my attempt at learning chinese

by watching a chinese drama has been a total failure.  so far, the only new terms ive learned are gigolo and player.  that won’t be useful for my interview in chinese on wednesday.  ”so why do you want to work in finance?”  ”well, working as a gigolo didnt quite work out so i figured id try to be a player in the financial markets and a player in the shanghai bar scene…”

“and if sex is like a sport…” (lawyering skills, approx. 2:30pm)

we’re studying a hypothetical that involves whether a relationship at work is considered a recreational activity and thus something that employers cannot discriminate against/fire someone for based on some employment act that aims to protect employees.  the statute defines recreation as activities including but not limited to sports, hobbies….and so we have to determine whether a relationship is similar to the enumerated activities.   and yup, some girl said the above statement.

of course this would happen to me

so im volunteering for the public interest law fund to get funding for my summer internship (which is still tbd).  there is an auction that happens every march and that funds all the public interest internships students might do.  it raises over $50K every year.  my task yesterday involved finding additional possible donors in the “outdoor recreation” category.  naturally, i go on google then yelp. wading thru whatever limited knowledge i have of said outdoor recreation, i thought abt what outdoor activities i did.  eating at outdoor cafes, reading on park benches, shopping at outdoor malls.  oh wait, i also run.  under the sun.  i search for running, los angeles on yelp.  bingo.  i find a ton of running shoe places as possible donors.  i scroll to the bottom of the fourth page or so of the results, i see marc jacobs.  marc f’ing jacobs came up on a search for running on yelp.  click next.  salvatore ferragamo.  it’s like i can never escape designer brands.  maybe it’s just la.  im sure REI would come up if i were to search running, boise on yelp.

typical phone conversation

me: remember that really good bread i brought back after i went skiing last year?

dad: WHEN DID YOU GO SKIING? WHY DID YOU GO SKIING? IT IS UNSAFE. DON’T GO SKIING

me:…uh…ok bye *click*

he did whaaat?

my law school buddy pre-empted my attempt at making a dirty joke.

him: she was wet all over

me: oh was…

him: ok stop i know what you’re gonna say

some ppl are getting to know me too well.

no regrets

so im somewhat sick.  and ive been somewhat sick the past week.  no bueno.  just had a chat w/a friend abt said illness and friend asked me if i had strep.  i still remember my awful experience w/strep two weeks before my lsat bc i was way too inebriated and drinking out of unclean cups…but yes, repeat, before my lsat.  bad decision? eh–i wish i did better but i dont think i would’ve done much better if i studied more (and was not sick) bc my flaw on the lsat was something that couldn’t have been really prevented.  it was a logic games timing issue–i scored perfect on practice tests w/proper timing.  who would’ve thought that id run out of time on the real exam.  twice.

a recollection

instead of gouging my eyes out looking at westlaw printouts or grueling my brain for the next term and connectors combination, i talked to my mom just now, and she told me that she was just looking at a diary she kept.  a diary of sorts.  of loose leafed pages apparently.  and so i got into a reminiscing mood.  as trite as this sounds, if time magazine could have a decade in review, i figure i can as well.

ten years ago…my family bought our first car with leather seats and a moonroof.  believe it or not, but we used to have station wagons w/o such amenities.

eight years ago…i became skinny.  enough said.

six years ago…my team and i won acadeca.  a great showing of teamwork+hard work, perhaps the main reason why movies like dodgeball make me shed a tear.

five years ago…i first felt snow.

four years ago…i started going to the gym and running for leisure.

three years ago…i visited europe for the first time and found the love of my life–laduree macarons.

two years ago…a giant ant crawled up a certain body part of mine in the thailand jungle.

one year ago…i watched korean dramas at work.

one day ago…i watched a movie with some friends under the night sky in dtla.  never thought thered be a rooftop drive-in theatre there.

one hour ago…i had that talk with my mom.

one minute ago…i cant lie–i was thinking abt logging onto lexisnexis.

musings

my parents eat like anorexic stoners.  chocolate cake in the fridge.  with the frosting cut off.  banquet brand (yes THAT brand) pot pies in the freezer.  worse than a college frat boy’s fridge.

im getting sick.  that means i might need to be sober for the hockey game on thursday night.  a sporting event.  sober.  so. not. me.

i got all my grades back.  satisfied.  based on how “not stressed” i was, as a friend put it.

i need an internship. asap.

the holiday pounds from the wynn and bellagio buffets+countless drinks are still with me.  the force to study hard is not, however.

this is a new year

, and i dont have any resolutions.

should i say i should be satisfied as ive always said before?  i failed for so many years though.

should i say i will try to do well in school?  that worked my last 2 years in college…but didnt the first two.

things are just a crap shoot.

2009 was so hectic.  i learned so much.  i suffered so much.  life was great.  life was awful.  i traveled across the north american continent but also europe.  i made some solid friends but lost others.  i learned what im worth and what i deserve.  i started law school and subsequently suffered somewhat the last 4 months.

nonetheless, here’s to 2010.  with more hope, aspirations, and success.

dear diary

dear diary,

it’s been another year.   i cant believe the things ive gone thru this year, the things ive accomplished, and the things ive failed to do.

ive experienced much of la that i never thought id experience.   i started living in westwood.  ive transformed my partying from tame to wild.  i have more embarrassing stories to tell.  but most importantly, ive cemented some friendships that i do not think i could live without at the moment, and ive also formed friendships that i hope will continue to flourish.

2009 has really been a learning experience for me.  i think ive come out of it a bit stronger in areas but a bit weaker as well.  ive discovered what i seek in friendships and what bullshit with which i wont put up.  ive dealt with constant drama at work and among friends–but ive managed to come out strong and to work things out.  i learned about how important it is to have proper ID on german trains and how i should read menus more carefully.  ive tried many new restaurants, and i cant wait to go to mozza again.

that being said, i think ive become too comfortable with life in la and the ease of satisfying my needs.  heck, i went to four different grocery stores of different ethnic foods in one week…during finals.  im yearning for some change and challenge.  yet every time i think about the east coast, i grimace a little.  i just dont think i can live without a car.  my future for the next 2 years is pretty much set in stone bc of grad school..but then there are still summers of possible adventure tempered with possible 80-100 hr work weeks.