A Procrastinator’s Musings

Republicans. I hate them SO much.

Let’s go back a few years. I was young and naive. I was new to politics. And I hated the concept of political parties. I don’t know whether it was because I grew up in India and the only thing BJP and Congress did well was point fingers. I don’t know whether it was because I was an idealist (doubtful). I don’t know whether it was because I had no idea what it was like to see a working political system.

Besides the point. I hated parties. Democrats and Republicans. What was the point?!

Then I got more interested in politics. I wanted to make some sort of difference. I wanted to take just a little bit of control of the way our political system governed our lives. And, most importantly, I realized that one has to work within the system to reform it. Hard choice to make, but one that I now believe in strongly. For better or worse, I decided to get involved with the Democrats. The choice was obvious – slight economic differences aside, they were fundamentally closer to my viewpoints about the world, and more importantly, my viewpoints about governing philosophies and policies.

Then came Obama. This is not the post to wax eloquent about Barack Obama. For more on that, refer to two posts ago. But it is important to mention that Barack Obama is a Democrat, and one who won office as President of the United States. A Democrat in the White House. A Democratic House of Representatives. An almost fillibuster-proof Democratic Senate. And to top it all off, a President who believed not in rolling over oppositions with majority of numbers but in working with alternate viewpoints and compromise. Too good to be true?

At first I thought it was. There was no way the Democrats would listen to the Republicans after 8 years of Bush. There’s no way a Democratic President would care about the Republican Party, the same one that produced George W. Bush. But it wasn’t too good to be true. Obama listened. Even Pelosi listened. Rahm Emanuel put away the half-finger and compromised. Certainly, this government will bring change to Washington. Right?

Wrong. Did it matter that Obama visited Capitol Hill to personally discuss his stimulus plan and ask for the Republicans’ suggestions? No. Did it matter that he invited both Democratic and Republican leadership to the White House to produce a compromise that pleased both sides? Wrong. Did it matter that Obama put aside his belief in spending and put more tax cuts in the stimulus package than even the Democrats in Congress were happy to concede? No. A thousand times no.

Every single Republican voted down the stimulus bill in the House. Twice.

Three Republican Senators voted for the stimulus bill. Three. Out of 41 Republicans.

That is disgusting. Not once in the 8 years of George W. Bush – in the 8 years of the most idiotic presidency in recent memory – were the Democrats so disdainful of the American President and so uncaring for the American people. They voted for the Iraq War to support the troops. Debate about the wisdom of that vote aside, the Democrats never completely deserted the political process in such a partisan and disruptive manner.

And yet, in a time of emergency, in a time where more Americans are suffering nationwide than at any other time since the Great Depression, the Republicans care more about their electoral victories than policy to aid the American people. They care more about a national debt (which, by the way, was built up almost single-handedly by one of their own) than the expenditure of money out of citizens’ pockets to protect the citizens from suffering and even death. They’re playing with people’s livelihoods and health over arguments of economics! People, where is the sanity in this?

And that is aside from the economic argument. The wisdom of tax cuts compared to stimulus spending is foolhardy, at best. Government spending and creation of jobs is essential at this time where America needs recovery and investment, and the Republicans just care about giving the rich more money back in their pockets.

There was a time when I hated partisanship and believed in compromise. There was a time when I believed that the political system would benefit most from leaders working together across the nation. But, apparently, there is one group in our country that cannot look past the “R” in their title. They cannot realize that they’re there not to represent the Republican Party, but to represent the constituents that cast a ballot for them. They cannot realize that the American political system is created to promote debate and compromise, not gridlock and stubbornness.

If I, at the age of 19, can go from a desire to compromise to a state of complete loathing for the Republicans, surely there’s something they’re doing wrong! I’m almost at the point where I wish President Obama started completely ignoring the Republicans and using the Democratic majorities to his benefit. I almost wish that Pelosi had the privilege of being able to streamroll over the Republicans’ protests.

I believe strongly in the American political system. I believe that the founders did a masterful job of protecting the rights and opinions of people from all across the nation and from different backgrounds. I just wish that the Republicans realized that they’re part of something bigger than a political party. I wish they’d realize that the American people care more about their jobs and a prosperous future for their children than economic philosophies. And I wish I didn’t hate the Republicans. But I do. So much.

Happy 19th Birthday Sarah! We threw Sarah a surprise party at Pegah’s last night. Details aside, the entire thing was hugely amusing and very successful. Every word that came out of Sarah’s mouth in the past week was essentially on the record, and used against her fully. Wine, cheese, Indian food…the whole dealio.

But more importantly, surprises rock. I suspect I might have posted about this before, but in typical me fashion, I’m too lazy to check. So I’m going to tell you again about how much I love reactions.

I made this realization a while back. I realized that, almost always, I do favors, help people out, and plan surprises for the fleeting reaction. That reaction. That one moment where the person realizes what I’ve done for them, that moment when their face is pure gratitude, or pure joy, or a mixture of the two. That one moment where they’re blown away and they just want to take it all in. I’m a complete sucker to be this way, but that reaction for me is worth all the work/sacrifice/effort it takes to get that reaction.

So, thanks Sarah. To be a bit selfish on your day, thanks for producing the perfect reaction last night. Utter surprise, extreme happiness, and just appreciation…it was worth every minute. It was just the icing on the cake, the cake that consisted of laughing about stealing all of your ideas for your own party, and knowing that you had no idea what was lying in wait for you.

Oh and all credit to Lindsey and Marlena and Pegah, all of whom did most of the work to put on the party. I was glad to be part of the unofficial planning committee, and to feel like I deserved just a bit of credit for that reaction. That reaction.

Quick side note: I really wish I had more time motivation to blog. I’ve gone from posting every day or two  to posting once in a couple of months, which is so antithetical to the very point of having a blog. I will try to write more, even if it requires me to branch out on topics.

President Obama. President Barack Hussein Obama. 2 months and 19 days after the election, 3 days after the inauguration, it still hasn’t quite sunk in. After all of those long years of Bush, all those months of CNN evenings waiting for primary results, all those calls and door-knocks, he did it. We did it. No more “Yes We Can.” Make that “Yes We Did.”

The Obama campaign was an exhilarating roller coaster. It was a year and a half of high and low emotions, both distant and invested. The times when he almost didn’t get the nomination, the times when it was hard to believe his lead in the polls, the anticipation of election results, accompanied by the terror that all the polls would be wrong once again. Fortunately, the fears were not to be, and today we can all proudly proclaim him as President Obama. It feels awesome to just say it. To see him sitting in the Oval Office.

But Obama is not where it begins or ends. Obama is just a symbol of this new generation. Obama’s rise has made me think about my perspective on politics. And how much it has changed.

About two years ago, I had no idea who Barack Obama was. When Barack Obama declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, I had no idea who Barack Obama was. About a month before the Iowa caucuses, I started to think that I might like this guy. By the time of Super Tuesday, he was my favorite for the nomination. By the time of the Pennsylvania primaries, I was positively gushing over the guy. By the time of the election, it was personal. But even after campaigning for him in Nevada, calling people in Missouri, watching him get elected on November 4, and seeing Berkeley turn into one giant party, there remained that small question in the back of my mind: when is he going to turn into a politician and it’ll be more of the same old?

I remember a distinct conversation with a friend about how no intelligent man would ever pursue the American presidency. Today, I can happily say I’m wrong. Today, I can happily say that I have put aside my reservations about Obama showing his true colors and turning out to be a typical politician. It has been a pleasure to see the business-like transition and the first days of the transition – appointing competent people, creating an open and transparent government, reversing Bush’s unreasonable policies, and establishing that America’s ideals are its greatest strength. Today, I can happily say that I truly believe that government can do good, after all. And it is such a pleasure to be able to say that.

Over the years, people have lost trust in government’s ability to do good. The fact that I care about politics at all is remarkable, considering I grew up in the apathetic and corrupt political environment of India. But even people in the United States – the greatest functioning democracy in the world – are disillusioned. Nixon ruined the unbreakable trust in government. Reagan emphasized deregulation and a return to the individual. But whether it is the return of competent leadership to the White House, or the economic doomsday that has made people sit up and take notice, people are looking to government again for solutions.

And that’s what got me thinking. When I started becoming interested in politics a few years ago, it was mostly about ideological issues – oftentimes issues that people around me were passionate about, or big-ticket issues that everyone talked about, if only to sound intelligent. And that’s not a bad thing – it’s certainly better than nothing. That passion was fueled by JSA. In retrospection, the debates in JSA were so superficial and lacking, but they’re a lot more than I could have achieved otherwise in high school, so no regrets. But then college happened. College was good – there were more people who gave a shit about the world around them. I joined the Cal Democrats. It was the first time that I had gone past the “liberal” tag and actually identified myself with a partisan group.

And that’s how I got involved with Obama. While much of senior year was spent following the progress of this guy on CNN, college gave me a chance to make it personal. I went to Reno to campaign for him, ran a phonebank, made calls myself. The political cause becomes that much more important when you’re part of something larger than yourself. And it felt good. It felt so good, that I wanted more after the election. And that got me thinking.

So, after this long-winded regurgitation of my political life/thoughts/career, I kind of get to my point. I think I’ve realized that politics is not just about elections. It’s not just about government and it’s not just about corrupt leaders. It’s not just about power. It’s not just about legislation. Politics is about the people around us. At least in this country – the world’s greatest democracy – politics is so much more about creating a sustainable nation. Sure, elections and getting competent people into power is a big part of it. But that’s not where it ends – that’s just the beginning. Legislation has to be shaped and lobbied for. Messages need to be communicated and explained, from the academics at Berkeley to the soccer moms of the South. Leaders need to be trained, for today and for tomorrow. The community has to be united in its efforts to create a better lifestyle for every one of its members.

One thing that has impressed me about Barack Obama more than anything else is that he doesn’t think he’s the solution to our problems. Instead, he recognizes that the people are the solution to their own problems – but what they need is a leader. A year ago, as a high school senior, I looked upon community service as a resume title. Today, as a freshman in college and an involved resident of the United States, I look upon community service as an essential component of our role as citizens and residents of this nation.

I don’t know whether I want to pursue a career in politics, one way or another. What I do know is that I can never escape politics for the rest of my life. I might never run for office, I might never work on a campaign…but I will always strive to create a better community, to be informed about the course of our nation, and strive to create new leaders.

The youth did not rise up for Barack Obama. The youth rose up to say that it’s our turn – we give a shit and we want our turn at shaping this country. And I want to be a part of that movement. Thank you, Barack Obama. You might not be a messiah, but you’ve inspired a nation to return to its roots and rebuild itself on the very ideals it is based on – hard work, liberty, equality.

Wow. It’s the second to last day of the semester, and I choose now to write my first blog post since becoming a full-time Cal student. I came into college intent on writing a retrospective on the five years of my life on America (still on the cards). A little later, I planned to write about my first impressions of college and Berkeley (perhaps one day). The guilt of never having written those posts, and the promise to myself that I would get around to them eventually, kept me away from writing anything at all. But I’m washing my hands of that guilt. Those posts will materialize in due time, if ever. Until then, the randomness must go on!

With that aside, on to the topic of today’s post: living in a self-congratulatory society. I hate it.

Okay, so that was a bit dramatic. If I don’t hate it, it is something I have definitely noticed more lately. And it annoys me, at the very least. Let me explain…

I wasted an hour of my life today at this thing labeled the RHA (Residence Hall Association) Leadership Reception. Basically, it was billed as a semi-fancy event, where tables were setup for Hall Association members from all over the campus to attend, enjoy free snacks, and listen to a boring speech about how good and terribly important they are to the Berkeley community.

Being bored aside, I couldn’t help but think of how little I’ve accomplished as a Hall Association member. And self-adulation aside, I’ve been one of the more productive “Hall Ass” members, at least in the Unit 2 group. And from the few encounters I’ve had with Hall Ass members from other residence halls, their situation is not much better. So, basically, we get a fancy event telling us how brilliant we are, when most of us signed on to dress up our resumes, find a way to make new friends, or just kill time. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to take any credit away from the few who work tirelessly to make Hall Ass and RHA effective organizations. But the large majority of us want credit without any real work. Which is why it somewhat disgusts me that we dole out appreciation with very little accountability. Not only is it counter-productive, in my not-so-humble opinion, it takes away from the due appreciation that should be awarded to those who really do give a shit.

But I can hardly blame Hall Ass. Or RHA. Or Berkeley. Or even the American education system. Ultimately, it comes down to our society. Because all of us think we’re just amazing. And we can’t stop telling ourselves that. As long as you rolled out of bed and volunteered to help out with something that you’re not legally bound to do, you’re suddenly a “critical volunteer” and “promising leader.”

I get the concept of “encouragement.” I understand that appreciating people’s effort gives them more incentive to repeat their efforts. However, by billing every small extra step as a step towards finding the cure for cancer, we’re diluting the meaning of recognition. By making 40 valedictorians to increase “inclusiveness,” we’re stripping the honor and distinction achieved by the “real” valedictorian. By patting each and every one of ourselves every step of the way, we’re forgetting that there are people who go miles without looking for credit. We are forgetting that there are people who actually give a shit about results, and not so much about the certificates listing the number of hours that their contribution can be quantified as.

Encouragement and recognition are important elements of a hard-working society. But if we want to achieve real results, and honor the real heroes, let’s spend less time congratulating ourselves, and more time working on fixing real problems.

UPDATE: I somehow forgot to link to the very article that planted this thought in the back of my head a few days ago: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.

My mum forwarded me this. I’ve quoted the whole thing below.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of keeping it real and have an intuitive sense about what that means. People who keep it real don’t hide behind a mask to keep themselves safe from their fear of how they might be perceived. They don’t present a false self in order to appear more perfect, more powerful, or more independent. People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide, sharing their full selves with the people who are lucky enough to know them.

Being real in this way is not an easy thing to do as we live in a culture that often shows us images of physical and material perfection. As a result, we all want to look younger, thinner, wealthier, and more successful. We are rewarded externally when we succeed at this masquerade, but people who are real remind us that, internally, we suffer. Whenever we feel that who we are is not enough and that we need to be bigger, better, or more exciting, we send a message to ourselves that we are not enough. Meanwhile, people who are not trying to be something more than they are walk into a room and bring a feeling of ease, humor, and warmth with them. They acknowledge their wrinkles and laugh at their personal eccentricities without putting themselves down.

People like this inspire us to let go of our own defenses and relax for a moment in the truth of who we really are. In their presence, we feel safe enough to take off our masks and experience the freedom of not hiding behind a barrier. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a parent who was able to keep it real may find it easier to be that way ourselves. The rest of us may have to work a little harder to let go of our pretenses and share the beauty and humor of our real selves. Our reward for taking such a risk is that as we do, we will attract and inspire others, giving them the permission to be real too.

I strive to keep it real as much as I can.

5.8 magnitude, centered in Chino Hills.

I felt it pretty strongly here in Aliso Viejo. And it lasted for a while!

After having lived in earthquake-devoid India for 13 years and sleeping through every earthquake for the past 5 years, I have finally experienced an earthquake!

I wrote an editorial in The Growling Wolverine at the end of junior year. Today, something someone said reminded me of it, and I felt it might be an opportune time to look back at it.

Social relationships are inherently biased towards chaos and confusion. As citizens of a modern civilized society – as teenagers in a predominantly social high school environment – we get entangled in a larger web of social relationships every single day. New friendships are formed and fresh alliances established, but also old connections are replaced and opponents recognized. Ultimately, the root of all social turmoil is the human desire to feel accepted, to feel involved, and to feel loved. This innate human tendency – the necessity of human beings to have a sense of belonging – can manifest itself in a variety of ways, many of which result in little other than “high school drama.”

High school is really the first time in life where an individual become mature enough to form a deep, meaningful relationship. Usually, this relationship takes on the form of a best friend, oftentimes a person that the individual has known for many years – since middle school, since elementary school, and sometimes since the day they were born. However, just as high school produces the perfect environment to develop a friendship that goes beyond the scope of sharing ice cream and gossip, it also has an uncanny ability to enable individuals to turn a blind eye towards people that have stood by them through every step of life, for longer than they can remember themselves. The high school social web has a tendency to attract people to others of a different mentality, who are seemingly able to get more out of life, regardless of the far greater value of the friends they are leaving behind. As impossible as this sounds, it is part and parcel of teenage life. Subtly, but surely, friendships are displaced. Old friends – the ones who identify you for the person you are – are often left behind in favor of the “friend of the month.”

But, at least from where I stand, the greatest evil of the high school experience is the clique. The clique is a lethal weapon. The clique isolates, the clique unites. Try to simultaneously participate in two, and you will become the new object of competition. While this feeling of being a desired companion is extremely satisfying as far as ego-stroking is involved, it inevitably leads towards the deterioration of social relationships. Don’t get me wrong here – I am certainly not supporting the isolation of each individual clique. What I rather ask is: why the clique? High school students should certainly be mature enough to be able to distinguish their best friends from their acquaintances. Then what is the need to separate a certain group of people from the larger part of society? What purpose does this serve besides fractionalizing friendships and creating arbitrary boundaries? My answer stands firm: absolutely none. Take friendships as they come and accept friends for the people they are – don’t choose new friends as a ticket into that group you really want to hang out with.

There is one social institution that, more than anything, makes me laugh. This institution in question is the high school couple. It is not so much the idea of the high school couple that induces the laughter in me, but rather the ideal it represents for a typical teenager. The idea of someone in your life – someone that shares a more intimate bond with you than anybody else – makes perfect sense. It is the perfect solution to the inherent human desire to feel loved. However, the perception of a high school relationship has to be perceived in practical terms. A high school relationship is where we first explore the boundaries between friendship and the next step. Therefore, it is entirely foolhardy and downright pathetic to assume that your first relationship is the love of your life. Every day, I see people invested completely in their special someone – walking to class together, eating together, and spending all their time…together. While it’s a great sensation to feel loved all the time, spare a thought for your friends. Spare a thought for those who have chosen your company as their friend, as their confidante, as their support through the high school life. Spare a thought for the ones you have spent countless months, if not years, with. I fail to understand how one can perceive their new “love life” to be completely superior and worth sacrificing the friendships they have built over multiple weeks, months, years, classes, and schools. A high school relationship, one with a “special someone,” is certainly welcoming, but remain grounded. Just don’t forget that it’s very, very unlikely that this person will be with you for the rest of your life, whereas there’s a good chance that you will be on the phone with your best friend from high school when you decide to get married.

I have to admit that the tone of this article has sounded rather cynical and negative. More than anything, this has been a response to what I witness around me every day. I am not trying to suggest that social relationships are impossible, and that you should give up trying. Neither am I saying that new friends aren’t worth meeting. What I am trying to say is that true friendships are something we build over time, with effort, with dedication, and with a common desire to feel loved. Hanging out with new people is okay, as long as you are not doing it simply because their activities of choice seem more risqué. Starting a relationship – logically on a higher step than friendship – is also okay, as long as you realize that there should be a balance of companionship. Meeting new people is an inherent part of the high school experience – don’t stop now. Just make sure that when you get closer to a new group of friends – friends that you truly appreciate for the people that they are – just take the opportunity to glance back. Make sure you didn’t leave anybody behind.

Awesome is the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It was absolutely phenomenal! Heath Ledger turned in a masterful performance as the Joker. The entire movie was incredibly intense, extremely entertaining, and somewhat sad, but very much gratifying. Go watch it if you haven’t already!

Awesome is House, M.D. For the first time in my life, I’m enjoying a mainstream television show, but I have never loved a television show this much. It’s just the best show ever! House is sarcastic, cynical, rude, and incredibly hilarious. The entire show is intense, funny, and unendingly addictive. Go watch it!

Awesome is the new Facebook profile design. It’s much neater, makes it a lot easier to hide all the nasty applications, and just looks cool. If you don’t already see it, you can probably access it by going to www.new.facebook.com. Go try it!

As you might have noticed, this blog’s been going through somewhat of a dry spell lately. Granted, there really isn’t anybody who checks it daily so I’m not really “letting anybody down.” Regardless, I’d really like to be a little more regular with this blog. Why? I’m not really sure. I just feel that I should.

I’m guessing that the reason I just haven’t  been spending a lot of time on the blog has something to do with graduation and summer. First, I was busy taking care of last-minute stuff and getting ready for graduation. And right after graduation, there were the graduation parties, the San Francisco trip, and CalSO (Cal Student Orientation).

Although I had initially planned to pen an entire post about it, I think it’ll suffice to say that I had a great time at CalSO. Most importantly, it clarified a lot of stuff in relation to classes, units, requirements, and all that stuff. I have a much clearer idea of both my first semester schedule and my planned path through Cal. On a lighter note, I met a bunch of interesting people, a lot of whom are from LA and/or Santa Barbara. That’s not to say I didn’t make friends in other places: a couple from NorCal, and one from Toronto, Canada! Overall, CalSO was really fun, and I’m uber excited to start Cal in the fall!

I’ve already talked about the San Francisco trip in my previous post, so that’s that. Oh and in case it wasn’t obvious, Columbia said no. No, I wasn’t bummed. Just happy to know for sure that I’m heading to Cal. It’s going to be an awesome 4 years!

As far as the rest of summer goes, the bleak job market has pretty much killed any hopes I had of getting a job. On the plus side, however, I’ve realized that I’m not going to spend the next month and a half sitting around and staring at my computer screen. There are too many things I’ve been putting off for too long and now’s the time to do them: make some progress on my reading list, organize all of my online stuff, clean out email accounts, shop for my dorm, write thank-you notes, clean out my desk, reformat my parents’ computer, study economics, and the list goes on (although not much further). I’m going to make this summer work for me.

Back to where I started though, I’ll try to update the blog more often. The political news is slow, so expect less linking. But I might just start exploring my own political views here. Who knows? Watch to see what comes next. Frankly, even I don’t know.

[This post was completed over three separate days (with quite a bit of time in between), therefore the delay in posting.]

The Introduction

I’m back. I’m currently sitting in the American Airlines baggage claim area at LAX Airport, waiting for the rest of them to arrive. Is it really Thursday? As they always do when you’re having fun, the days of our long-awaited trip flew by. No regrets, however. It was a fantastic trip and a fantastic end to senior year. While I’m going to leave the chronicling of our adventures to Viv, I have an hour and a half to wait, so I’m at least going to begin penning my reflections.

I’m sure we’ll all hang out again and see each other again, for a long time to come. That said, I’m pretty sure all of us expected this trip to be somewhat of our last adventure as a group of high school friends. Especially considering we graduated from Aliso all of 2 weeks ago, this was planned primarily as a senior trip. The idea for the trip was born in a Starbucks at Fashion Island, when Demi, Lorraine and I had nothing better to fantasize about. The trip became reality a few months ago, when the majority of parents approved. And four days ago, somehow came the day that we had always thought of as a long ways away.

The Beginning

The trip really couldn’t have started off much more inauspiciously. (Quick note: owing to the fact that I booked my plane ticket considerably later than everybody else, I was flying separately on United Airlines because that ticket was considerably cheaper. This was also the reason for my arrival at LAX about an hour and a half before everybody else.) Considering the early departure time of 7:55am (my departure time was 7:52am), we had figured that it would be safe to get to the airport an hour ahead of departure time. This was not the case to be as the American Airlines terminal could be summed up in the following word: mayhem. The lines were long, the confusion was infectious, and tempers were high. Long story short, everybody barely made it on the flight (they were going to close the gate if they had arrived any later). Everybody except me and Demi, that is.

After helping them get started in the line at American, I had to walk about 5 minutes to the United terminal. Unfortunately, I arrived minutes too late to check baggage in, and had to take a standby ticket to the next flight. I was lucky enough to make it on there, however. Demi suffered the same fate, but she was not so lucky. Unlike the next flight on United, which was about an hour later, the next flight for American didn’t leave until 10. After postponing that flight time about 3 times, American finally put Demi on the flight. She arrived at the hotel in SF sometime around 3pm, by which time the rest of us had dropped off our luggage, had lunch, and headed off to Chinatown.

The Bumps

Although the trip was off to a rocky start, and there were definitely some bumps along the way, most of our setbacks remain little other than sources of infinite laughter. Faisal getting stuck behind on the BART was one of the early highlights. Unfortunately, he caught the next one right back and all was well again. Viv left her BART ticket next to her phone, which demagnetized it and she had to get it replaced in order for it to work. Demi teased Viv to not leave her ticket next to her phone again. Next time we get on the BART, take one guess as to who left their ticket next to their phone: Demi! Probably the only time that we got truly frustrated was when three streetcars left Fisherman’s Wharf for Market St. completely full, without us being able to get on. After having spent about 45 minutes at the stop, we finally got on one though.

The Happening

Quite possibly the one event that will forever mark our trip happened in our first hour at the hotel. We had just checked in and were getting comfortable in our rooms. Suddenly, Faisal and Cody started looking out of the window. Apparently, they had heard what they thought were gunshots. After ridiculing them for a bit, we saw police cars and ambulances rush to our street. Sprinting down the stairs and outside the hotel revealed that some guy had been shot down the street. Six shots (according to Faisal and Cody). After that little incident, an unspoken pact was formed: when you exit the hotel, turn LEFT (Zoolander?). Four days later, we never did turn right. Miriam overlooked the hotel door a couple of times, but we caught her soon enough. This also kickstarted four days of black jokes (chainsaw, anyone?), staying away from seemingly homeless black people with hands in their pocket, and amusingly telling each other to call the cops if they don’t return in 10 minutes. We came pretty close to being scared when some (black) guy started walking next to Demi while she was on the phone. Thankfully, we were all of maybe 5 feet from the hotel, so we escaped inside. On the way out later, Kiersley walked straight into a black guy, who seemingly wanted to give her a hug. I don’t think she’s quite over that yet.

The Hotel

Neighborhood aside, the hotel was actually really nice. And it’s probably home to our best times on the trip. The first day, for example, we ended up cutting short our Chinatown escapade and canceling the Ghiaradelli Square trip, choosing to instead rest, eat, watch TV, and just chill in the hotel. This decision to remain indoors also prompted the first of many games of Apples to Apples (which I had brought, much thanks to Demi, who gave me the game for my birthday). I can’t even begin to recount all the inside jokes: risky marriages, hot love lives, juicy choir boys, cheap motels, and on and on. And I finally won! Brian has an uncanny ability to take forever and then win off the most random cards. On a side note, whoever decided to make a card out of John Phillip Sousa needs to go die. We also fit in a game of Risk, a round of Texas Hold’em (which I learned to play), and a few games of BS. The hotel had a bunch of rooms to explore, the first of which became our “secret meeting place.” It’s also known as the fitness center, where Demi is tall and towels are separated into fresh and soiled. The fifth floor lounge was useful for reheating (and re-reheating – more on that in a bit) pizza. The ninth floor lounge had a vending machine, which was useful for late night snacks and drinks. Although Kiersley won’t go there if there are black people inside.

The Food

We ate surprisingly little over our trip, often skipping meals out of lack of time. The most notable thing was the pizza though. We ordered three (very) large pizzas for dinner on the first night, and continued to consume them in bits and pieces…over the next three days! As most of us would agree, cold pizza makes for very good breakfast. Minus the veggies of course. Pizza aside, there were quite a few memorable meals. The crepe store on Telegraph Avenue right outside of Berkeley was just scrumplicious beyond belief! I’ll be going back there a lot once I’m at Cal. Siam Thai Restaurant down Mason St. was really good too, especially the cool private room we got for being a group of over 6 people or something. It was one of those traditional Asian low tables with cushions around it to sit on. As we sat down, however, we discovered that the space below the table was actually deeper so we could put our legs down, just like at a regular table. So cool! The clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf was well worth the 5 minute walk down to Pier 39.

The Tourists

Although much of our trip was just an opportunity to hang out and spend some time together, we did our share of tourist-ey stuff. The second day, we took the BART to Berkeley. Demi and I wanted to visit it, of course. Viv and Cody also wanted to see, as neither of them had seen it before. Brian wanted his crepes (which definitely lived up to the hype). On the way to campus from the BART station, we saw a Japanese restaurant named Ajiya, which we all laughed at owing to Viv’s generous use of the term aiyah. We walked around campus for a bit before we headed to the crepe shop. Following that, we walked some more around the university, got boba and shopped a bit. Demi and I, along with the rest of our group, tried to find our housing unit, but just ended up finding Unit 1 instead. It’s identical so not really that big a deal. We also spent some time looking for a Cal shirt but couldn’t find the one we wanted. The third day was really the tourist day. We started off the day with (almost being late to) Alcatraz, which was actually pretty cool. We got an audio-guided tour of the prison facility, which was pretty intense. The view of San Francisco was pretty sweet too. It was nice and windy (in my opinion), especially on the boat, which gave us ample opportunity to snap some crazy pics. Later the same day, we went to see the play ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Whore. The theater was only 0.6 miles away, a very easily walkable distance. Although it was really long at 2 hours and 40 minutes, it was actually really good. I have to admit I closed my eyes for a few seconds here and there, but largely stayed awake for the play. The shrieks and screams could definitely have been toned down a little, but we had pretty good seats and I think all of us enjoyed it. Last, but by no means least, the girls (and Faisal) shopped their hearts out. They shopped after we got back from Berkeley, they shopped after we got back from dinner that day, and they shopped again on Thursday morning, before our flight. Their faces were a sight to see when they saw the size of that Forever 21, which was admittedly massive.

The Inside Jokes

There were so many inside jokes that I wouldn’t even know where to begin recounting them if it wasn’t for Viv deciding to list them on my phone as they happened. They were the reason that I loved this trip so much and that I probably won’t forget it for some time to come. Just remember that when you leave the hotel, don’t turn right! If you don’t close the window at night, Afroman will come get you! We’re going to play poker in our secret meeting room, which you can’t know about, even though Demi is tall there and towels are soiled. It’s probably not a good sign if you hear ambulance sirens approximately every 10 minutes, even at 3am. You can use Hillary Rodham Clinton in pretty much every category of Apples to Apples and win. Really. There is only one applicable question about a fork, spoon, or knife: is it fine china or made in China? Cody just loves playing with his balls – he bought them on the first day and they stayed with him throughout, although other people took turns playing with them throughout the trip. If you see a Prius, punch Faisal! Stay away from marriage because it is very risky. Aiyah! Don’t just assume that a shooting was by a black person. It could have been an Asian woman: “You don’t pay for my noodles. *BOOM!*” You should check out the people who play chess on the sidewalks – that’s tight! Jackieeee, one more thing! Si, man!

The Retrospective

While words really can’t aptly describe the trip, I’d just like to say that I had some reservations about this trip considering the size of the group and keeping everybody together and whatnot. However, in retrospection, the trip not only went smoothly but was so much more fun than I had thought. I loved all the times we just chilled in the hotel, watching jeopardy, playing games, reading Internet jokes, making fun of people, laughing our asses off, and just being frivolous in general. I loved going around and being in a city. I loved the BART. I loved the fact that we found something to laugh at every minute of the way. I loved the fact that I got to spend the first few days of my last high school summer with some of my best friends and have a grand time. Thanks guys! I look forward to our adventure in New York…