My first week was a bit hectic but I made it through. My bicycle however did not make it. The back tire went flat the first day of school and when it was fixed it went flat again and was experiencing even more technical difficulties. I ended up buying a new one and it is divine! Anyways, back to school- I walk a lot because I learned that the shuttles are too popular for my tastes (I like to know that I will get to class on time). I visited the art store pretty much everyday to buy all of the supplies I would need for Printmaking and Sketching in that first week. Between Bart fare, food + drinks, books, supplies, and a new bicycle I spent a lot of moneys! It was crazy to be taking four classes because I felt like that all the work being assigned was due right away because I kept going to class. I had yet to realize that for the most part I had a week and time on weekends to get everything done in time. It is working pretty well out so far and I have all of the programs that I will be using on both “Cloud” (my iMac desktop) & Ichigo (powerbook lappy). I am excited about all of the things that I am learning and it keeps me busy. Also I get to travel to San Francisco four days a week which is awesome to me.
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Last week before school starts
My Spring semester begins on Monday and I am so excited. My winter break has consisted of sleeping in, bike riding and adventuring. It has been great fun but I am ready to get back into it. This past week I have been doing some volunteer work for SVBC and it just occured to me that I should have started doing this months ago. I enjoy it; it keeps me busy and gives me a purpose. My mind is already drifting to places that I could work/intern during the summer to further develop my skills.
Spring for me will consist of four classes, four days a week, in three separate buildings around San Francisco. I am enrolled in Sketching for Communication, Printmaking, Motion Graphics, and Interactive Design. Two are first semester courses and two are second semester so I will be able to meet new people as well as see my friends again. I am really looking forward to my new schedule and hope that it will keep me both busy and inspired.
Last week maiki got a new lappy—a MacBook Pro—so his old 12in Powerbook is now mine. I named it Ichigo and it’s already kawaii with stickers. Also I picked up a new backpack for it and it is definitely the most comfortable that I have ever worn. I am so jazzed. I am really enjoying taking it out and going to cafes around Berkeley. Also in the last month I got a new cell phone. I have had my old Nokia phone for years and I was finally ready for an upgrade. My new one is a Blackberry Pearl and it is totally cool. It took a while to decide on a which service and which phone would be a good fit and so far this is working out well. I now have my personal e-mail sent to my phone plus my Blackberry mail. I still have the short messaging capabilities (like Twitter) and Blackberry’s phone to phone chatting. It’s fun and I feel so very techy. I also can access the internets and having Google maps has already proved to be pretty handy. Now while I am away at school I will be armed with all the gadgets that I could possibly need.
Winter Blues
I have decided that I don’t like the rain as much as I thought I did. It has been raining so much this month! Yesterday was one of the first days that I was able to go out for a bike ride without fearing that it could pour at any moment.
I have also realized that as of late that I like to sleep in and then leave the house as soon as possible. I have felt so restricted because I am not used to worrying so much about the weather. I like winter clothes and layering with scarves and jackets is enjoyable. However once you get wet you feel cold and it doesn’t go away until you’re safely back inside the house under the lava blanket. The last time I rode my bike to Trader Joe’s it rained on the way back and raindrops were even falling in my eyes and ears. It sucked! It’s times like these that contribute to me wanting a car again.
Last week Kimi and Justin were house sitting in Santa Cruz and the rest of Cloud Ninth decided that we needed to go and visit them. It pretty much rained the whole time and I was very blue. Apparently we didn’t travel far enough away to escape winter.
Today it has been sunny and dry and I was able to walk over to the post office and the library without my umbrella and go for a bike ride downtown. It was wonderful to feel warm enough in the sun to actually take off my sweater. It may not last for long but I am so thankful for the break!
plastic recycling
In researching plastic recycling in Berkeley I was amazed to discover that some of the plastics that I have been putting out every week are not actually recyclable containers. The list that I read said this:
Plastic Bottles – Recycle narrow necked bottles, such as water, soda, milk, juice and detergent bottles. These bottles will be marked with a Recycling symbol #1 found on plastic items or Recycling symbol #2 found on plastic items symbol on the bottom.
I assumed that the containers that yogurt and tofu come in would be okay but they did not make the list. Then I read this article written by the Ecology Center and was horrified. Our society loves to use plastic for everything!
I have tried to be so conscious in the past year, using cloth bags at the grocery store and reusing plastic bags too but it is doesn’t seem like enough anymore. I am really frustrated now because I know the community overall is hardly doing its part. At least I can say that the two places that I have lived in the past few years have offered both curbside recycling and have placed a ban on Styrofoam. I am not sure what my next step is but again I am excited about my new bento box to use for lunches this semester because it will keep me from eating out and wasting more resources.
Also, just read this article about a fellow who kept his trash for a year to find out just how much that would add up to. A little extreme but definitely effective.
reflections on my holiday trip
We went to Oceanside and L.A. for the the holidays again this year but spent a much shorter time away from home which was lovely. We also chose to drive rather than fly because LAX is hectic and road trips are infinitely more fun than waiting in line. Overall it was really fun and maiki is an awesome traveling companion.
First we stayed with Alaina and Victoria and that was really cool. I enjoyed taking lots of pictures of the ferrets. They are so funny to watch. Next we visited my family and that was hectic but enjoyable. I only wanted to stay a few days with my family this trip because the holidays are particularly intense, and I much prefer to spend time with them one-on-one rather than the large group all at once like at Christmas time. It seemed quick but I could not have lasted another day away from my Berkeley home.
The day after Christmas we went to Little Tokyo before the drive home and went to the Japanese American National Museum to see the Giant Robot exhibit. I loved it and was surprised that I actually knew of all the artists that were being presented. maiki and I did some shopping and I got to eat lots of melon pan—which is one of my most favorite treats.
When we returned to Berkeley I was so filled with happiness to be home. I was back with those that I feel understand me the most. It is where I can be comfortable with friends, or not, and there is no expectation. It is also a place that has clean air and organic food and that is a beautiful thing.