss are horrific, the stories of families and survivors are heartbreaking. Not surprisingly, it brings to mind the tsunami in Southeast Asia; the obvious difference being that the tsunami effected some of the poorest nations of the world, whereas Katrina hit one of the richest. What is blatantly clear from the television coverage, though, is that class is a paramount issue in this tragedy as well--those hit hardest by Katrina are, for whatever reason, poor and black. And with the controveries of the political action (or lack thereof) that are surrounding the rescue effort, one wonders just how fair, equal, and democratic the United States really is. It's horrible to think that those most in need of aid would be denied it by virtue of their social status, but it is a lingering question that is impossible to ignore.

Ugh

2005-08-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Have you ever thought of those poor people who work 12-13 hour days, and just laughed at the suckers who were stupid enough to stay cooped up in an office for that long? Well, today, I was one of those people. Only difference was that I wasn't cooped up in an office...I was trapped in a supersize Target store. Wahoo. Yup, today was our assessment visit from Target Headquarters, so I was in at 6 am to open the store, then I walked with the assessment team and tried in vain to answer their questions, then I sat through Headquarters feedback, then through store team recap, then I had to conduct hiring interviews, then I touched-base with my boss. Finally saw the sunlight at 6:45 pm. Oh what a sucker I am.

So to conpensate, I ate 2 donuts, 4 cookies, and a handful of M & M's. And now I feel great. Good night.

Blob

2005-08-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I now have 4 dogs roaming my household? And the little one, Toby, is turning out to be a biter. He disdains grooming time, and will growl and snarl and chomp at the brush and my fingers. Yesterday was the first time he actually drew blood. BAAAADDD DOGGIE!

Ah yes, I have started my sessions with a personal trainer. Now, I'm sure everyone is aware that I'm fond of running and strength training and generally keeping semi-fit. I get antsy when I'm a blobby couch potato, and I try to watch what I eat (minus the cookies and chocolate). So for my first training session, the trainer, a fellow named Josh, took various measurements, one of which was involved getting various areas of my body pinched with some calipers. Total the results together, and you're supposed to get an idea of your body fat percentage. My number came out to 27%! (For reference purposes: athelete 14-20%, fitness 21-24%, average 24-26%, overweight 26-31%, obese 32%+). So according to my number, I am overweight. Thus, I have been wandering around for the past 2 days feeling like a gelatinous blob. I'm sure the cookies this evening didn't help.

Real Job

2005-08-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

No more training...I've started my job "for real" now. Meaning that everything I do counts. Meaning that I have to be responsible and not lose my keys (penalty: final warning) or forget to set the alarm before I close up the building (penalty: final warning). So yup, I started on Monday, and it still is shocking that I will be managing people who could very well be my grandparents. In what world does that make sense?

Anyhow, the first few days, I've been trying to get to know everyone, learning the store, figuring out where everything is. I had trouble finding the soap aisle, and pointed a couple of guests in the wrong direction, but no major mishaps. I've also found that it's hard to squeeze in time to eat when you're on the sales floor the vast majority of the time. So I anticipate a weight loss in the future.

That's all for now. I'm learning all of the Target politics by the minute..........

Perplexing Height

2005-08-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've been catching up on some people's blogs today, and I chuckle to myself as I catch glimpses of reverse culture shock in progress. Everyone's fat! They speak English! So many hot guys that are actually taller than me! Well, actually, that last one has been perplexing me. So yeah, I'm Asian, and all the J-boys were Asian, and Yao Ming is Asian (and apparently 7'6")...but all the Asian guys around my vicinity are more J-boy than Yao Ming. They're short! Not that I'm excluding Asian guys or short guys, but the unfortunately common combination of the two just ain't doing it for me. So I find myself cursing my 5'8" stature--I'm not short enough to qualify for "cute and tiny," nor am I freakishly tall enough to be an "exotic Amazon." I'm just kinda...there. And any guy shorter than 6 feet is intimidated by Jocelyn in her 4-inch heels, and the guys taller than 6 feet seem to be hiding behind oversized boulders and avoiding me. So perhaps things here aren't that different from Japan after all...

Graveyard

2005-08-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

So you've all heard of the "graveyard shift" right? That horrible late night/early morning workathon...the one where all the normal sane daylight-loving people are slumbering peacefully in their beds. Well, the other day, I got to experience the wonders of being locked into Target overnight and slaving away. Now, when you're out on the town, those hours between 10 pm and 6 am can fly by. The alcohol helps, as do the blaring beats and the funky moves. Working 10-6--not as exciting. By about 1, I was ready to curl up under the sweater display and call it a night. But no--I had lunch to look forward to at 3 am, and there were more boxes to unload.

After a half an hour of unsafe driving/snoozing on the freeway, I staggered home at about 7 am the next morning. With my lunchtime burrito still rumbling in my tummy, I passed out. And headed back to work 6 hours later. My body was screaming "No! No! No!" My immune system has gone on strike and I am plagued with disease now as a protest to the bizarre work hours. Grrr. I don't like working the graveyard shift, and I hope to never do it again.

Match Update

2005-08-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Alas, the time has come for me to reveal the secrets of my dating life. As you may or may not know, I have gone out a couple of times with this guy I met through the internet dating service match.com. Our dates have included two dinners, one wedding, and one movie. And while he is nice enough, sometimes the conversation is a little awkward. Especially awkward was when he asked how we should respond to the question "how did the two of you meet?" Seeing as things were fairly casual, I had no problem with shouting the wonders of match.com from the alter. He, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable about such openness and instead conjured up an oh-so-creative alternative narrative about mutual friends and whatnot. Right.

Anyhow, after four dates and many hours, I have concluded that this one, though quite nice and interesting and "good" in the textbook definition of the word, is not for me. He does have a pretty cool silver-blue BMW, and he does buy me flowers and little presents, and he seems to love chocolate almost as much as I do, but something is amiss. However, in the oh-so-busy world of modern day Jocelyn, not many hours are allotted for dating anyway. So I will be moving onward, perhaps to my next match.com prospect, perhaps to content singledom, perhaps to waiting for the Perfect Guy who will send the butterflies in my stomach aflutter when we bump into each other in the aisles at Target. Ah, a girl can dream...

Blind Kangaroos!

2005-08-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

I'm considering adopting a kangaroo...found this ad on craigslist.com. what do you guys think?

Tired of the ordinary pets like dogs, cats, fish, and birds? Want something different? Are you seeking a challenge?

Then have I got the pet for you! My brother works for a large import-export business and recently introduced me to a kangaroo named "Bugsy" who lived on a cargo ship for eight years. Bugsy is nine years old now, and was blind at birth. At least, we think he's blind. But he's so cute!

I feel compelled to let you know that Bugsy has some quirks. Being blind, he tends to get very moody when certain things happen around him that he doesn't like. The following are a few things that you should avoid if you think you'd like to adopt Bugsy:

1) Electric devices such at TVs, radios, or computers. Bugsy also hates cell phones and will sometimes try to bite you if your phone rings around him. Don't worry, his teeth aren't that sharp.

2) Bugsy is not good with small children.

3) Bugsy gets very upset when people ride bicycles, skateboards, or scooters around him. This goes for little kids on Power Wheels machines, or tricycles.

General care: Bugsy demands to be fed every four hours or so and throws a fit if he doesn't get what he wants. He prefers room temperature oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, and chili as a treat. You can't give him too much chili though, or he gets some rather bad gas and diarrhea. It's NOT fun to clean up, believe me!

Anyhow, it breaks my heart to see this little guy go, but I am moving abroad to handle some business operations oversees and can't take Bugsy with me. I'm sure he will miss me as much as I will miss him.

There is a small fee of $200 for Bugsy, which will pay for his restraints, current month's prescription of sedatives, and leash. You must also be able to show documentation of MMR and tetanus vaccines within the last ten years. It is very important that Bugsy go to a good home!

Thanks, and I hope you will love Bugsy almost as much as I do!"

Revolutionary Revelation!

2005-08-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I attended the wedding of a couple that I had never ever met before. In fact, I only knew one person out of all 200-something guests, and I had only met him 3 weeks prior. But, never one to pass up an opportunity to dress up and look pretty, I accepted the invitation. The ceremony was quite quick and lovely....I was basting in the sun, but we all have to make sacrifices, right?

Anyhow, after the formalities, the bar openned up and the beverages started flowing. Now, I must note that the bride and groom were/are both Chinese. Correspondingly, the vast majority of guests were Asian (like me!). Everyone seemed to be one half of a cute little couple (blech!--did I tell the story of how during one of my training classes, each table had to come up with something that all 6 people had in common, and our table concluded that we all disliked Valentine's Day because we are bitter romantics? I advocated that suggestion...). But even more amazing was as all these Asians were consuming their alcoholic beverages, none of them were "glowing." I, on the other hand, could feel the flush starting, and, when I took a glimpse in the mirror, noticed the trademark red face. Wahoo--conspicuously drunk!

Inquiring minds (mine) had to know the secret to the magic. Were they not fellow alcohol-dehydrogenase-lackers? Were they merely half-Asian? Were they wearing layers of makeup that hid the red? No, my friends. The answer is a little pill more commonly known as Pepcid AC--a stomach acid reducer frequently used to prevent heartburn. But apparently, my innovative Asian friends had found a much more practical use for the over-the-counter drug: alcohol suppressent! My mind was spinning....

Just imagine: no more red face! No more people declaring: "Wow! You must be REALLY drunk" after I had imbibed half a Moscow Mule. No more having to coordinate my outfits to my ever-so-predictably red complexion. Oh the possibilities. So now, I am eager to try this wonder drug. I am imagining the drunken possibilities. And wondering how I can repackage and market this wonderous product in the Asian societies of the world. I will forever be grateful that I attended the wedding of two strangers. Thanks to their union, I have perhaps changed the fate of Jocelyn's alcoholic escapades...

2005-07-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

Little Toby, the mischevious puppy.

2005-07-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, I just returned from the gym. What a wonderful experience! I can honestly say that I enjoy the feeling of sore muscles and (to some extent) shortness of breath. Yup, I'm a peculiar being.

But anyhow, it's the weekend! And my exciting Friday night plans consisted of going to the gym with my mother (who napped in the lobby after an unstrenuous 20 minutes on the bike), and eating cherries while watching TV. I love how fruit is affordable here. However, I have observed that large quanitites of cherries make me feel ill. Go figure.

Gyms

2005-07-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Out of pity for those in the office, I have been compelled to the computer to update on my life in Cali. Let's see: I work8 hours a day, study for 2, am in commute for 2, work out for 2, spend 1.5 hours a day entertaining my puppy...that leaves 9.5 hours a day for eating/grooming/sleeping/computer time. Needless to say, my life has become quite busy. Wow.

At the moment, there is some documentary on the transexual LPGA golfer. A guy who got a sex change to become a woman, and is now playing pro-golf with the women. And this isn't even trashy reality TV. She was thrilled about her surgery. I can't imagine going through such a procedure....odd.

Oh, and I have also joined a gym. We all knew that it was just a matter of time before my antsiness got the best of me and I fulfilled my gym-bunny destiny. I get an adrenaline high from running on the treadmill like a hamster. I like the aroma of smelly sweaty people conglomerating together. Mind you, I am NOT fond of B.O....but fresh, clean sweatiness is quite nice. And, I like lifting macho free weights and thinking that I could beat up on all those meathead bodybuilders with my quickness, stealth, and explosiveness. Plus, there are some pretty fit guys at the gym. I got a pretty good deal on membership: $750 for 3 years! Let the athleticism begin!

Toby update: my new puppy likes to sleep on my pillow. Specifically, he either cuddles up right next to my head, or in the crook of my neck. Good thing I spritz his little mouth with Listerine every day so he doesn't have icky doggie breath.

Dave & Buster's

2005-07-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Dave & Buster's is an arcade for big people. Meaning that there are video games and skee ball and alcohol. Good fun. On Wednesday, after work, a bunch of us went to D&B's to celebrate and kick back and whatnot. It was quite amusing because once we arrived there, we self-segregated into two groups: those drinking, and those not. Guess which group I was part of... I was supposed to meet up with mylittle cousins later that evening, but after a blue lagoon martini, and 2 cosmos, it was concluded that I was unfit to drive. Thus, I had no choice but to wait it out and play games.

Or rather, we did a couple of shots (brain hemmorhage, blow job). We played basketball after this and needless to say, the basket was moving a bit. After winning numerous little tickets, we traded them for frou-frou purple rings...great souveniers!

Farewell

2005-07-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

To all those leaving Japan and returning to their homelands, I say "Have a good flight!" Should you have reverse culture shock issues, feel free to contact me...

Long Drive

2005-07-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

So, as fate would have it, I ended up not participating in AIDS walk. Luckily, only my parents had sponsered me, so I didn't feel to guilty about my shifting priorities. So what, you may ask, was more important that a walk to find a cure? A puppy, of course! Now, some may say I am fluffy-doggy obsessed. And I wouldn't argue with that. Because on Sunday, after scouting out various Pomeranian breeders in Southern California, my mother and I hopped in the car at 4 am to begin the 7 hour drive down South. Our quest was to bring home a furry little guy, and we were willing to drive 450 miles for him!

Yup, so now, I have a new puppy. I still miss Kiki dearly, but now there is a new ball of fur. His name is Toby (like Abra's trusty yellow-plate!), and he is everything Kiki wasn't. They're both Poms, but Toby is fat and is always munching away on his kibble. And Toby is the yappiest puppy on this side of the Pacific. Putting him to bed last night, he was yapping and whining and howling so much that I had to relocate to my brother's room. He chit-chats when no one's paying attention to him, he barks when he can't see anyone around, and he growls when I try to groom him. He's a talker. Oh my!

Date

2005-07-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yup, I had my first match.com date. Basically, it was like a blind date, since I had emailed the guy twice, and spoken to him on the phone once. Interesting, right? We met up for dinner on a Saturday night. ..a hopping little Mardi Gras themed restaurant with an abundant cocktail menu. We immediately sprung for drinks (mmm...sangria!), and then waited for our table. So conversation was fine--stuck to tame topics like favorite colors and family pets. I, of course, babbled about my puppy ambitions, and also mentioned that my home is an animal black hole (ie critters like ferrets drown in bathtubs and salamanders climb out of their tanks, shrivel up, and die). The guy was nice, polite , and the conversation was delightfully devoid of awkward pauses. He even brought me a little gift, and then called to make sure I had gotten home ok. The only blip? The fact that he was 31. But anyhow, there were mummerings of other possible date activities...but for some reason, my little social calendar and work/life/balance is getting filled to the max at the moment. The evening ended with an awkward hug. Yeah. So we'll see how it goes...

My take on match.com so far: actually meeting a person does a lot more than endless emails and whatnot. So I'm all for the face-to-face.

The Movies

2005-07-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

I just watched a real live movie in an a real live movie theater for the first time since Lord of the Rings 3. That was about a year and a half ago. I am an anti-Hollywood, cinematically-unhip loser. So what movie beckoned me to the theaters? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Perhaps I should restate that: Johnny Depp drew me to the theater. So imagine my dismay when I discover that he is stiffly coiffed, with a pale green complexion and super-sized teeth, in the movie. Peculiar looking....definitely not his hot usual self.

But the movie itself was a cute little delight. Slightly creepy, but with the wisecracks and sweet Charlie Bucket, I was touched, and almost forgot Willy Wonka's interesting appearance. I hauled my 3 younger cousins and two friends to the movies. I felt old and responsible--yuck. And now, after a day of work and an evening of tot-sitting, I'm exhausted.

AIDS Walk

2005-07-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

So if you read this blog, you have probably already recieved a heads-up that I am going to be participating in the San Francisco AIDS Walk this Sunday, July 17th. The Walk is held to help raise awareness about the disease, as well as raise funds to help find a cure. As a walker, I would love to have sponsors...I have set a modest goal of $20, but any more would be fantastic, so all donations would be greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by everyone who has or know someone who has the disease. The link is: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=95267&lis=0&amp;amp;amp;kntae95267=7DE2654509A546ACB469B58FE3090D1A&supId=87529068

Thank you!

5 AM

2005-07-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

...as in the time I had to be in at Target this morning. Which means that I was up and about around 4. Yes, I haven't woken up that early since the wee little days back in college when I had a paper due at 9 AM and felt like putting it of until the deadline to give my speed-typing skills a little jolt in the rear...fun times. As was dragging myself out of bed while it was still dark outside. But I got to the store, and learned the price change procedure, which I guess is done early in the morning because then you don't have to hassle with asking guests "Can I help you find something?" And let me tell you, they ask for obscure items (blue Jell-O--cuz apparently red and orange and green aren't gonna gut it in nursery school, iron-on patches, Hilary Duff dolls, etc etc).

So yes, this week has thus far been a whirlwind of in-store training. I'm finally getting into the softlines gig, which is with clothes/shoes/accessories, the department I'm going to end up presiding over once I get to my final destination. It actually suits the anal/neat-freak side of me perfectly because it involves making sure all the items are hung in the correct size order. Thank goodness for color-coded hangers!

Other news: I apparently have a match.com date. Yup. I'm taking it to the next level. Now, the last time I went on one of these things (as Em can attest to), the guy was an albino, though you couldn't tell that from his black and white profile picture. We briskly strolled through Golden Gate Park and had meaningless, awkward conversation. Never saw the guy again (perhaps the fact taht I was jetting off to Japan in a week had something to do with that...). So I'm holding judgement on this one...

4th of July

2005-07-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! For those not in the know, this is the day that the colonists declared their independence from the British Empire. Wahoo! Go Americans! To celebrate this momentous occasion, I dressed in patriotic colors today: red, white, and blue (for the American flag, not the England one or the French one or any other rw&b flag out there...). It just so happened that my patriotic skirt was a red-and-white checked mini that just barely covered my butt. I haven't worn a skirt in about 8.25 months, so manuevering around in the bitty thing took some getting used to. But a worthy sacrifice for flaunting my patriotic spirit.

Anyhow, I had to go and pick my mother up from the airport today. She was coming back from Taiwan, where it's like 39 degrees celsius and 600% humidity...much like Japan it seems. Ah, one thing I definitely do NOT miss. Instead, I get to revel in the unsticky sunshine of the California Bay Area. It's nice not having to shower 12 times a day to rid oneself of the thin film of grease and grime (ming?) that accumulates during the Japanese summer.

In other news, we went out for dinner tonight, and next to us was a table of Japanese folks kanpai-ing up the wazoo and psyching themselves up for the fireworks. My mother struck a conversation with our neighbors, and I mentioned that I was from Yamaguchi-ken. They immediately mentioned Shimonoseki and Fugu, then proceeded to tell a story about how his grandfather loved fugu and would go fishing along the shores of Shimonoseki. One day, he caught a blowfish. Excited as all hell because he LOVED Fugu, he ran home, sliced up the fish, and savored the freshness. Unfortunately, he was overzealous in the preparation, and punctured some of the toxic inards...his wife and daughter came home to find him sprawled on the floor. But there is a good conclusion to this story: the grandfather, just a few days prior, had declared that if he died from Fugu, he would be happy man. Wish granted.

Going on to my next unrelated topic: LSAT results are in. I did well, about what I reasonably expected (of course, deep in my heart, I was counting on that 180!). But, true to form, my mother, being the unrealistic Chinese mother that she is, is convinced that I can do even better, and that doing better will get me into an even higher-ranked school, along with all the cache and goodies that go along with that. So, she's attempting to brainwash me into enduring another 2 months of LSAT class funness...ugh. I'm not committing to it yet, but I haven't ruled it out...Oh the joy!

Long Weekend

2005-07-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday, and oh how productive I've been! Looking back on the week, it's been traumatic. Of course, there was the Monki sadness. To keep my mind of my departed puppy, I've been keeping busy with work, watering my mother's massive collection of plants, and pestering Chi-chi and Gizmo, the two dogs.

Work has been training training training. I'm learning the improtance of pricing accuracy and correctly identifying backstock and doing research and communicating opportunities. I also get to walk the sales floor ALOT and help people find things. I'm still reserving judgement...

Instead, every morning, I track down the 4 different water hoses scattered about our front and back yards and drench the lawn, the baby vegetables, the roses, the fruit trees, and the orchids. My mother accompanied my grandma back to Taiwan, so she's counting on me to keep her plants in tip-top condition. I've actually acquired a fondness for pruning the roses and keeping track of the mini-apples and peaches, and get mad when I find fruit on the tree that has been sabatoged by birds or squirrels. Damn pests!

This morning, I found the motivation to wash the doggie beds and bathe the dogs. They stink, and have perhaps been slightly neglected in the past few weeks because of Kiki. So I plopped them in the sink and sudsed them up...after getting over the fear of water, they reluctantly complied. Now I have two fresh and clean doggies basking in the sun. Oh the joys of being a dog.

Anyhow, it's a long weekend...so I plan to sleep alot.

Very Sad News

2005-06-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

...although Monki was a little fighter, all the sickness got the better of him, and he died yesterday evening. He was just shy of 3 months old, weighed 1.25 pounds. I was (and still am) quite sad and distraught...he had the most adorable little face, and liked to cuddle up against my neck while he slept. I am reluctant to reclaim my bathtub, as that is now seen as "Monki-space." The vet tried to save him, but Monki was just too weak. By the time I arrived, he was already gone, and it was scary to see him un-alive. I was a mess--my little Baby was no more.

With our approval, the vet did an autopsy on Monki. Apparently, his kidneys had completely stopped working. Instead of being dark red (the healthy color), they were a pale yellow (a sign of dead tissue). He also had sacs of fluid in his abdominal area. The vet said that Monki was a very sick, very weak puppy, and probably had been for a while. Had he fought through this time, the vet said he still probably wouldn't have lived very long.

Tomorrow, we are going to speak with the seller. California law prohibits the sale of sick puppies, and there is a clause that states that if the puppy should die from a genetic disorder or a disorder that was present at time of purchase, the seller is required to refund the price of the puppy. Of course, money won't replace the itty-bitty fluffball that I loved, but perhaps it is a small step towards healthy puppies and doggie justice.

Emergency!

2005-06-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to a 5-alarm doggie emergency. I went to my bathroom (Kiki sleeps in the bathtub) to retrieve my little puppy and take him outside. No response. So I reach into his little kennel, and pull out an unresponsive, motionless, limp, seizuring little dog. The sporadic twitching is the only sign that Kiki is still alive. Very scary. So my father and I zip him over to the doggie emergency clinic, where he is promptly hooked up to an IV and given glucose injections. They run a bunch of tests (while simultaneously running up the bill), and conclude that he is low on protein, and has fluid pockets in his belly, and has an edema. They reccommend vet supervision for the rest of the day. So we check him into another doggie clinic, and I, completely distraught that my itty-bitty 1.5-pound puppy is seizuring and in critical condition, have to drive off to work.

After a day of restocking the Lean Cuisines in the freezer section (and subsequently frostbiting all ten of my fingers) and working the cash registers (and subsequently pissing off all the guests with my inefficiency)--as a Leader, I must first become acquainted with all the skills that the people I'll be supervising must know--, I rushed back to Kiki at the vet.

Total Vet bill: $520.45. In J-money, that nearly roku-man. So basically, my whole last week of work went towards critical care for sick puppy. But the important thing is that Monki is gobbling up the veal baby food (no puppy chow for this Monki!), and aside from his shaved foreleg (for the IV), seems to be ok now.

Job Training

2005-06-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

So I've been getting complaints that I haven't been updating my blog. Oops. But since I am an accountable individual, I will take responsibility for my lack of blogging, and not blame it on those guys who keep emailing me from match.com, nor on my new job at Target.

Regarding Target: wow! My official title right now is "Executive Team Leader in Training." I have 8 weeks of training...that's a whole kit and caboodle of training. And as I am slowly learning, I will have a LOT of responsibility--definite change from the "I'm bored, I have nothing to do" Japan days. I will regularly be the Leader on Duty for a $30 million store. I will interview candidates, and supervise people who are more than twice my age. I will train people. I can fire people. I will have to be fast, fun, and friendly while I am on the job. Right now, I'm thinking that Target Corp was crazy for hiring lil' ol' Jocelyn to do this job.

But, everyone's been super enthusiastic and welcoming and helpful. There are a bunch of us doing training together, so it helps to have colleagues to talk to. I think it will be scarier when I get into the store, and have to start leading my team when I have very little practical hands-on experience. But that's 7 weeks away...

Anyhow, another bonus of training is all the freebies: by the end of it, I will own everything red and bullseye-labelled under the sun. I've already won a bracelet, a briefcase, pens, a mug, and a couple stuffed dogs. And surprisingly, red and khaki (Target team colors) is amazingly flexible when it comes to wardrobe options. Oh, and the bowl of candy on the tables is feeding my sugar cravings...yay for Reese's Peanut Butter cups! So yes, it's been tons of information but quite enjoyable thus far!

Last Day of Freedom...

2005-06-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

So the past few days have been inundated with familial obligations. Every summer, my entire extended family migrates to California and us natives are occupied with hosting and chauferring and entertaining. Yay. I took my cousing shopping one day, wheeled my grandmother around in a wheelchair the next. And yesterday, I took my other cousin to an ultimate frisbee pick-up game. I've played perhaps half a game of ultimate in my life, but figured running around in the sun could prove to be invigorating, and it was. However, I was utterly confused by the rules of ultimate and felt like a useless fraud whenever I had the frisbee...much like how I felt during soccer. But I frolicked around and flapped my arms and came away with improved wrist action.

Monkey has done and intestinal 180 and is now plugged up like a champagne bottle. He's constipated, and when you feel his little belly, it's uncomfortably bloated and rotund. Poor guy. He can't even climb up stairs anymore...he's too weighed down by his back end.

Finally, I start real work tomorrow. 8:30 am. The end of my carefree days of putzing about. And strangely, I'm very excited...

Waffles

2005-06-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I left my other waffle iron in the care of Gillian, I went out and bought a new one the other day. So, this morning, I whipped up a batch of banana belgian waffles...yum! Brought back memories of the Shimonseki days when we would have elaborate gorge-fest with waffles and every imaginable topping, plus any miscellaneous goodies (sushi, tofu, edamame, wine, chu-hi, strawberries, chocolate, chips, ameretto, ice cream) people brought along with them. Those were some nutritious, high-quality meals!

Last Tuesday of Freedom

2005-06-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

Update on the jetskiing: it turned into an all day extravaganza, lasting from 2 pm until 10 pm. Only about 15 minutes was actually spent riding a jet ski, and unfortunately, I was inappropriately dressed for the occasion. Me and my heavy-weight denim jeans flipped into the lake on my first go, and I was thoroughly soaked from there on out. But yes, there was one spin in the jetski to be ad, and those little buggers move fast! Fun, yet amazingly awkward, and the guy guessed that I was 18-19 years old. Fancy that...Japan is a fountain of youth that sucks the years away! Anyhow, jetskiing turned into a cozy little dinner with the parents...yeah.

Today, I woke up to Monki's (new spelling, suggested by my father) whimpering. After attending to his needs, I dressed in my snazzy best and headed to the mall with my cousin, Irene. Unfortunately, of late, I have been shopping for appropriate work attire. My new 9-5 wardrobe consists of red tops, khaki bottoms, and closed-toe shoes. In all, I own about 6 of aforementioned items...not even enough to get me through a typical workweek without repeats. So I've been snatching up khakis (which I loathe) left and right, and picked up a pair of black ballet flats to boot. Shopping at its most dull and mundane.

Then, we went out to watch Million Dollar Baby. Now, I figure that most of y'all have seen the movie, so I won't be spoiling anyone's film-going experience when I say that it was perhaps the saddest movie I've ever seen. I was bawling as the phone of the patron sitting behind me to the right was ringing off the hook. Guess that's what you get when you choose a $1.50 movie theater.

2005-06-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ugh...my mother is trying to make me be social so she's set up an outing with her friends...and their son. I think he's like 30. Parents need to realize that their children are perfectly capable of being social creatures without interference. Ugh.

2005-06-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Her comes Monkey!

Vitamins

2005-06-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

So because puppy is so small, he can't eat very much. Thus, his nutrition needs to be supplemented with Nutri-cal, a vitamin gel with an "irrisistable taste." The instructions on Nutri-cal reccommend 1 teaspoon (that's the really really small spoon you use for stirring tea) per 10 pounds of body weight. Since Monkey is about 1 pound, that would be 1/10 of a teaspoon, or a smidgen of Nutri-cal a day.

Anyhow, the other night, my family went out to dinner, a quaint little Italian place where we imbibed some wine, and consumed lots of bread (take that, South Beach!). After dinner, I needed to go to Petsmart (where I am now a proud card-holding member of the Smart Pet Club--wahoo!) to buy Monkey a doggie brush. So I go along my jolly way, and my father heads home by his lonesome (my mother went over to my Grandma's to watch some sob-fest Korean soap opera, but that's another story).

When I get home, Monkey's out of his crate and my father's playing with him. Father proudly declares that Monkey really likes him, holds out the tube of Nutri-cal, and notes that Monkey gobbles up the stuff. I ask him how much he fed puppy, and he holds out his thumb and index finger about 3 inches apart. At this point, I'm doing mental calculations and 3 inches of Nutri-cal is equivalent to at least 4 teaspoons...ie SERIOUS overdose of vitamins!! It's like you pouring a handful of Centrum or the multivitamin of your liking, and downing it all in one go. Not good.

And the negative effects of Monkey are apparent very soon: he doesn't want to eat his puppy chow (apparently, it lacks the "irrisistable taste"), and he comes down with a chronic case of runny stools (ie diarrhea). Now, puppy poop is less than pleasant. Puppy diarrhea is downright icky. Expecially when puppy sprays all over your pink shirt, which is what happens when puppy has an upset tummy and just can't hold it anymore. Yuck. Combine this with the fact that puppy has no appetite and refuses to eat for 36 hours, and we have a full-blown canine emergency.

Yup, I spent the past 36 hours rushing Monkey outside to do his business, trying to force feed him Pedialyte (to replace the electrolytes he was losing from constant diarrhea), and reprimanding my father for being so overeager with the Nutri-cal. But I am happy to report that Monkey is now as bouncy as ever, so all is well in puppyland.

Puppy!

2005-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have a new friend: a nine-week old fluffball named Monkey (Ki-ki for short). Monkey is a sable pomeranian who, you guessed it, looks like a little monkey. He weighs one pound right now, and is absolutely adorable. A little bouncy furball. And I'm going to dress him in cheesy doggy clothes.

Too Much Time...

2005-06-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

With the lack of studying in my life now, my days have lost structure and meaning. So, I must resort to other exciting options like repainting my brother's pit-hole of a room, searching for puppies online, and, as the ultimate sign that one has too much time on their hands, I have created a profile on match.com in hopes of meeting the love of my life. At least I haven't resorted to hotornot.com yet...

LSAT No More!!!

2005-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

NO MORE LSAT!!!! Well, that is if I did decently well. Yup, yesterday was big LSAT day, and true to form, my parents accompanied me to the test site. Despite my early arrival, I still had to wait in line for about an hour...so I bopped to dance tunes on my Zen Micro and flipped through Glamour. I'm sure I was giving off an uber-intellectual vibe that was intimidating all the other test takers. Hey, it was better than nervously chatting about my preparation strategies and my scores on practice tests.

But yes, the test, the 6 hour culmination of months of study, went suprisingly well. I was relaxed and confident, though perhaps not as relaxed and confident as my table-mate, who finished every 35-minute section with 10 minutes to spare and then proceeded to sit next to me twiddling her thumbs. Grrr. After the last section, I almost wanted more games and more arguments and more reading passages...but alas, I may never ever have to face them again! Yay!!!

So now, I've moved on to the next project on Jocelyn's List: finding a cute fluff-ball puppy. Specifically, a yappy, obnoxious, wide-eyed Pomeranian. I'm going to see some this afternoon. Very exciting!

Napa

2005-06-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

So I've been missing...I blame this absence on two polar evils: the LSAT (oh, how studying seems to suck up the days), and also on my friends. Yup, my college buddies came to visit over Memorial Day Weekend to kick off the unofficial start of summer. A brief recap:

On Thursday evening, after a highly stimulating bout of LSAT fun, I trekked over to Oakland airport to retrieve Suzanne and Meghan. Meg's flight from NY was delayed, so us kiddies didn't get out of there until 1 AM. Met up with Carmel at my house, and, jet-lagged and weary, we all promptly passed out (it was 3-ish!). Also thanks to jetlag, my friends were up and at 'em around 6:15 am. Oh goodness.

But even Meg was speedy with the hair-drying, and after a quick pit-stop for smoothies at Jamba Juice, we headed to Wine Country. The smoothie got the best of my urinary system, but I gamely resisted every bathroom pit stop for a good 95 minutes. Anyhow, Napa was absolutely beautiful...reminiscent of Italy according to Suzanne...it was sunny, warm, vineyards and greenery galore. We drove through rolling hills to reach the Hess winery, selected by my art-history savvy friends because of the adjoining art gallery. Ugh. Forget the art...just give me the wine!

We finally got to tasting, and utterly hopeless at feigning wine savvy, the guy had to teach us how to swirl and inhale the aroma, read the thickness of the wine, distinguish the intricacies of the flavors. I felt wine-foolish. But now worries...the guy seemed to like us, and kept pouring us free sample tastes. Wahoo. About two tries in, I was flushed and tipsy...and we hadn't even moved on to the reds yet. I concluded that I liked white wines better anyway. Even ended up purchasing a bottle of uber-sweet dessert wine...like candy!

Full of wine on an empty stomach...not smart. So we headed to a highly recommended deli and picked up some sandwiches. Carmel was highly impressed with the authentic California avocado. I was impressed with food in general. We disregarded the "For the comfort of our guests, please no outside food." and had a delightful picnic by the fountain at the Artesa winery while soaking up the sun. The winery had an amazing view of Napa Valley and the San Francisco Bay. After food, it was time for more beverages. The rest of the girls did more wine. I opted for a glass of bubbly...mmm....bubbles!

After all the midafternoon drinking, we hopped back into the car (Oh goodness! ORlando Bloom is getting interviewed on TV...pardon my distractedness....)

Vocabulary

2005-06-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

So today, I accomplished a mighty feat: I taught my mother not one, but two new vocabulary words. Word 1: procrastinate (Example: Rather than study for LSAT, I prefer to procrastinate and pester my mother with new words). Word 2: thong (Example: Jocelyn, you shouldn't wear thongs--the newspaper reported that they are bad for you).

Long Weekend Ahead!

2005-05-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yay! My friends are coming to California! They're arriving late tonight, so I'll skiddadle over to the airport to retrieve them after LSAT class. Being East-coast girls to the core, they have never, in their cumulative 72 years on this planet, visited the West side. Meaning they have never experienced the down jacket-less bliss of a snow-free winter, they have never seen the Pacific ocean, they don't understand the massive Californian dependency on four-wheeled transportation (and the corresponding astronomical gas prices), they have never seen fog that blankets a city 330 out of 365 days of the year, they have never mingled with a bar full of Silicon Valley internet-startup techie geeks in their business casual attire of khakis and a polo shirt. Oh, the joys that await!

Yes, there is a fun-filled weekend ahead: winery visiting, city shopping, Golden Gate bridge crossing, clubbing (I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be able to stumble upon some city hotspots Saturday night...), beaching, wahoo! I'm excited!!!

I have also concluded that my friends and I are a fairly well-traveled group, seeing as we plan rendez vous spots around the country. We have been to: Massachussets (obviously), New York, Washington DC, Hilton Head, Italy...and now SF. I'm working on the massive Las Vegas extravaganza...

American Idol

2005-05-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

OH! It's the American Idol Finale tonight...so exciting! Will keep you posted...

Competition

2005-05-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

One thing I don't like about being back in the "real" world: the competitiveness. Granted, I know that I am a very competitive person. Anyone who has ever played Scrabble against me can attest to that fact. However, I'm not talking about atheletic competitiveness or self-competitiveness or Scrabble competitiveness. I think those are all good. What I dislike is the kind of competiveness that is based on petty details or putting someone else down so you feel better about yourself or feeling the need to constantly compare yourself to others, the kind that breeds insecurity and lack of confidence.

What I loved about being in Japan is that I could be independent from so many social associations because I was "foreign." By falling under the "gaijin" label, by being so distant from the society, I could simultaneously experience Japan and live outside of its expectations. Example: I was a teacher, and that was taken at face value. No questioning of the social status of being a teacher, and I didn't have to justify my career choice to anyone but myself. If I make a career choice here in the US, people make flash-judgements about my chosen path, and question its relevence, or it's long-term impact, or stereotype the career and thereby stereotype me.

On a similar note, I liked that everyone in Japan was in the same financial situation. Though everyone had different savings priorities, you could pretty much plan activities with someone and not have to worry about whether or not they would be able to afford it. And you didn't have to tip-toe around the whole salary issue--competition was non-existent, since we were paid regardless of performance. In a society where performance is monetarily rewarded and social status is closely correlated with income, it all becomes so mch more complicated, not to mention more competitive. While I understand the "don't talk about salary" philosphy, I hate how our society is so fixated on money.

For example: conspicuous consumption. Yeah, I like nice stuff. But I hate "status" items that are only blantant advertisements of how rich/cultured/sophistacated you are. I don't like the elitist snobbery, and in Japan, I could pretend to be oblivious to it. Here, it's something I face every day--brands, labels, status symbols--the nature of consumer culture. While I think it's a fascinating phenomenon, it also makes me sick when people feel compelled to advertise their superiority in the form of, say, flaunting a Gucci watch.

Now, I know that much of what I've vented her contradicts with my everyday actions, and that I can very much be accused of being hypocritical. But I just wanted to point out one of my frustrations with being back in the "real" world, and also show how time abroad allowed me to gain perspective and more accurately analyze the values of my home country.

Typical Day

2005-05-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, the 2-week countdown to LSATs has begun! I was dabbling with the idea of postponing the joy, but heeding the advice of my LSAT teacher, I think I will proceed with the June test date. Which means I have exactly 14 days to cram knowledge into my wee little brain and hope for the best. I'm sure everyone's bored of my LSAT babble by now, but that really is all I do nowadays. A brief rundown of my daily schedule (because I like lists!):

8:30: Wake up
9-10: Breakfast, flip through the paper, check email
10-12: LSAT drills
12-1:30: lunch
1:30-4:30: LSAT timed sections, review, with frequent breaks so my brain doesn't overload & crash
4:30-7: Grocery shopping, dinner preparation, blog
7-8: Dinner
8-9:30: Work out
9:30-10: Shower
10-12: Read/study in bed

Wahoo! Ain't that exciting? Some days, unexpected events pop into my schedule, and my whole cycle gets thrown off track, and I get grumpy. For example, today, my brother was about to drive off to LA for his friends' graduation, so my family decided to go out for a family lunch before his long trek on the 101. It was a spur-of-the-moment choice to go out for dim sum, which I love (mmm...dumplings and fried goodness!), but I was alerted of the plans in the midst of a 35-minute reading comprehension section. I'm blaming the low score on my brother bargin in. But yes, I am a delicate little ball of stress at the moment, and I don't like the unpredictability.

Other news: my friends are coming to California ("California--here we come!"--is that how the OC theme goes?) in 3 days, which is very exciting. It's Memorial Day weekend, the official kickoff of Summer here in the states. We're gonna go up and down the cold Northern California shores and test the frigid waters. Monterey! San Francisco! Napa Valley! Fremont! Well, the last one on the list isn't as exciting. I'm hoping that their hearts aren't set on OC-esque sandy beachfront landscapes and palm trees and skinny blond girls in bikinis, cuz NorCal is soooooo not like that. Nope--we've got sea-lion infested wharfs, brown hills (lack of rain in the warmer months), techie geeks, and Asian people galore. Ok, it's not that bad. I'd rather live in the Bay Area in the midst of El Nino than endure another frigid NorthEast winter, or a so-humid-I-turn-into-a-puddle-if-I-go-outside Japan summer. Perhaps it's superficial to choose your geographical ideal based solely on the weather, but think about it: how often does weather come up in daily conversation? A lot. Clearly, it's something people care about, and if good weather is conducive to happiness, and most people want to be happy, then it follows logically that one should take into considerationthe meteorological qualities of their prospective abode.

Musings

2005-05-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Alas, I've given up on South Beach. The burritos from Chipotle were beckoning to me like the sirens beckoned to Odysseus, and I succumbed to their powers. Yes, Mexican food was my downfall. Curse the temtations of the flour tortilla! So, my diet-attention span lasted for about 12 days...not too shabby. And in that time, I DID lose weight. But, as I learned in Biology 146, The Biology of Exercise and Nutrition, the majority of weight loss that results from a low-carbohydrate diet is water weight. Thus, the weight loss is not sustainable. Ah well. It was fun while it lasted. And I got to eat lots of cheese.

Ok--why is my dog on the kitchen table? And why is my brother not wearing his face mask? He just got back from Hong Kong, and promptly came down with a 102 degree temperature, dizzy spells, aches, and pains. Can you say SARS? Or tori-influenza? Infectiious diseases galore! Pardon me while I go quarantine him in the garage and scrub my hands raw with antibacterial hand wash...

A Job!

2005-05-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

A job! A job! I have one official job offer (which I wisely accepted), and am thus on my way to earning the big bucks. Yup, Target offered me a position...and to think it all started with a little visit to a career fair. I am way ahead of schedule (I was hoping for employment by August...the Parachute book had me thinking it would be slow going). Anyhow, my start date is June 20, so I can get the mad LSAT rush over with, have a little fun, and then become a career woman.

But yes, Target is a "Drug-free Workplace," so upon receiving my job offer, I was promptly asked to go take a drug test. As in within 24 hours. Don't know if any of you have ever had to do one before, but it is much more than just peeing into a plastic cup (which I did with masterful imprecision). First off, I had to drive to a lab about an hour away. They took my purse away from me and locked it in a safe. They made me take off my sweatshirt (maybe I had stashed urine samples in the pockets?). Counter to everything I've learned about bathroom etiquette since the age of 2, I was told NOT to flush the toilet post-pee. I had to wipe thoroughly front-to-back two times with a sanitized towellette. I had to collect between 30 and 50 milliliters of urine. And I wasn't allowed to wash my hands until after verifying that the sample was indeed from my body, and watching them seal the little cup. Geez.

Bay to Breakers

2005-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, San Francisco is located by (or on?) the bay. So Bay to Breakers is an annual 12K race that takes you from the bay to the real ocean. About 3 weeks ago, I decided I needed some motivation to get myself in shape, so I signed up for the race. I also heard from Emily that it was a rollicking good time and that most people are more concerned with drinking and partying than actually running. Seemed like a nice compromise.

Thus, on Saturday, after my LSAT (the first one in which my flashes of brilliance finally came out of the woodwork), I went to pick Karen up from the Fremont train station. Now, Fremont is my hometown, but given the overdependence on cars in the Bay Area, I've never once been to the train station. So, I spent a good 25 minutes wasting gas in downtown Fremont before finally coming across a couple of AmTrak signs. Thome and I decided we needed costumes for the race (apparently people like to dress up in outrageous attire for Bay to Breakers), so we headed to an arts and crafts store and decided that we wanted to be Spring Gardens: green t-shirts emblazoned with flowers and birds and bees. Alas, there was a shortage of green shirts (other people had the same idea perhaps?), so we settled on Aquatic Life: blue shirts with seaweed and fish. Picked up the necassary supplies, then headed to Party America to get a sparkly foil table skirt.

We went home, and the arts-and-crafts extravaganza began. I, true to form, was anal about cutting out little fishies and glueing them just so--a little carried away with the glittery puff paint. Karen got bored and decided that she preferred sperm to Aquatic Life so that's what she put on her shirt. Right. Em stopped by later, and my parents took us all out for "real Chinese food." Yum. And so greasy. Afterwards, it was time for some Bubble Tea--the beverages that have slimey tapioca balls in them (they're all the rage in the area). After much deliberation and staring at the extensive menu (fried chicken gizzards!), I got a peanut milk that was tasty if you ignored the curious texture, Thome got passion fruit tea (passion fruit's big in Mexico), and Em got a huge mocha with Bubbles. Upon trying a Bubble, Thome promptly declared "What the fuck?!?" and ran to the nearest trash can. Classic.

On Sunday, we rose at an uncivilized hour, drove to the BART station and boarded a train to downtown SF. Fully costumed (Em in the dinosaur suit, me and Thome in artsy blue t-shirts, blue tinsel skirts, sparkly visors, and fishy garlands around our necks), we arrived at Embarcadero, where LOADS of people were lining up for the race. I'm talking blocks and blocks of people--over 60,000. There were the runners, the walkers, some were elaborately costumed (Elvis, race cars, preppies, a shower curtain, nurses, shark fins, cardboard box robots, spawning salmon), some were clearly there just for the party (Mardi Gras float with a keg, grocery carts containing ice and beer, backpacks loaded with beverages), and some (usually the nasty old men) were naked and free. There was one particularily brave (and bounce-tolerant) woman who was free as well...only in San Francisco! Also the requisite tortilla tossing at the start line. I got hit in the head by a 6" corn tortilla.

Anyhow, by 8 am, the tortillas were getting trampled into the pavement, and the resulting stench signalled the start of the race. It took us a solid 20 minutes just to reach the start line, but once there, Thome and I were on our way! (Dinosaur opted to walk). Somehow, running and gawking at bizarre costumes (or trying to preserve your innocence and averting your eyes from the nudity) is more fun than jogging along like a rodent on a treadmill. The music was blasting, and all along the 12K, revelers were drinking and, in their intoxicated bliss, cheering you along your merry way. We ran the whole way, even up the hill (the party hotspot, apparently, since most people walk, and the floats and carts have difficulty pushing their alcohol stashes up the steep incline). The weather was foggy and cool (as SF weather should be), and the run was beautiful. The Aquatic Life stuck together, and finished with a time of 1 hour 34 minutes...not too shabby considering the 20 minute start delay and my recent lack of training. Good fun.

After the race, it was time to head over to Footstock for free food (cereal and English muffins and cookies and chocolate milk...all the stuff you crave after running...carbs carbs carbs!!!). There was a beer fence, but sadly, we couldn't partake because we had to rush back to catch BART...I had class, Thome needed to study. But yes, Bay to Breakers--highly recommended for those who 1) like to run 2) like to drink or 3) like to wear outrageous costumes.

Interviews

2005-05-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Monday, monday. Always the best day of the week. Especially when you slept for 12.5 hours the night before. Yup, after my whirlwind weekend (the busiest in months!), I was all tuckered out, and needed 12.5 hours to recharge my Jocelyn batteries. So here goes: a recap of all the festivities.

Saturday morning, I was up and at 'em at 6:30. I got all spruced up in my snazzy business formal attire, had an unsatisfying South Beach breakfast of eggs and more eggs (I need my AM carbs to be happy!) and skiddadled along my way. Arrived at the Newark Target (About 8 minutes from my house...easy commute) and was directed towards the "business" backwoods of the store. Who knew that they had a third floor of offices? They also had an impressive break room with a delectable spread of carb-loaded breakfast goodies (danishes, donuts, bagels, fruit...curse South Beach!). Anyhow, I entered the waiting room, and was greeted by a bunch of bleary-eyed soon-to-be-college-grads dressed in their black/gray/navy finest. It made me want to run out and buy a hot pink suit so that I would stand out from the monochromatic crowd. After a bit of idle chit-chat etc etc, I was called in for my first interview.

The interviewers (2-on-1 style) provided me with various scenarios to which I had to draw from my previous experiences and entertain them with a story that highlighted both my strengths and decision-making processes. The night before, I had spoken to one of these interviewers, and at the prompting of one of his colleagues, had kidded about his "impressive" golf score (127? 126?). They asked me to tell astory about my weaknesses (the phrasing was more eloquent than that), and I said something regarding my shyness blah blah blah...but I guess that after standing up in front of a room full of strangers and shouting "GOOOO EPHS!!!" with gusto and vigor, people had a hard time seeing me as shy. Ah well, I suppose that singing and dancing and be foolish in front of 300 6-8 year olds at time has permanently eliminated the words "shame" and "embarassment" from my vocabulary. I have no shame, I feel no embrassment. I've also acquired a high level of genkiness that makes others think I am friendly and able to talk to anyone (the interviewers noted these characteristics about me). Oh the valuable transferable skills you learn from being an ALT in Japan: 1) Genkiness--a trait that eluded me for 21 years of my life 2) Communication--I can talk to anyone, so long as they are either intimidated by hulking foreigners, or very nervous about upcoming interviews 3) Confidence--after wandering the halls of a Junior High in a dinosaur suit, I'm pretty fearless 4) Enunciation--apparently, I do good at pronouncing all the letters.

Interview 1 went swimmingly well (comments: "You'd be great fit here!"), so it was on to conquering interview 2. Interviewers # 3 & 4 liked sports. So, they picked right up on the ice hockey, and virtually every scenario was connected to an ice hockey situation. What would you do if your goalie was letting every puck through? What would you do if your linemate was doing something wrong? How do you feel when you lose a game? Very bizarre, but they were both nice guys, and they thought all the countries on my resume were impressive.

After interview 2, I needed a beverage, so I went to the snack room. The manager of the Newark store, Chris, said "Jocelyn, right? You play ice hockey. I've heard great things about you." Now, I've never met Chris before, but I pretended that it wasn't odd that he knew so much about me, and proceeded to converse about hockey rinks in the Bay Area. He plays hockey, too, so we chatted for a bit, and then he says that he would try to get me to the Newark store...basically, I have a job! Yay! Schmoozing and talking about hockey really does work wonders!

But yes, the whole experience was like a big, giant Jocelyn-ego boost. If job-hunting is always so much fun, I'm going to have to do it more often.

Target, 2

2005-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night, the beginning of my busiest weekend in a while. Started out with a Target Corporation Recruit Night. Basically, Target prospectives (ie people searching for jobs) got to network and mingle with Target executives (ie pople who have jobs) and learn more about Target Corporation.

The evening was an overwhelmingly red affair. I networked, chatted, was genki, etc, and every single person I spoke to asked me 1) where is Williams? and when I told them Massachussets, promptly asked 2) What brings you to California? So I explained about 50,ooo times that I'm actually from California orignially and then went out East for school. Yeah. Interesting conversation topic.

Also fun: somehow, after the mingling, the Execs thought it would be a good idea to gauge the enthusiasm levels of us prospectives by calling out our respective colleges, and then having us do a cheer for the team mascot (example: "UCLA!" "GOOOO BEARS!!!"). So they went throught the trusty California schools, which were all well-represented in the audience, and got rowdy cheers. UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, San Jose State, San Francisco State University blah blah blah. By this point in the evening I am well aware that I am a) the only person from Williams, and b) probably the only person from a school outside of California. So I'm waiting for them to call out "WILLIAMS" and all ready to do an energetic cheer. Instead, they stop, and ask if they missed anyone. I eagerly stand up, all alone, and declare that I'm from Williams (a school no one in the room has probably heard of), and then, when asked what the school mascot is, I have to explain that it's the Ephs. Now, what the hell is an Eph?!? I mean seriously. It's probably a stupider mascot than the banana slug (courtesy of UC Santa Cruz). So they have me spell it out, and then, taking pity on the lone Eph, proceed to cheer with me. Right. There's a way to get noticed.

Another way to get noticed is to put "Hobby: Ice Hockey" on your resume. Apparently, after my first interview, the whole panel of interviewers heard that there was a hockey player amongst the ranks. So I introduced myself to an exec, mentioned that I moved to Massachussets to play hockey, and he declared that he knew me. Kinda strange. But yes, in a see of eager-beaver college grads, I suppose that I, the hockey-playing Eph from Massachussets, stood out. Good thing?

Anyhow, the evening was motivational and I won a $20 gift certificate. Tomorrow, I have 2 interviews and a store tour starting at 8 am, then practice LSAT in the afternoon. Karen's coming over, and we're going to try and put together a creative costume so we can thoroughly humiliate ourselves while running a 10K Sunday morning. Apparently, many people run Bay to Breakers drunk. I have more sense than that. And I have to be sensible enough to comprehend "Arguments, Lesson 4" in the afternoon. Yup--a weekend crammed full of fun. Only thing that could top it is a night of bocce ball!

Great and not great

2005-05-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

1. I've got my whole family saying "see you" whenever we part ways. For example, when dinner is over, and I head back to my room, my parents say "see you!" It's great.

2. I do the little pose-for-purikura-"chee-zu!" thing whenever I'm trying to be cute, or if I'm really excited about something. It's not as great.

In Search of a Study Space

2005-05-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I am in the midst of a mad LSAT studying-spree. So, in the past few days, realizing that my room (due to the abundance of magazines, nail polish, tidying, laundry, filing, watching paint dry etc) was not the most conducive studying environment. With this newfound awareness, I concluded that I needed to change locales to maximize my studying efficiency.

Option 1: Front Yard
Sun and fresh air...what could be better? But alas, I had a tendency to overheat in the mid-day sun, and my Japan-influenced paranoia of tanning meant that I was worrying more about shielding my hand from the harmful rays than making sure my hand was pushing my pencil to bubble in the right answers.

Option 2: Kitchen Table
Ringing phone, TV, barking dogs, easy access to food...not good.

Option 3: Starbucks
It worked when I was studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, so I thought I'd try it out. Climbed into my car, and somehow managed to drive around downtown Fremont for almost an hour before finding a Starbucks. (And you thought Starbucks was an omnipresent corporate powerhouse!) Walked in, passed a few couples on awkward first dates, and lined up for a caffeinated beverage. Before long, I realized that the constant whirring of Frappaccino blenders would drive me crazy, and that I find coffee shops pretentious and predictable. Next.

Option 4: Fremont Public Library
Ah, a quiet space devoted to books and the acquisition of intellect. I strided in with my trusty backpack of LSAT books, found myself a 4-person table (I'm a space hog...my books need seats too). Now, I was ready to study. So, I whipped out my trusty timer, and set it for 35 minutes. It must be noted that my timer beeps 35 times (once for every minute) as I set it, and then, of course, beeps, at the end of 35 minutes, signalling then end of 1 section. Thus, as I was contentedly working my way through a practice LSAT, my timer was beeping at regular 35-minute intervals and distracting everyone in the vicinity. Oops. But in the end, the library worked out the best for Jocelyn, so Jocelyn (and her beeping timer) will be visiting quite often in the next 4 weeks.

Haircut

2005-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to give a big shout-out to Suz! I have a new fan. Wahoo!!

But now, on to more serious matters. I finally succumbed to the split-end madness of my hair and went to get it cut. I think my last cut was in August 2004...about 9 months ago, much to the shock of my hairdresser, Jessica. I tried to explain to her that I had been in Japan, and that hairdressers there did scary things (like extreme thinning or mullets) to hair, but she still seemed set on labelling me a lazy, negligent slob. I suppose it didn't help when I declared that I was completely hair-inept, and passionately abhored hair styling of any kind (ie no blowdrying or hot rollers or flatironing, thank you very much). She looked at me like I was hopeless, but courageously proceeded with my consultation.

So, I busted out the celeb pictures I had brought along. Now, anyone who knows me will be familiar with my obsession with big hair. I LOVE curly. I wish I had beautiful ringlets. Either that, or a huge afro--I think that would be so fabulous. I showed her pictures of curls and ringlets and waves, and she promptly dashed my hopes by deeming my hair "straight and thick and Asian" and "not gonna curl." So sad. She suggested a perm, but recalling my experience in China, I ignored her suggestion. It's quite strange, though, because in the world of Asian hair, my hair is, in comparison, neither very straight, nor very thick/coarse. So I thought I had a chance at curliness, but alas, I was wrong.

Haircutting began, and she lopped off about three inches and gave me some layers, then tried to teach me how to blow-dry effectively, but I think I had zoned out by then. When I got home to model my new style to my mom, grandma, and aunt, they couldn't see a difference in my hair at all, and said I had wasted all of my hard-earned cash. But I can thelll the difference--now, when I run my fingers through my hair, it doesn't get stuck in snarls and knots. It looks healthier. It's still not big, but at least it's not rat-nasty.

Rain

2005-05-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ugh. A rainy Monday. Perhaps the only good thing is that I don't have to trudge through the rain to some far-flung junior high school. Instead, I can climb in to my car and pollute the environment via my commute. But yes, "sunny California" is proving to be anything but. In the past 2 weeks, it's been pretty much constant drizzle and gloom. I feel like I'm in London. My mother is ecstatic about all the rain because it means that she doesn't have to spend 2 hours on the weekend watering all of her plants. Just another example of how the two of us are different. Oh, I see a glimmer of sun in the distance!!

Mother's Day came and went. We dined at a Japanese restaurant (owned and operated by actual Japanese--not Chinese like many of the ones around here), and the sheer quanitity of the food was amazing. Did a set menu thing, and they brought out a ginormous plate of sashimi (thought running through my head: mmm! bring on the raw fish!!). I worked my way through numerous pieces of aquatic delicacies smothered in wasabi and shoyu. Probably should've balanced it out with some rice, but alas, rice is a big no-no on South Beach, so I ended up with a tummy that was mildly annoyed with me for havig eaten all that raw fish and wasabi.

I've been home for a little over a month now, and I've somehow rekindled my motivation. Lying in my bed this morning, I was mentally planning out everything I want to accomplish in this next month. Ambitious and motivated...just the way I like to be!

Mother's Day-eve

2005-05-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

Ah, another weekend, another fun-filled Saturday of LSAT testing. How exciting my life has become! Well, this time, there was the added benefit of a burglar alarm screeching in the background during section 2...hence the dismal score. But in what is seemingly becoming a nice little trend, I took the test, promptly stressed out, and went in to a depressed little funk. LSATs are demoralizing. Ugh.

But on to happier news...It seems that the cutest boy in my class has learned my name. And we even have conversations. Now, I realize that this sort of chronicling of the briefest of encounters is quite grade-schoolesque. However, I think that my resocialization will involve baby steps like having conversations (in English! and non-drunk! and with non-Marines!) with guys. Eventually, I'll move up to flirting or add in a degree of intellectual stimulation (apparently braininess is sexy...wouldn't think so in Japan). Ultimately, my goal is utilize my witty banter to...I'm not sure what, yet, but I'm hoping that it'll come to me by the time my conversational skills have gotten back to their pre-Japan level. Or maybe I should just try speed-dating, where you only need a single 5-minute schpeel to use on all your dates. Infortunately, the categories match 20-30 year old women with 25-40 year old men. 40 to my 23 is just plain nasty (though Katie and Tom may disagree), and I may be delusional, but I even find 25 slightly old...in my mind, I'm still a just-graduated college kid. Maybe I just like 'em young!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Which means that I've been a madwoman in the kitchen. (Oh I also got a classy Mother's Day gift: mylar balloons plastered with Tweety bird saying "I Love Mom"--courtesy of the grocery store). Have requests for sugar-free treats from my diabetic grandmother, so I made a blueberry crumb coffee cake and a tiramisu(minus the cake-y bit). I love having a large, spacious oven. (And I also love having a clothes dryer--fabric softener sheets are perhaps the best invention ever!) Alas, on a whim, I have put myself on the South Beach Diet, and in Phase 1, it's strictly no carbs. So I can't partake in my fresh-baked goodies, which really takes all the fun out of baking. Anyhow, seeing as sitting here typing and eyeing the coffee cake is testing the limits of my (minimal) self-control, I am off to my bedroom to call it a night.

The OC

2005-05-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I just watched the OC for the first time since getting back, and it seems that I've missed quite a bit. But some things never change, and the shock and drama is still a vital part of the show. To note: Kiki is involved in a car accident and may be an alcoholic, Julie is issued divorce papers by Caleb, Marissa seems to have been assaulted by Ryan's brother (but Ryan thinks they're having an affair), and Summer and Seth are in a bit of a tiff. Oh, the OC...high-quality TV.

In other TV news, I'm addicted to American Idol. 4 contestants are left. I have my dad tape it every Tuesday (while I'm being inundated with LSAT knowledge). The outfits are more intriguing than the actual singing...the best was Carrie's "Barbie meets Stepford Wives" look...big hair and all. Haven't voted yet, but I'm rooting for Bo, the long-haired rocker.

And, apparently it's Mother's Day on Sunday. Why do they have these holidays? Much akin to Valentine's Day or White Day, I believe Mother's Day is a commercialized, money-making hoax. Why do I have to be especially nice for one Sunday out of 52? Why would my mother really want a box of candy and some flowers to celebrate? Perhaps I'll cook her an elaborate brunch...oh wait, I do that everyday. Oh I know! Maybe I'll buy her a fuzzy-wuzzy puppy...

Order

2005-05-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

For the first time since coming back to California, I felt useless and misdirected. Disorganized and out of control. Helpless. And stress (about jobs, about grad school, about meeting new people, about settling back in to the "real" world), something that was virtually nonexistant back in Japan, seems to pop out of nowhere.

Now, I wouldn't call it culture shock, but I was missing the order and predictability of Japan. I suppose that's the main point: I like order and being organized, and feeling like I'm in control. I like focus. And in the past few days, I flopped another practice LSAT (steady downhill slide...not what I'm paying for!), my room is a mess due to displacement of toiletries because of attempts to paint my bathroom, commuter traffic drives me crazy, and my parents are being too helpful and trying to give me career/school advice. ARGH! No order, no organization, no control, no focus=Jocelyn not happy.

At least I'm able to spot the root of the problem. And I suppose it means that I'm a control freak. Today, I am much better, and back to being my cheerful, happy self, but I still like order. And I'd still like my LSAT scores to improve.

Yum

2005-04-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

I just ate at El Torito. It was fabulous. I love Mexican food!

Parachute Madness

2005-04-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

So my father had a copy of the infamous "What Color Is You Parachute?" lying around on his bookshelves. Apparently, it's quite helpful in assessing what your ideal job is, and how to go about finding that job. I am quite keen on uncovering my "mystery career," but am currently overwhelmed by Target Assessments (questions included a personality test, i.e. "choose the word that best dexcribes you: 1) optimistic 2) confident 3) likeable"...I like to think that I'm all three, but that isn't an option). Additionally, LSAT studying is suddenly taking up much more of my time. This is mostly because I am freaking out over my last dismal score, and don't want to relive that experience again.

But yeah, my dad walks around, sees me studying, and asks me "What color is you parachute?" Reminds me of Japan.

Oh, I visited the cosmetics counter yesterday, and somehow managed to spend $97 on 2 kinds of concealer (one for undereye circles, one for face) and a translucent powder. Being beautiful is expensive! And the lady doing my makeup smirked when I said I used Neutrogena products for my face. Apparently, drugstore brands don't have the class and cache, and therefore don't work as effectively as, say, Chanel or Laura Mercier. Sigh. But have you ever noticed how being beautiful is equated with losing things? For example, since getting back I have lost:
1. my glasses (and contacts) (thanks to Lasik)
2. zits (thanks to Neutrogena)
3. yellowish teeth (thanks to Crest Whitestrips)
4. split ends (thanks to scissors)
5. a few pounds (thanks to no more school lunch)
And, by the strict definition of beauty, I am more beautiful for having lost items 1-5. We'll see how that goes.

Target

2005-04-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

So today, I had my first real job interview. (I don't think the JET interview counts...especially now that I know that most of the job consists of making a fool of yourself in front of 6-year-olds and finding innovative ways to dawdle away time). It was for Target. As you may recall, I scheduled the interview in a post-LASIK haze, so I had neglected to ask for relevent details like what job I would be interviewing for. But no worries...

Anyhow, last night, I crammed (just like back at school!). I tried to think of my strengths and weaknesses, about why I wanted to work for Target, about how JET can be translated to retail, blah blah blah...a whole load of BS, basically. But I was pretty impressed with my eloquent, profound answers. At around 1 am, I was feeling pretty confident, pretty smart.

Woke up this morning, and my mother decided to tag along for the ride. Crazy mother. Granted, she did have a few errands to run in the area, but why is it that at my first opportunity to be independent, my mother has to come and chaperone me? Does she think I am incapable of driving in high heels??? Grr. But yes, she took a couple wrong turns (after claiming she knew exactly where she was going), and around 9:22 (interview start time: 9:30), I thought I might retrigger my oh-so-fun ulcer. Made it just in time...thank goodness.

The interview itself was a 2-on-1, and apparently the position is for an assistant manager role (called Executive Team Leaders in Target-speak). I was faced with the expected questions, and somehow, my answers were no longer as articulate and intelligent as I had rehearsed...I babbled incessently about trivial things like nearly failing multivariable calculus (but I pulled a B-!!) and my dedication to ice hockey. Right. But I guess they sorta liked me (must have been the dangly earrings), cuz they said they'd be in touch to set up another interview, and I have to take this online assessment test so they can gain insight into my deepest darkest history or something. Oh, and if I do get the job, I get to pee in to a cup for a drug check...it might be borderline...better clean up my act.

But yes, I am amazed that this all sort of fell in to my lap with little effort on my part beyond attending a career fair. I must be doing something right!

Berkeley

2005-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday, I was social. Yes, me and my glasses-free face ventured beyond the confines of my home, and met up with Karen in Berkeley. Berkeley is the home of the University of California, and though it's less than an hour from my house, I had never visited. But, now, in my semi-organized search for law schools, I thought that I might as well start off close to home and start checking out campuses. Granted, where I apply will be dependent upon my LSAT scores (which, at the moment, are horribly dismal). I would love to go to Berkeley (or that other school across the Bay, Stanford) for purely geographical reasons. However, aforementioned schools may not want me due to my shoddy undergraduate GPA. Scary how those nights of watching "Crossroads" or drinking strawberry daquaris or ummm...not studying...come back to haunt you.

But anyhow, I picked Karen up from the now nonexistent Berkeley Amtrak station, and we proceeded to wander the streets aimlessly. I had no idea where to go, Karen is a recent Minnesota transplant...so we were utterly hopeless. Toyed with the idea of joining the pre-frosh tour, but concluded that it would make us feel very old. We did pass quite a few buildings that are larger than anything on the Williams campus. While chatting about blind dates and Mrs. Field's cookies and the wonders of Davis, we stumbled upon Telegraph street, which seemed to be the electic hotspot of the Cal campus. Had Mexican for lunch (grilled burrito!), then, lacking the motivation to explore further, decided to go to Ikea. (For those not in the know, Ikea is a huge Swedish furniture/lifestyle store...very affordable, very modern-ish stuff)/

Ikea was teeming with people, and it seemed like virtually all of them were young, lovey-dovey couple searching for furnishings to begin their cohabitation. Yuck. So Thome and I ignored all the love in the air, and stuck to the baiscs of finding appropriate bathroom shelving systems and TV stands. I love Ikea. It was my second visit in 4 days. This time, unarmed with measurements of my bathroom, I was only able to buy remedial room accessories (trash can, organizational drawers)...I'll have to be more prepared on my next trip.

Well, after heckling Em (she had just gotten home at 2 pm...), she met up with us in Berkeley, and we wandered around once again. Made a much needed pit-stop at the Futon Shop (I was trying to be tall and wore tall boots...not good for walking). Futons in the US come with nice little frames and can be converted in to couches. Wow. Eventually, we settled on a Thai restaurant. Then, we went to Cold Stone, which is a choose-your-own-ice cream place. I settled on cheeseckae ice cream with Reese's, cookie dough, and peanut butter. About half way through my cup of custom ice cream, I started to feel ill. I think my sugar-breaking enzymes were too overwhelmed after nearly three weeks of sugar deprivation. Ah well, I tried...

Diversity

2005-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

The other day I was taking my morning walk with my parents and we strolled past a woman with an old dog. My mother started a conversation with this woman, and she had a British accent. Also, at dinner last week, the waiter had an Australian accent. Now, when I heard these accents, I didn't think "Oh! England!" or "Oh! Australia!". No...I thought "Oh! Japan!" Goes to show how diverse Japan really is.

Amazing America

2005-04-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

So I've been back in the U.S.A. for about 18 days now, and though I don't think I've experience culture shock in the "I'm so depressed, I'm pining for Japan form," there are things that still amaze me. In no particular order:

1. BIG people
2. BIG portion sizes at restaurants
3. Everything (especially fruit) is so cheap
4. Driving on the right side of the road
5. Garbage cans everywhere you need them!
6. Understanding mundane conversations
7. Guys are taller than me!
8. The ethnic diversity
9. The food diversity
10. Paper towels in public restrooms!!
11. Fat-free milk
12. Whole-grain bread
13. Trashy TV
14. Attention-desperate celebs
15. New music
16. Mexican food
17. Shoes that fit
18. Wal-Mart
19. Sunny spring weather
20. LASIK

Yup...now I'm distracted by Meghan on the phone....so I'm going to stop now...

2005-04-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I CAN SEE!!! And it's amazing! Wow. I am in total awe of the miracle that is Lasik. A brief synopsis of the past 24 hours:

Friday morning, I giddily bounced out of bed because it was surgery day! I was so excited...my final morning of shoddy vision, of squinting in to the mirror while brushing my teeth, of feeling around for the glasses on my bedside table. "Never again," I thought to myself victoriously, "will you [glasses] control my life! Thanks to newfound alliances with lasik, I will be the champion! Ha ha ha!!!"

My mother drove me to Dr. Furlong's office, and after some filling out of paperwork, promises of not to sue for medical malpractice, and some finalization of payment (sole drawback: lasik ain't cheap), I was ready for some final measurements and last-minute questions. I asked if I would be able to wear contacts in the future should my procedure fail (yes), and if I could wear glitter eye shaddw tomorrow night (no). Then, I was excorted to a private room, where they first had be bid good riddance to my glasses, then handed me a cloth shower cap to cover all of my hair, then some cotton pads to cover my ears (so the eyedrops wouldn't seep in to my ear canal). Next, my eyelids were swabbed with that orange-brown antibiotic solution. Then, I had to sit for a few minutes in hazy blurriness that has become so familiar to me over the years. The doctor walked in to the room, and though I couldn't actually see him, he guided me to the laser and gave me abrief run-through of what to expect.

I was allowed to recline under a large machine, and told to stare up the chute at the red light--apparently, it was the laser. Oh-so-exciting! If I could, I would kiss the machine's toes, but, alas, the machine has no toes. Anyhow, once comfortably situated, the endless series of eye drops (antibiotic, numbing, steriod, anti-inflammatory blah blah blah) began. They started with my right eye. Dr. Furlong propped my eye open with a fork or similar such torture device to render me incapable of blinking, then stuck a little ring around my cornea, at which point the little red light disappeared and I heard a buzzing noise (the slicing of the corneal flap). Then, the light came back, the flap was pushed aside, and everything became even blurrier than normal. I was told to keep focusing on the light, and that I'd start hearing a tapping sound, which was the laser doing its job. While the laser was zapping away, I could smell the burning eye tissue...vaguely similar to burning hair. After 45 seconds of zapping, cold water was sprayed on to my eye (to wash away the dead stuff, I assume), and the doc used an eye-squeegee-like device to sop up the excess water. The flap was replace, the fork removed, and I was told to close my eye gently. The entire process took about 5 minutes. Left eye was the same, except the laser zapped away for 51 seconds.

After both eyes were zapped, I was taken to an exam room, where the doctor checked to make sure the flaps were in place and that he hadn't left any stray instruments in my eyes. Then, an assistant taped some plastic eyeshields to face to prevent me from rubbing, handed me a pair of $1 sunglasses, told me to keep my eyes closed, and sent me on my merry way. Let me tell ya, I looked HOT. Oh, and then on the way out (aproximately 5 minutes after the completion of surgery), my phone rang, and it was a recruiter wanting to set up a job interview...I druggedly settled on a date, but the entire coversation is slightly foggy.

Anyhow, I got home, and passed out. Woke up briefly to consume some sushi, then went back to sleep...not much else to do when you're supposed to keep your eyes closed. My eyes were a bit scratchy (like a dirty contact lens), and slightly puffy (like I had been crying all night). I even managed to watch an episode of America's Next Top Model in the evening.

So...did it hurt? No. I was drugged (a mild form of valium, I'm told). There was slight pinching, and the inability to blink was slightly bizarre, but no serious pain. It was wierd to see the various scalpels and such going in and out of my field of vision, but it was all so quick that simply singing along to Britney in my head kept me distracted from the actual surgery.

This morning, I woke up, and it was AMAZING! I could see everything! I had a check-up exam, and I'm already at 20/20 vision, and it'll probably get better. I was told I'm healing beautifully. I was told to use my eye drops religiously. But yes, I drove myself around today, and took a practice LSAT (if that's not straining on the eyes, I don't know what is). I love lasik. It is awesome. It is super-cool. It is better than salmon-cheese sushi. It is better than chocolate. It is even better than cookies.

ZAP

2005-04-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have lasik tomorrow!!!! Yay!!!!! That's right...tomorrow morning at 11, I'm going to see Dr. Furlong and he's going to put me under a million-dollar laser and zap my eyes. I have never been this excited by surgery before. But after tomorrow, if all goes well, my vision will be corrected from 20/2000 (translation: what normal people can see at 2000 feet, I see at 20 feet...that's right, I'm REALLY blind...almost -10.00 diopeters according to the most recent eye tests) to 20/15 (better than 20/20). So theoretically, I'll see better than I ever have in my life! I'll be able to read all those traffic signs I've been ignoring for years! I'll be able to see the stubble on my legs when I shave them! I'll be able to scrutinize all the pores of my face with a new level of intensity! Oh, the possibilities!!!

As you can tell, I am very excited by all of this. It also means that my social hibernation will end a week earlier than originally planned. But yes, I went in for my pre-op exam today, and the doctors used a variety of drops in my eyes, my pupils were dialated (which means I got some of those classy make-shift sunglasses that you slide in to your real glasses), la la la, they had me read an eye chart without my glasses on, and I actually couldn't even see that big giant "E" on the top row...the doctor had to hold up some fingers 3 inches from my nose before I could even attempt to distinguish what was there. Ugh. Horrible. I hope none of you are so blind. (Apparently, I have vision that is worse than 99% of the Lasik-seeking population.) And then they said they had openings for tomorrow if I wanted to move my surgery up a week. I jumped at the chance.

Granted, my vision may not turn out 20/15, but unless something goes very very wrong, it'll at least be much better than 20/2000. And I am happy with that...though should I ever need a touch-up procedure, it's free. Thank goodness for the Lifetime Commitment.

So yes, I get zapped tomorrow. That is the most exciting news for me since forever. Much more interesting than analyzing LSAT arguments. And tonight, I get to use a lovely eyelid scrub to break down the bacteria that resides in my eyelashes and eylids. Reminds me of a girl who got diagnosed with blepheritis...had to scrub her eyes with baby shampoo. Now, the pessimist in me is saying that this might be the last time I ever see in my life...surgery could go terribly wrong (a power outage! a mis-aimed laser! over-correction! doctor sneezes in the middle of the procedure! I develop a horrible eye infection because I used the eye scrub improperly!) and then I'll really be blind. But I am choosing to see the positives (ha ha--a pun!) and am focusing (pun again!) on my eyesight getting better. I am sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 Weeks

2005-04-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

Well, it only took me 2 weeks to fully unpack and move back to my room. Granted, there has been a lot of remodelling work going on in my bathroom, so the contractors trudging in and out weren't conducive to me sleeping in my own room. Instead, I'd been crashing in the guest bedroom, and in the past 14 days, it managed to turn into a certified disaster area--clothes everywhere, study materials scattered about, toiletries shuffled between bathrooms. And, sadly, I have been wearing the same couple of outfits I schlepped back from Japan because my closet was inaccessible. At least I could get to the shoes...but leopard print platforms don't really go that well with my minging jeans.

Today, I finally unpacked, put everything in its rightful place, and settled back in. I was even motivated enough to rearrange my furniture! I found some dust bunnies and a couple of giant mosquitos hiding in the corners, but after killing many a gokiburi in Jo's apartment, they barely fazed me. So now, I can relax in my large, triangular whirlpool tub, and sleep in my queen size bed. A far cry from boxy Japanese tubs and futons. And maybe tomorrow, I'll hook my computer...then I never have to leave except for class!

Ooooh!!! A program on the art of poker...it's all psychological--lying, reading people. Pro poker players can win 1.8 million dollars! I need to work on my poker face (or get a hat and some sunglasses--essential equipment, apparently). And an amatuer just won 2.5 mil! Who needs a job when there are cards??

2 Weeks

2005-04-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Career Fair

2005-04-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today I attended (ugh) a Career Fair. With "Fair" in the name, you'd think that one of these events would be fun, with brightly colored balloons attached to carnival booths where you throw some quarters to win your Perfect Career. Or, that there'd at least be a dunking booth so you could frustratedly launch beanbags at all those HR people who ask you inane questions like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" (If I could see myself in 5 years, I would own a deck of tarot cards and a crystal ball, and have a career as a psychic!) Alas, Career Fair would be more aptly titled "Cutthroat Competition for an Entry-Level Desk Job."

Now, perhaps I am being to harsh and judgemental. After all, I didn't heed sage advise and attempt to identify the color of my parachute prior to attending the Fair. But isn't the whole point of a Career Fair to offer options and let you know what's out there? To show you all the career possibilities you would choose to pursue?

Apparently, this is not the case. At every booth I visited ( and they ranged from Avis Rent-A-Car to Wal-Mart to The Santa Rosa Police Department to Verizon Wireless...the selection wasn't spectacular) , the first thing they asked me was "What are you looking for?" So in my head, I'm thinking, "Well, that's what I'm here to research--I want to learn about your organization, and what kind of position I could play in it." So I tried using that answer first. Response: recruiters were not impressed--evidently, they already know about their companies, and therefore would prefer to find out what I want.

So, being the quick-learner that I am, and sensing that I am failing to impress anyone with my wishy-washy answers, I decide to change it up a bit. This time, I'll have clarity and focus (followthrough can come later). I reply: "I am looking for a career in law--preferably with an international focus, because I just got back from one and a half years in Japan, and am fascinated with policy and legal differences between the two societies." The general response to this: "Sorry, we don't have anything in the legal arena."

Conclusion: neither vagueness or specifity seemed to work at this Career Fair. Perhaps I was in the wrong place.

Also of note: someone (presumedly educated) read this: "Williams College, Williamstown, MA, B.A. American Studies, 2003" and asked me if I had both my Masters and Bachelors degrees, and then, upon clarification that "MA" stands for Massachussetts, asked me what a degree in American Studies is good for. Around this point in time, I was cursing myself for not attending, oh, say Golden Gate University or majoring in Econ and Marketing with a minor in Business. The moral of this anecdote is: 1) people in the West Coast don't know a hoot about Williams, 2) people in general don't give a hoot about American Studies and it is thus a worthless major. Grrrr.

The little companies (anyone heard of Andeiron?) who expect you to actually know what they do...they also get me mad. How am I supposed to know if I fit in with your organization if you won't tell me anything about it?!?! And then I ask questions, trying to learn about their company, and they look at me like I'm a 12-year old trying to learn how to tie her shoelaces! I'm exasperated!!! But I am consoling myself by saying clearly it would never have been a good fit if there was such a large gap in communication to begin with.

Anyhow, I am taking solace in the fact that I am still in hibernation, and therefore am actually going above and beyond my own expectations for myself by even attending the career fair. So I'll give myself a little pat on the back, work on some snazzy Jocelyn sales-pitches, snuggle up to my free, squishy Avis stress car, and call it a night.

2005-04-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a run...nothing like starting your day with some invigorating cardiovascular exercise! I've also noticed that my teeth hurt. You'd think that teeth (bits of calcium and enamel) would be pretty pain-resistant...I am discovering otherwise, and it ain't pretty. It hurts whenever I take a breath. It hurts when I chew. It hurts when I drink water. Alas, it's good I'm in hibernation, because I reckon it would hurt when I talk, too.

My to-do list for today is quite ambitious: update resume, do homework, rearrange and clean room, file papers. Yup. I'll keep you posted...

Saturday

2005-04-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Aaahh, Saturday. In Japan, this would involve sleeping 'til noon, going for a brisk jog alon Kanmon Straights, then getting ready to go to Fukuoka for a night of debauchery. Or, it would involve a day devoted to the art of shopping at the hyaku yen shop and baking cookies, then consuming aforementioned cookies in unspeakably large quanities in the evening potluck. But here in California, it means sleeping 'til 9:45, going for a brisk jog on the treadmill, and then drinving 45 minutes to take a 4 hour practice LSAT. Which would you choose?

After class, I dropped by Em's place to pick up my snazzy Gucci sunglasses. She was decked out in shorts and a tank top, all ready to go mini-golfing with her new boy. I, on the other hand, am in a self-imposed social hibernation. Basically, this means I don't go anywhere where superficial people (ie people I don't know) get to make first impressions of me based on my appearance. Now, this may sound extremely shallow to some of you, but in the mind of Jocelyn, it makes perfect sense. Let me explain:

Imagine the female gaijin syndrome in Japan (ie compared to cute little J-girls, we are minging and huge regardless of what we do, so we simply give up and put minimal effort in to our looks...not that there's anyone quality to impress anyway). Well, here, there ARE prospects (haven't spotted any yet, but I know they're out there). And, here, I have a cuteness potential. However, at the moment, I am sentenced to wearing my cracked, crooked, coke-bottle thick glasses, which are not cute in ANY country (some glasses can be cute...just not mine). I think Emily noted that I look "confused and sleepy"--not sexy. Thus, in my glasses, I am likely to repel, as opposed to attract prospects. So, until I am foxy and frameless, I would prefer to stay within the confines of my home. Besides, many a Cosmo/Glamour article have reported that attractiveness is all in your head. So if in my head, I think I look like a dud in my glasses, that is the image I'll project, and it's really not conducive to any kind of fruitful social interaction. See? My hibernation makes perfect sense!

So, if all goes as planned, I'll be chillin' with my 'rents 'til I get my eyes zapped on 4/29. Then, watch out world! Jocelyn will be back in full force!!!

LSAT

2005-04-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

I just returned from my LSAT course. Yay, good fun. Right. We worked through 2 games (2 games!) in about 2 hours. I got a box of prep materials larger than my head. And I had to briefly introduce myself. (that was tough...used big words to try to impress people, but I may or may not have used them incorrectly). And I had to read questions out loud. (that was easy...thank goodness for the japanese school system). And I had to laugh at a Michael Jackson joke. (Q: Why does Michael Jackson like twenty-eight year olds? A: Because there are 20 8-year-olds! Get it?)

All in all, class was painless, though a little dull. (My stomach was growling from hunger, but that's a moot point). And, for the first time in forever, I have homework. An honest-to-goodness homework assignment. I can feel the brain cells coming out of hibernation already. Actually am slightly excited by the prospect, and don't intend to procrastinate on it. The beginning of a new Jocelyn!

Lonely

2005-04-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

I just saw the Akon "Lonely" music video. Made me chuckle inside.

Residual Brain Loss

2005-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have been back for a week and a bit now, you'd think that my mind would've recovered from the year-and-a-half long Japanese vacation I took. Here is an anecdote that suggests otherwise:

While at the eye doctor's, I was presented with a stack of forms to fill out. Naturally, there were questions concerning my eye health, vision, blah blah blah. One question asked: "What kind of vision correction do you currently use?". To which I wrote (not said, but actually wrote) in reply: " I wear grasses." Not good.

LASIK and phones

2005-04-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today, I started my morning with a brisk walk with my parents (am trying to help them get in shape). Then, I was off to a LASIK consultation. But due to shoddy directions and slow driving, I was 15 minutes late...and therefore missed the consultation. I think I swore in front of the receptionist. (I have to remember that I'm not in Japan anymore...people understand me here!) But no worries...I had another appointment at 2:30 pm. Once again, I was late. But after a couple of computerized scans, some prodding at my cornea, and a retinal topogrophy, I was told that I'm a good candidate for LASIK. Unfortunately, it'll set me back about $4000. Gasp. And I have to wear my glasses for about 3 weeks straight so my eyes return to ther original shape. I hate my glasses...the cracks and such only add to the classiness.

Anyhow, after missing the first appointment, I went to the mall for some shopping. Ordinarily, this would be a very exciting event. However, with my Japan weight gain, shopping is suddenly much much less appealing. I even turned down a complimentary bra fitting at Victoria's Secret. Rather than buy clothes, I instead purchases a lovely set of makeup brushes from Sephora. Anyone who hasn't used a concealer brush for their undereye circles is really missing out! It's amazing...it's going to change my life!!!

Another life changing experience: getting y first cell phone. Camera and text capable. Will forward my new number to interested parties...

Good Answers

2005-04-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, I headed over to Palo Alto to meet up with Emily. Haven't seen her since August, and since then, she's moved to PAlo Alto and started her 6 year PhD program at Stanford.
Seems to me that the program basically consists of sitting in a lab for six years, sporadically peering into microscopes, and writing a couple of papers. Anyhow, much has changed in Em's life of late...the majority of the change coming in the form of her love life. Suffice to say that she is one wanted woman, and that she has that fledgling-romance glow. .. But yeah, we went to a pub for dinner, and reminesced about all the people in our lives.

Now, after a couple of conversations with various people since coming back to the states, a few questions/comments keep popping up. One: "WHY are you going to law school???" Two: "Why do you want to be a LAWYER???" Three: "Why did you leave Japan early?" Four: "What are you going to do now that your home?" So, I'm not sure how to interpret these questions, so I'm going to pass it off as mere curiousity, and take it as a compliment, because according to an article in Glamour, the more shocking and unbelievable your goals & the slimmer your chance of success (in the minds of others), the greater the satisfaction of success. So I'm going to work hard and prove all the skeptics wrong...I just need to think of good answers to the questions in the meantime.

My New Life

2005-04-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

My new California life consists of:
-waking up at 6:30 AM to take a walk with my parents (I'm trying to get them in shape)
-studying for the LSATs (yay practice tests!)
-preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for my family
-shopping for a sink and toilet for my currently-being-remodeled bathroom
-succumbing to the powers of jetlag around 3pm
-researching LASIK and scheduling consultations
-procrastination on the unpacking of stuff, and subsequent putting-away of stuff

Yes, that is what I've been up to. But next week, at the prodding of my over-anxious parents, I will begin a LSAT prep course. I think their idea is more for me to go out and meet aspiring lawyers than actually prep for the LSAT, but who am I to argue at the opportunity to be social? Oh, and gas prices are astronomically high here in the Bay Area, so driving around in may car is almost prohibitively expensive. But other than that, I have been consuming many fruits and vegetables and my digestive system is quite happy!

Back in the CA

2005-04-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's true. I've made it back. Arrived Tuesday morning, after a minor airport locker fiasco (the damn thing wanted 800 yen before it would release my bags, but i had only 400, and no bank card, so i had to haul all my other luggage across the terminal to an international ATM that would only dispense 10,000 yen notes...finally got all my stuff, checked-in, and had to run to catch my plane), and a antsy seatmate, I landed in the Bay Area.

My parents were late to pick me up, but they made it up to me by taking me to IHOP (International House of Pancakes). I ordered an omelette the size of my head and a stack of pancakes. Divine. Also noted that all the patrons of IHOP are significantly larger than J-size...perhaps in correlation to the excessively large portion sizes.

Anyhow, that evening, I went grocery shopping, and was once again overwhelmed by the sheer largeness that surrounded me. Was also in awe of the abundent selection of fresh produce, whole-grain bread, and cereals. A pineapple (an entire pineapple) was only $2.99!!! Wow. I mean, wow!!!

However, the most amazing moment happened in the parking lot. I was pushing my cart up to my trusty Toyota Rav-4, when this guy said hello to me. His car battery was dead. Anyhow, we began conversing, and I asked him if he needed help (cuz I'm a nice person), and he said that his friend was helping him, so it was ok. He then asked for my number, to which I replied I had just gotten back from Japan, so I didn't have a phone yet. We then chitchatted about Japan for a bit, and finally I had to go. Now, for a uncute and untiny gaijin who has been living in Japan for the past 1.5 years, this was amazing. Granted, the guy wasn't that cute, but it just goes to show that we really aren't that unattractive. It's only when surrounded by J-girls that we are subpar. So remember how I keep saying I'm going to meet the guy of my dreams in a grocery store or somethin? Maybe it really will happen! And the is hope for all of us...just, perhaps, not in Japan.

Shoes

2005-04-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of rearranging my closet, and as you all know, I love my shoes. So I decided to take digital pics of all of them, so that I'd be able to easily track down the pair I want to wear. Well, I have no fewer than 48 pairs of shoes (not counting trainers, running shoes, and flip-flops). My, that's a lot of shoes!

Last night in Shimonoseki

2005-04-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

My last day in Shimonoseki...so sad! It has been the longest I have lived in one place since the age of about 12! The day was spent packing, stressing out over paperwork in the office, and blogging. Yes, thanks to my massive organizational skills and all the time I spent packing before Tokyo, I actually had enough free time to blog on my last day. So, sitting in my bare apartment, whiffing the fumes of orange-scented kitchen cleaner, I am typing from my computer for the last time.

This morning, I went in to the office to hand over my Yoshimi letters, write a farewell letter, and sort things out. The new Japanese fiscal year has started, so the BOE ALTs have a new supervisor...and oddly, he seemed to be in charge of handling my various proceedings on this, my very last day. I just met the guy, will be leaving in less that 24 hours, and he barely remembers my name, and he's doing my paperwork. The Japanese are odd in their ways. Anyhow, that all got finished eventually, and when it came time for my final farewell to the office, site of many a bored office day, I actually cried. I'm so sappy.

We went out for sushi...took up an entire counter. Somehow, I have managed to acquire 10 friends in Shimonoseki alone. Someone told the sushi folk that today was my last meal, and they, with keen knowledge of my fondness for salmon-cheese sushi, presented me with a plate of 4 pieces of sushi--serbisu! I devoured it, relishing e very bit of salmony goodness...it will be a while before i consume such sushi perfection again!

Afterwards, completely stuffed, we headed to Bagdad Cafe. Everyone else got beer, I settled on some milk and cookies. We talked for a long time...what of, I'm not really sure I remember. But I did recieve many farewell gifts, which I'm not sure I'm necassarily deserving of (I am leaving early, after all), but that I appreciate dearly. Jo made me a lovely photo album with a running commentary of "The Adventures of Jo and Jocelyn." Why it's not "The Adventures of Jocelyn and Jo,"...I don't know. Selene presented me with the Starbucks cup. Gillian blew up pictures of the faithful Shimonoseki crew. Selena brought back shortbread from Scotland...mmm buttery goodness! English Circle (ie Yukari) gave me a lovely Japanese pencil case and mirror. Hashimoto gave me a nice pencil...I think all the stationary is for my LSAT studying. And I also recieved a lovely pendant necklace (in a reverse "J" shape for "jocelyn" and "Japan") from the girls, and a heart pendant from Kohei's family. I am touched. Everything will help me remember Japan (except, perhaps, the shortbread, which has already been consumed...) and all the wonderful friends I have made. Thank you!

Shanghai

2005-04-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

First journal entry (post-long hiatus)...this is exciting! Well, I just returned from 5 days in Shanghai. It was a fabulous trip consisting primarily of shopping and eating. The flight was shoddy...the worst sandwiches EVER. From the airport, we took the bus, and then tried to navigate the Metro system. My Chinese was out of practice, so figuring out where to go was a little tricky. The pushy Chinese folk didn't help things. But eventually, we found our way downtown.
Jo and I stayed in the Captain's Hostel. Unfortunately, our room wasn't actually a boat. But no worries--all the staff wore cute sailor uniforms and our room was HUGE (as in about 4 times larger than your standard ryokan).
The first day, we woke up early and headed to the Old town area for some antiqueing and dumpling eating. Wanted to wait in line for the best steamed dumplings in town, but grew impatient and decided to venture over to the markets instead... Made it over to the knockoff markets, where after much hassle and bargaining, I purchased two lovely Salvatore Ferragamo bags--not as blatently pirated as, say, Louis Vuitton. Very content with my purchases! In the evening, we travelled via strobe-light surrounded pod to Pudong, on the other side of the river. There, we rummaged around a ludicrously large mall, and had a shoddy dinner of sticky rice that tasted like sand.
Day two was "Culture Day." Hence, after an early wake-up call, we boarded a bus to ZhongZou. Two hours later, we arrived, famished, and utterly clueless as to where to go. We must have looked like sucker tourists, because a bicycle pulley guy looped us around town (when we really only had to go about 200 feet) and charged us 10 yuan for our little ride. Blatant ripping-off of the tourists was had. Anyhow, we did our requisite little culture bit ("ooh--look at the pretty building!"), then proceed to browse around the little street shops and stalls. Jo bought a strand of pearls. I bought two pigs that are stringed together at the mouth and kiss each other when coaxed.
After a long, sleepy busride back to the City, we went and had high tea at the classiest hotel in Shanghai, the Ritz-Carlton. I was feeling quite grimey and scrubby, but the soothing sounds of the 4-string quartet, the steaming pot of tea, the class of Moet champagne, and the delicate sandwiches and pastries almost made me feel classy and sophisticated. Almost. A girl can dream, right?
The evening was spent mingling with "beautiful people." Shanghai Sally's (our original destination) was no where to be found, so we had to step up the classiness and dine at Boco, a dimly lit tapas bar that managed to make chain-link curtains look posh. We ordered paella and martinis, and almost succeeded in being classy until Jo flung her knife to the floor while trying to gracefully cut a chicken drumstick....
To save face, we left Boco in search of the Shanghai nightlife. A couple cab rides, long walks, and mass confusion later, we ended up at a noisy, smokey, uber-chic club where a single drink was more expensive than a Louis Vuitton wallet!! I've decided that I hope that I'm never so "cool" that I become unapproachable. And I also hope that I will never be one of those old people who still go clubbing in a vain effort to recapture the wild days of their youth. So sad. By about 1 am, with the realization that my bad hair day destined me to "uncoolness," we decided to head back to the bunks at the Captain's hostel.
Saturday was "Shopping Day." It started off with a fabulous lunch at Simply Thai, one of the top 50 restaurants in Shanghai. True to form, I managed to send a chunk of satay chicken flying across the room. The waiters were snickering at us the whole time. Sigh. But the sangria was fabulous! After lunch, headed to the Shanghai market in a rosy tipsiness. Constant heckling from the various vendors resulted in the following purchases: 2 pairs of sunglasses, 2 watches (one too big, the other too small), and 1 pair of tiffany hoop earrings. Good stuff. By this point, I was getting blisters from my previously purchased shoes, so after plobbing down in a foot-massage chair, and fruitlessly searching for classy shoes or a fun going-out top, we headed off for a pedicure. Sadly, the pedicure consisted of little more than a toenail trimming and two coats of polish. Where was the foot soak? The massage???
That evening, feeling tired, bloated, and decidedly not hungy, yet still possessing excessive amounts of cash, we decided to splurge on dinner and once again venture to an uber-cool restaurant. We settled on Shintori, a Japanese place so exclusive the restaurant name isn't even labelled on the street. It was a giant concrete block with a neo-Japanese aura. Delicious sashimi (even ate the slimey shrimp!) and green tea tiramisu. Just the Japanese fix I needed!
After all the classiness, we headed to Maoming Road, the sleazy night spot. Immediately felt more comfortable in the presence of neon signs and cheap beer. At one bar, this girl was so high that she pushed Jo out of her chair, and proceeded to ammass all the stools and chairs and gather them in the corner. She was a woman with a mission! Anyhow, a couple of Amaretto Sours and some Sangria later, we went back home.The flight home was delayed (lacking the efficiency and promptness of Japan), but overall, a fabulous vacation. I would say my attempts at classiness failed, but I'm going to keep on trying. Maybe going back the US will get the Japan-instilled laziness out of my system and I'll start to look unscrubby again...

white water rapids

2004-08-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

one more day til freedom!!! yup, that's right, i take the damned GREs tomorrow and then i'm free to indulge in as much shopping/sleeping/NOT studying as i please! this means that i'm actually excited about the test. can't wait. wahoo!!!

but anyhow, in the past few days, rather than study, the very thought of my forthcoming liberation has made me quite adventurous. i went on a 2 day white water rafting trip with my brother and two cousins. we were rafting class 3 rapids (on a scale from 1-5). 2 person rafts. very attractive orange life jacket and a thick layer of spf 50 sunscreen to deter any skin color whatsoever. rafting was wet and fun. our raft only flipped three times. each time, i had to remember to keep my toes up as i floated along with the current. the "toes up" helps to avoid rock entrapments...meaning that your legs get caught between two rocks and then you're stuck and the water runs you over and bad things happen. i managed to make it out with little more than odd life jacket tan lines.

at the campsite, we feasted on giant (like the size of your head) baked potatoes, corn, pasta, various appetizers, margaritas, chicken, and steak. lots of food. and then, at dusk, there was a crazy disco dance party. you've never experienced partying until you're bopping with sweaty, smelly, inebriated rafters to sir mixalot on a dusty, sloped campsite complete with glow-in-the dark necklaces, a fog machine, bug spray, and multicolored laser lights. very bizarre...i managed to make it through the night with only two strange guys trying to dance with me, and i managed to tactafully escape from both of them.

today, i've been indulging in trashy tv. the highlight has been "how do i look?" a makeover show that is so humiliating that the jovial yet self-deprecating subject was almost in tears. between that and watching the olympics, i have stayed highly entertained. and oh yeah i did study a couple of vocab words. acarpous: effete, no longer fertile. abscond: to go away suddenly (to avoid arrest). abeyance: suspended action....

sweet tomatoes

2004-08-10T23:56:00.000-07:00

sweet tomatoes is the name of a salad buffet restaurant. yum. i like salad. and for those non-veggie eaters, sweet tomatoes also serves soup, pasta, pizza, and an assortment of baked goods. basically, it's all the stuff i crave and can't get in japan. so i went today and gorged myself.

theoretically speaking, this week is supposed to be "study for GRE" time. at least that's the plan i had in mind when i made my GRE appointment for halfway through my stay home. unfortunately, it's not working so well. i get distracted by things like shopping (i love finding clothes that fit!), bookstores ($100 at barnes and noble...oops), concerts (went to an incubus concert last night...am now deaf), magazines, and food. so yeah, little studying has been done, but i have managed to stay remarkably busy.

tomorrow, i have two lovely doctor's appoinments to look forward to. yippee!

back in cali

2004-08-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

wahoo! i'm home! and despite the 85 degree Farenheit temperatures, i am not soaking my t-shirt with sweat! (the bay area is blessed with a lovely, dry climate).

the journey home was long and uneventful. i was quite antsy by the time i reached narita airport, and was therefore pacing the terminal like a madwoman and testing every lip gloss in the duty-free store on my hand. by the time i could board the plane, my hands were a colorful yet goopey mess. on the plane, i was lucky enough to be seated next one of the only free seats on the plane, so i managed a non-hostile takeover of the extra space, and stashed my jacket, water bottle, MP3 player, GRE book, and laptop in the middle Cd. i had the brilliant idea of watching sex and the city DVDs during the long flight, but alas, my computer battery had other plans, and feigned un-chargedness and refused to operate. not one to give up, i whipped out my GRE vocab words, but found that the high elevation and recycled air were inconducive to studying. so instead, i picked at the slimey fruit in my fruit plate (yes, i am one of those people who orders the special meals) and cursed the decision of wearing a skirt.

was met at the airport by my lovely brother (first words: why'd you bring home so much stuff?), mother (BIG hug), and father (playing the role of papparrazi with his new digital camera), and Gizmo (the stupid dog who growls at everyone and tries to bite them despite the fact that he's the size of a medium-sized shoe).

that very same afternoon, after a mere 20 minute nap, i had to attend the wedding of a girl who used to break the heads off my barbie dolls. i haven't seen her in approximately 10 years (give or take 3 years), yet had somehow managed to scrounge up an invitation. attended the outdoor ceremony (lawnmowers could be heard whizzing the distance) and the reception. wahoo. i maintained a stoic, taciturn demeanor throughout due to my severe lack of sleep.

thus far today, i have sorted through the large stack of mail that has been addressed to me in the last 8 months, and read through various alumni journals. i opened one issue to find an ex-boyfriends face smiling out at me. they never disappear, do they?

have already gone out to get my haircut. somehow, the rats-chewed-the-ends-of-my-hair cut that i got in japan didn't quite do it for me. i more the straight ends, no layers type. unless i'm having a "big hair" urge, that is. oh, and i have also realized that attractiveness is directly related to the country in which you reside. case in point: some guy said to me "you're cute" at the grocery store last night. in an entire 12 months of grocery shopping in japan, i have never received such a comment. only stares of curiosity as to why i wear shorts/am so sweaty/can't understand japanese. of course, aforementioned guy was not cute, so i guess it all leaves me in the same place at the end. but tonight, i am going out for mexican food (viva el torito!) with my family, and a good chicken burrito with extra salsa and guacomole remedies all.

ah the last sleep

2004-08-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

ah yes, the last sleep before my departure for california! yay!!! i'm SOOO excited. after a record 7 days of genkiness (extreme happy and chipperness for the sake of the newbies), i am all tuckered and out and ready to plop down on a plane, read stupid magazines, doze, and wake up in cali-land. oh the excitement!

anyhow, the past two days have been the new JET orientation in yamaguchi city. all 70 yamaguchi prefecture JETs were there, with oldies imparting their wisdom upon newbies. or so should've happened. it was nice to see everyone that will be my "friends" for the future year. yesterday morning, jo commented that i looked very "swish" and compared me to a fancy japanese toilet...not exactly sure if that is good or not. she also interrogated me as to whether or not i was fond of any of the new guys. at this point in time, i must confess that the answer is a firm "no." they all seem slightly odd already, and meeting them makes me long to go back home where there are more than 20 men for me to choose from. does that make me odd?

the orientation presentations were "useful," but inevitably dull. the highlight was that last night, everyone went out for a little eat-y and drink-y. the all you can drink japanese parties are always good fun, though for some reason, we were eating sukiyaki (meat and vegetables cooked in a hot pot with boiling broth...a very wintery food) in the middle of 80 degree summer heat. but that just meant that everyone else was red along with me, so i didn't have to worry quite so much about my inebriated state. it was nice to chat with everyone, figure out the basics, feed off of their excitement to be in japan.

i returned home to shimonoseki last night, and had to trek back to yamaguchi for more meetings today. the highlight must have been lunch at the all you can eat fruit-and-salad-and-and-dessert restaurant right near the kencho building. oh how i love fruit! returned to meetings quite full, quite tired, and quite PMS-y. you know how sometimes the PMS stuff just sneaks up on you and then suddenly you feel ache-y and are moody and flooded with emotions? yeah that was me this afternoon. the week of genkiness and being obliging to the newbies inquiries got to me, and i was overwhelmed with a wave of homesickness/pain/frustration right after the meeting. being happy is hard work sometimes. don't know how good i am at it.

anyhow, back in shimonoseki, me and jo and kenton went for sushi, and i ate a record (for me) 10 plates in preparation for the ensuing 3-week sushi drought. topped it off with some lovely blue seal soft cream while sitting by the wharf chatting with the aforementioned and yukari, erina, and chie (japanese friends! yes, i do have them!). somehow found it very amusing to babble in pseudo-british and hawaiian accents. i have realized that i have perhaps the worst british accent in the world, though i do say "moun'ain" with the best of them. which makes me think: when people read silently, do they hear the words in their heads in the same language/accent that they speak with? or do they match certain types of accents with certain phrases?

well, i am off to attempt some packing. i feel that i will be bringing home much mucho dirty laundry seeing as i have not had any time to do washing in the past week or so. but alas such is the luxury of returning home to an american-size washing machine and drying and fabric softener etc etc. i have been deprived! i am excited about doing laundry!!!!