Well I got my wish...

I wanted to spend as little time at home as possible this summer, because as Mees says, "Cupertino will be waiting.... always."

June 6- June 20
Japan

June 22-August 10
Taipei, Taiwan

August 17
Move to SF

Probably a one-of-a-kind post

I was talking to someone today about the subject of democracy, the voting process and the general decline of both. It's probably the most in-depth I've thought about those things since US Government at Monta Vista, a class in which I literally laid down on the floor and slept through.

The question posed was, "Why do Californians complain so damn much?" referring to the ridiculous amount of separate referendum elections we hold. Most other states hold those only in conjunction with annual elections or federal matters, so what makes us so different/special in our own minds?

The answers I could think of - a spoiled/selfish and uninformed electorate, a disproportionate amount of people below the poverty line and those wallowing in their own wealth, an inept bureaucracy, a sense of entitlement at being "the liberal state," a sense of having to live up to being "the liberal state " - could all really apply to other states as well. Even the last two; every state creates something of a self-fulfilling prophecy by buying into it's own reputation.

So what's the difference between California and other states? My uneducated hypothesis settled on the fishbowl effect. It seems to be an unspoken fact that as California goes, so does the rest of the nation. Californian politicians seem to be acutely aware of this, and over-exaggerate matters to gain further prominence. And then the citizens follow suit, believing this activism to be the crux of a well-oiled democracy... oh by the way, elections are expensive as hell and they basically come straight out of our pockets.

This led me right back to a solution that I've been championing in hypotheticals since high school - the benevolent dictator. Replacing a democracy with such would be great for efficiency, corruption, speed, action, you name it. Democracy is like a recliner with a toilet within it, it's a great theory but in reality is seriously flawed. Yes, so is a benevolent dictator, but I guess I just like imagining being the dictator.

Also, I was doing the laundry today and a couple of thoughts occurred -
1. The vast majority of my huge load was workout clothes and socks.
2. I haven't washed my jeans in quite a while because I only wear real pants 1-2 times a week, tops.

Things overheard today

A father talking about his son... "Hey, if he loses and tried his best, then he knows he tried his best and just moves on. I think that is going to make him succeed in life."

Talk about a setup for failure. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not), but isn't that a terrible message to be sending... ANYone? Whatever happened to bettering yourself or overcoming obstacles? Life isn't the Special Olympics, Discouraging Father.

Some possible slogans for that household:
"Settle for mediocrity!"
"We're #2!"
"A is for Average!"
"< Giveup 3"


And completely unrelated:

"No one thinks it'll work.." "You just described every great success story."
Kudos to whoever knows which movie that's from.

Closet Zen

It wasn't until I moved off campus from UCSD that I realized that I really like big closets. In fact, one of the notable things that I miss about being in San Diego is the closet at Via Andar. I realized that it wasn't because I was a clothes-horse (I'm not), or because I could stuff all my junk into it and have the illusion of a clean room; it was because I could see everything at once. All my options were laid out in front of me, and the rest I could take care of in my head.

With a little bit of closer thought, it turns out that that pretty much describes my approach towards life in general. I'm pretty much the opposite of rash, and like to weigh all my choices before making a decision. Because of that, I'm rarely as spontaneous as I'd like to be, and I plan and overanalyze things way too much.

Et tu, closet? Just like my mp3 player playlists... What about your personality manifests itself in your surroundings?

Boy Scouts: to be or not to be?

Sometimes I think about what I would make my kid do and how I could live vicariously through them. Without going into specifics, it got down to at least three sports, at least one musical instrument and one other unnamed hobby/activity. As I made my list, I understood why some parents (like ours) load their kids up so they have little or no free time. You want to give them opportunities to forge an identity for themselves, succeed at something, gain a skill and knowledge, and have fun while doing it all. Unless they happen to join "Junior White Power Leaders" or something, I think there is only positive that can come from these activities and the lessons they teach, especially later in life.

One thing I waver back and forth on sometimes though is Boy Scouts. I know, weird considering I'm an Eagle Scout, but...

+I did so many things that most of my friends will never do in their lives. The range of activities was amazing, especially for a young kid: building and sleeping in a snow cave, backpacking for 2 weeks in the New Mexico wild, canoeing, rowing, horseback-riding, spending a night on a submarine, learning and practicing three ways to kill (archery, rifle shooting and hatchet throwing), invaluable camping and backpacking experience, planning a 200 hour woodcraft project during which my garage got burned down. And yes, there was a point where I knew over 10 knots off the top of my head.

+You get a large dose of morality and ethics that you can apply anywhere.
+Lots of community service, which I think shaped my views quite a bit.

+Although this definitely wasn't the case growing up, the title of Eagle Scout definitely conjures up a certain amount of respect.

+Of course, it looked nice on my college transcript. In fact, I still leave it on my job resumes.. although that will probably stop after this year.

-I had all my Seven Springs friends in Boy Scouts with me, but I'm not sure how I would have fit in otherwise. Most of my troop went to small private schools and was largely WASPy... Even in Cupertino.

-The religious aspect was uncomfortable for me. People don't realize this, but Boy Scouts is a Christian organization and it shows. There are religious undertones in just about every aspect of it, and they attempted to drill it into our heads. A little bit preachy at times.

-It purports to be a scout-led organization, but the adult bureaucracy is really prevalent and detrimental to kids just wanting to have fun.

-I understand that they are a private organization and can do mostly whatever they want, but they kicked a gay scout out a few years ago and claimed that it wasn't discrimination? That's pretty short-sighted, rigid, hypocritical and an easy lawsuit.

Puerto Rico in bullet points

Ambulances: Whether we were walking around old San Juan or driving on one of the poorly paved highways of Puerto Rico, one of these would zip by us at least every 30 minutes. I saw a random guy driving an ambulance stripped of any hospital markings into a fast-food drivethrough... it's like there are so many that extra ones are up for auction somewhere. I just hope that isn't the case with cop cars and their bullet-proof windows and tires. Very comforting.

Medalla: Puerto Rico's Coors. The beer of choice and sometimes you won't even get a choice; it might be all that's offered. I have to say though, in a blind taste-test with Coors, Medalla beat Coors like it stole something.

Tattoos: It seems like everyone had the exact same idea of rebellion in Puerto Rico: get a borderline disfiguring tattoo and flaunt it shamelessly. Honestly, it seems like more than half of the locals I saw had tattoos and a large portion of those were tramp stamps.

Crocs: Okay, this one makes sense given the fact that it's a tropical island. But Coach Crocs and high-heel/stiletto Crocs?

Obesity: If I had to estimate, I'd put 40% of Puerto Rico's adult population as obese. And if I were to further split that up by genders, adult males would be 30% and adult females would be 50%. What's up with that? I even saw a plus-size fashion show while I was at the mall. Perhaps it's closely tied to the next two bullets...

Ice Cream Trucks: I honestly don't recall ever seeing one of these in California, though we had them come through the neighborhood all the time when I was back in Pennsylvania. In Puerto Rico, these were everywhere, even on the beach. It was pretty funny hearing the truck's bells and seeing the aforementioned obese flock to them. Like moths to light.

Pork: Puerto Ricans love their pork. I thought this was a Polynesian thing, but pigs on spits were everywhere. And if they weren't on spits, they were wrapped in empenadas or served roasted. Pork or plantains were part of probably every meal I had there.

Reggaeton: Songs heard on Puerto Rican radio stations: reggaeton, Katy Perry, reggaeton, Lady Gaga and reggaeton.

Ice cold AC: This reminded me of the library at UCSD. I had 2-hour gaps in my schedule, so I would just kill the time in the library either sleeping or using one of the computers. I hated it because even if it was 80 degrees outside, I would have to bring a sweater to school just to not freeze in the library.

Kid leashes: I have to admit that I would probably use one of these for my own kids.

Measurement identity crisis: Maybe it's because Puerto Rico is a US territory and is thus stuck at an awkward impasse between the US and the rest of the world, but there seems to be absolutely no standardization of units used.
-Lbs (standard) used to weight food.
-Km (metric) used for distances.
-MPH (standard) signs.
-Celsius (metric) used for temperature.
-Liters (metric) used for gas.

Where have the weekends gone?

"Living for the weekend."

That's usually my motto for when I'm home in Cupertino because there's not a whole lot going on here. I think two summers ago was the best example of this. Everyone had just or was on the cusp of turning 21, we were all working and had some money to burn through and could explore a whole new aspect of home that could potentially redeem it of its boredom (it hasn't).

Fast forward to this past summer and an equally ridiculous situation ensues. We had all just graduated, which was as good an excuse as any to party, and we had even more money to spend. From what little I remember, the weekends started on Thursdays and ended whenever you groggily woke up on Sunday afternoon.

Fast forward to now and things are pretty different. It's understandable; we're past the novelty and afterglow of graduation, thinking longterm, focusing on work or graduate school, might be over that scene, saving up money for cars/homes/school or maybe just trying to grow up.

I just wonder what event, if anything, will ever bring back such a carefree period of outlooks? Maybe I just want to push Daniel through another window on Castro, but does life just get too serious from here on out?


And my boy Anoop is in the American Idol Top 13! Apparently it's Michael Jackson week next week... I'm thinking "Rock With You" or "The Way You Make Me Feel."