Pics

Here you have them...

Postings

Due to a lack of energy and time, I won't be posting much on my trip. Sorry, guys. I will, however, be posting some more photos soon. Know that I am loving Japan and don't want to leave!

Hang tight.

Alex

Japan - Day 2

And we're back! Wow! What a trip this has been thus far!

The flight was 11.5 hours long but we got to our terminal rather quickly (within 5 mins of landing) and we were at the carousel 10 minutes afterward.

Flying over Mount McKinley, Alaska

At the airport I met the rest of the crew I will be working with. They seem like cool, smart people. I, of course, am the only Latino (reminds me of calc class). There's a total of 10 of us -- all living in the same quarters.. a la "Real World".

Our place is pretty amazing. It is 2 stories high and has a slew of amenities: 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, an awesome kitchen and sweet modern decorations.

The view from outside my window

After a few drinks and getting to know each other a bit better we went out to dinner (Japs don't rest much.. They take you to dinner after a 12 hour flight!) at a restaurant called Nihonbashi-Yukari (website here) where we had a traditional Japanese dinner (they keep stressing the importance of experiencing Japanese culture). If you asked me what I had, I could not tell you -- but damn it was good!

After eating we walked around the city.

Back to bed; more later :)

Japan - Day One

As I wait for my flight to leave, I cannot help myself but notice the people coming up to check in to the same flight that I am in (Singapore Airlines, Flight SQ 11). This is not the normal crowd I am used to traveling with. Could this be the first of Japan's culture shock? I will put some thought into this during the flight.

Update soon to come. I am guessing in the next 15 to 17 hours (flight is eleven and a half hours plus a few hours to accommodate, meet & greet, etc).

Until then...

Japan - Day Zero

Today marks the beginning of an amazing journey. It is on this day that I am granted the opportunity to travel abroad. Though I am physically traveling to Japan tomorrow, today is significant because all my travel arrangements, along with a series of events that have led me to this point, culminate within the prologue of my story. This is my turning point, this is my chance to either let it get away or to savor every last bit of knowledge I am about to dive into. Either I am in or I am out. "Blue Pill or Red Pill" time. It is at this moment that my introduction climaxes -- and my decisions and thoughts now will set the tone for the rest of my experience.

The question that begs to be asked is a simple one: What now? This question, as simple as it might be, is also very broad and all-encompassing, hence the difficulty in answering it. Hopefully, by the end of my adventure I will have a better understanding of its implications on my life and on my persona.

Stay Tuned...

Postsecret

About two years ago I bumped into a website called PostSecret. As the name implies, the website features (or posts) secrets sent in from anonymous people. At simple glance, there isn't much to it. It's a simple concept: grab a postcard, tell us your secret, mail it to us and we will post it on site. Well my friends, it has become an adiction to me. I cannot wait until Sunday mornings to check out the newly posted secrets. People get pretty creative and a wide range of emotions are displayed: from funny posts to very sad and depressing ones. Give it a try; with caution of course!

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

San Diego weather

Someone has to say something about the incredible weather we've been having in San Diego recently. The past two days have been GREAT! It is because of this reason that I will take a day off from blogging. Instead, I leave you with a photo of Rady's School of Management (where I go to school). I took this pic on the way out.

German Politics

The recent inquiry of a friend sparked a once strong fire of curiosity I had for international relations and the structure of foreign governments. My friend's question was on the German parliament and the role of the Angela Merkel. One the first topic, my friend queried what the difference was between the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. As for Merkel, he wondered when her term would be up. Now, I am obviously no expert either topic, but I did take a comparative politics class a few moons ago. I also keep fairly current on world events so I felt like I could give a semi-acceptable answer to his question, at least during the drunken state in which we found ourselves. After asking me his questions, I sat pondering on his inquiries; I was about 10 seconds behind him. The quiddity of his questions struck me as a bit odd. "These are basic questions," I thought, "How can you not know these things?".

I explained to my friend what little I know (that the Bundestag is the upper house of Parliament-- comparable to the Senate in the US, and that the Bundesrat is the lower house-- similar to the House. Also, that Merkel would have to call an election before November 2010 because she was elected 5 years before that date). After answering his questions, my curiosity got the best of me and I began to ask myself a bunch of questions that eventually led to a conversation on Germany's Basic Law (their constitution). I remembered it was very focused on personal rights and liberties (due to the Weimar Republic and Hitler's Third Reich), but I didn't remember much more. The conversation on Germany's Basic Law and the personal liberties it provides its citizens with lead to another, more meaningful talk, about the right to privacy.

It wasn't long ago that I read an article on in a recent TIME magazine about the new laws Germany was passing in regards to technology. I wonder what sort of impact the meshing of a strong belief in personal rights and liberties have on technology? In another article, a very recent NYT text, I read about Britain holding all emails and browsing history (among other web related exchanges of personal information) of its citizens. How is it that two countries that are geographically close to each other, have such [theoretically] opposite view points on this subject?
Where does the US stand? I am sure we're more on the Brit's side, but is that right? What impact does it have on our democracy, our right to privacy?

After discussing all of this, we were pretty hammered and decided it was time to go home to sleep off the alcohol and reconvene at a later date.

Tokyo, Japan: here I come!

Z Corporation is a company that develops, manufactures, and markets 3D printers. It's an incredible technology that is becoming more and more popular. Today I was offered a paid summer internship with Z Corporation that is to take place June 19 through July 5, 2009. Unfortunately, because of the state of the economy, my internship will only last two weeks. This, albeit the shorter term, is still a great opportunity for anyone, more so since it is to take place in Tokyo!

More on Z Corporation here. Find company case studies here.

The guy I will be working under is Scott Harmon ("my boss"). His info can be found here.

Here is a video of one of their main products:




The company name is like one taken from a Sci-Fi novel or something, don't you think? The name falls under the same nomenclature nature of fictional conglomerates such as the "Umbrella Corporation" (IRT Resident Evil) or "InGen" (IRT Jurrassic Park), in my opinion. Freaks me out a bit.

More soon,

A.

Laguna Beach

I came up to Laguna Beach for the day. Woke up at 6, worked on some school stuff until 9, hopped into the shower, had breakfast, and ran out the door around 10. It took us a little less than three hours (we took PCH for most of the trip and there were a few pit stops for potty breaks).

On the drive, my friend Dan and I, got extremely existential talking about the perpetual rolling in and out of waves, the long way the sun rays have traveled to reach us and still have the ability of feeling very warm, the fact that we all begin a a single cell and that cell splits into two, and those cells divide into again, etc until you end up with trillions of super-specialized cells all working together to make us "us". Crazy, isn't it? Everything seems just so perfect for life-- all the right elements were in place just at the right time. But all this comes from chaos (more on this later-- I have a lot to say when it comes to the creationism vs. Darwinism debate, one which stems from a similar ideas. I will say, however, that I am a firm believer in evolution). Granted it took millions of years (evolution is slow, doh!). Anyway, I do not pretend to be an expert in the field, but I do find it interesting and will continue to look into it.

Well, I'm off to enjoy the sandy beaches of Laguna. Pictures to come!

Arrested Development

I've never considered myself a person who likes to watch TV; much less sitcoms. This show, however, has caught my attention and I think it's worth watching. It's funny in an obvious and subtle way at the same time. It has the silly "fall down and hit your ass" humor accompanied by hilarious dialogue (the real kicker).

You can watch all three seasons on hulu.

Happy watching!

Frustrations come in all shapes and sizes

Today I woke up at 3 a.m., unable to sleep once more. This time, my sleep deprivation has a direct corollary to Billy. But I don't want to talk about people that aren't even worth mentioning anymore. Just know that I am really pissed off and don't want to hear from him in a long time. He can go have fun with all the boys he wants... but he'll be missing out on me.

So what does one do when unable to persuade sleep amongst oneself? Write. Read. Focus on other things. Listen to the rain drops on the ground outside and allow them to inspire thought provoking ideas... one of which I will share with you:

How much is too much? That my initial thought. It came to me because I was thinking about the drops of rain and how many of them it would take to be "enough". The definition of enough in this scenario is vague-- I am not quite sure what I am referring to when I say "enough".. enough of what? Enough to fill the pot that's outside? Enough to make the surface tension so great, that the water comes crashing down to the ground? Wait-- there's a thought... How much more shit can I take from Billy before it's "enough"? How much crap is too much crap? How many more emails (or the lack thereof) will I have to endure before I say it's enough? Well, the easiest answer to that question is, well, simply now. This is enough. This is my limit. I am sick of your shit. Go pester someone else...

Ugh, I am doing it again; I apologize. I am just oh so frustrated right now....

The time has come to hop in the shower and get day day started... Have a great day everyone!

My apologies

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a few days. Life's been keeping me busy and with no time (or energy for that matter) for any extra stuff... including my so-called "daily" blog.. lol.

On Tuesday, I walked in the front door and passed out on the sofa. I didn't even make it to my bed. Guess what time it was. Seven p.m. I didn't wake up until six a.m. on Wednesday. Something similar happend Wednesday evening.

On other news, my brother will be coming into town next month. Can't wait to see him. Haven't seen him in years!

That's about all there is to report at this time. More later, I am sure.

Few articles that have caught my eye

The largest pool in the world is in Chile (Don't forget to check out the pictures at the bottom):

http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/10/08/worlds_largest.html?p=1&cat=undefined

We're already trying to get divorced. A lesbian couple is trying to get a divorce in RI:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1036942

Females in the Workplace

One of the main reasons my mother gave me to move back to the States from Chile was that it is hard for women to find jobs in that country and she would not be able to support us financially in Chile as well as she would back in California. Although I believed what she said, I never saw any statistics or news articles that agreed with that idea. Thus, I didn't really take it in and understood it. However, this has changed as of today: I found an article on Ethical Corporation (http://www.ethicalcorp.com/) that proved my mother correct. Just look at the statistics according to the article:

• Women are paid 62% less than men
• Women's jobs are more unstable
• At Banco Santander, for example, only one in 12 of its 4,496 female employees is in management. Only 17 in total are in senior management. The boardroom counts two female members.

Read the full article here: http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5434

Mark, my man.

For those of you who don't know, Mark Morford is one of my favorite columnist. I have been reading him for years and always enjoy what he has to say in the SF Chronicle. I began reading his commentaries when a friend emailed me a link to one of his columns and I've been hooked ever since. I even went as far as to subscribe to the Chronicle for a year, and attended a lecture that he gave at UCSD.

My most recent fascination with Morford was his "Eat this, you fat, sad idiot" post. It's about America's facination with fast food and the advertising (and the people that buy into it) that goes into marketing these products. YOU HAVE TO READ IT .

My favorite excerpt:

The burger is this: two sickeningly brownish-gray, chemical-blasted 1/4-pound beeflike patties, intersliced with two slabs of neon-orange cheeselike substance, slathered with mayonnaise, all topped with the big kicker: six (yes, six) strips of bacon. Oh my, yes. It's like a giant middle finger to your heart.

This product's name? The "Baconator." You know, like "Terminator," only for, uh, a huge stack of cow/pig meat that celebrates your impending coronary/impotence/cancer with every bite. Genius.

Here is where I admit my confusion. Here is where a small but significant part of my brain (quietly, internally) explodes every time I see this commercial -- which, mercifully, isn't often, because I don't watch much TV and don't watch any weekend TV sports and therefore am never around when (I presume) this kind of product is target-marketed straight to their apparently very slovenly, apparently hugely unhealthy, largely illiterate audiences.

To read the entire column, go to: httphttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/09/19/notes091907.DTLf=/g/a/2007/09/19/notes091907.DTL

Kudos, Morford, Kudos to you!

As time goes by...

I think it's funny how after sharing your life and time with someone, you learn to pick up on their "ways". Even though you are no longer around them, you can tell when something is happening in their life. You have learned their behaviors and mannerisms, and when they either start doing something, or cease doing something else, you KNOW what's up. It doesn't help that I am a naturally very observant person and pay very close attention to detail (when I want to). And then there's that whole "sixth sense" thing.

My roommates disregard my beliefs and tell me I am crazy and or paranoid... but deep down, you know they are wrong. You don't have to say anything to me, I already know.

And here we go again in this never-ending cycle of trying to find ourselves in this crazy world and trying to find... wait, what is it exactly that we are trying to find? I don't remember... Was it love? Companionship? Great sex? A mind stimulating conversation? Someone to connect with in the deepest of deep levels? What is it? A combination of the foregoing?

I think the end result that we each want for ourselves is happiness, which can mean different things for different people. Maybe it's having someone lay next to you and know that that person has your back no matter what. Or maybe it's knowing that that person loves you unconditionally. Or maybe it's to know that that person is on your team and will do anything in his/her power to make sure you are the happiest person alive. Or maybe the answer is a simpler one: Maybe, just maybe, you already feel like you have everything you [think you] want and all you are looking for is to meet some primitive urge that is essential to your being. You really don't care about anything else at this point other than meeting the quota of this urge. Ah, we have been blind sighted. We cannot see past this urge, it has consumed us... we loose those values that we once held so dearly. But wait, there have been other factors in all this. Yes, there is more to the story.............................................

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts at the moment.

Top Chef

I cannot believe it! Hung won Top Chef. I hated the guy throughout the entire season. Either of the other two contestants would have been great, but Hung... What kind of name it that anyway?
On other news, last night I came home and made dinner. I made baked salmon with a salad. Contrary to what you might think, the salad was the star of the course. I made it with pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, candied walnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette... so good.
I got a call from Xander last night at 2:30 am (which I did not hear because I usually leave my phone on silent throughout the night... and day, lately, too) . Well, I think it was him. The call came from a friend in common we have. She never calls, so I figure it must be him.. Hasn't he learned by now not to call post-9pm my time? Eh, well, I guess I can understand. He's been going through a rough time lately. However, there isn't much I can do from 3,000 miles away other than be a listening ear and to provide him with ideas and suggestions.
On the topic to school: I have a 200 page paper due in two weeks. And I have about 1160 pages to read for next week. I thought things were supposed to get easier after midterms? Wishful thinking :)
Well, that will do it for now. Possibly more later tonight... Make today a great day!

Recent Occurances

And here I go... The first posting to my blog. I guess the point of which is to inform everyone of my daily travelings, lessons, experiences (good and bad alike) with my friends and family; hence the title. To begin, I would like to bring about certain points of my recent life and my near future plans:

It's October, and that means four things:
1. It was my father's birthday yesterday. He would have been 75. It blows my mind to think of the age differences between my father, my mother (soon to be 61) and myself (22!!). No wonder I am such an old soul! I was brought up amongst ancients! Haha.. I kid, I kid; but wow, there's a HUGE age difference. Think about it...

Father - Mother's age = 14 years
Mother - Me = 39 years
Father - Me = 53 years (that's older than Billy; c'mon, really?)

On another note regarding the date, Kim had her baby yesterday... His name is Hudson. He was born at 5:47pm, and weighed in at 7 lb 14 oz, and measured 21 in!

2. It's time to apply to law school, baby! However exciting this time of year might be for me, I am very limited as to where to apply because of the cost of applying (close to $100/application) which narrows down my possibilities to only two schools.

Counselors usually tell you to you apply to a few schools you feel confident in being able to get in, one school you want to go to but aren't all that optimistic about, and one safe school. Unfortunately (or maybe not) I don't have that luxury.

Okay, enough of the blabber. Without further a do, here are my two candidates for furthering my education: 1. Stanford (Bet ya didn't guess that one!) 2. Cal-Western. Yes, I am applying to a school I really want to go to, and a safe school. Cross your fingers and wish for the best.....

3. 21 days to B. Wood's Bday. Don't know what (if anything) I am going to say to him. My last bday was an almost complete flop because of him and I still think he's a complete idiot for it, but at one point you just have to let shit go (which I obviously haven't yet). People make mistakes and people are morons.. it's just a part of life... so you either make yourself miserable because of it, or you move on and make the best of what you have. He never really loved me anyway.

4. Beginning on October 30 Xander from Alaska will be gracing me with his presence for a few days, which is somewhat cumbersome to me. Not becuase of our history, but rather because he's coming into PSP on a Tuesday (Umm.. Hello, school day?). What's more, he wants to go to WeHo for Halloween. Okay, that's NOT going to happen. I can either pick him up from the airport or go to LA for the festivities. However, I think I am done partying with him. He gets a little too crazy for me (and that's saying a lot!), besides PS would be a better idea since that way I don't have to deal with the traffic of Los Angeles. Not to mention the fact that the day after Tuesday happens to also be a school day.. And I really can't fuck my last quarter. Speaking of which...

Last week, I took four midterm exams. My highest score: 97%. My lowest score: 91%. Now, to put things into perspective for you: Each midterm is between 30 to 50 percent of your final grade in the class. The rest of your grade is the final (another 30 to 50 percent) plus papers, presentations, and mini-exams here and there; depending on the course. Yes, that means that one of my classes' grade depends purely on how you perform on the midterm and on the final. Those grades are averaged and voilà, your grade for the class is determined. Talk about putting pressure on the damn tests! Well, they are just literature classes, right? I mean, how hard can it really be? Trust me, you would not be able to pass such exam with just reading and comprehending what you have just read... It's a little more complicated than that. And to add to the pressure, could you write a 2 page essay on the spot (with no prior knowledge of the topic) explaining yourself very articulately using just the right words, without making a single mistake in vocab, grammar, or train of thought, demonstating that you not only understand and masticated the topic in question, but also incorporate certain restrictions inposed upon you by upir professor? Oh yeah, and that wasn't even a midterm or final.

Anyway, I best be going to class now... Class starts in 10.