In a couple weeks I have driven some 3000 miles up and down the west coast, and next week im headed up to the bay area again. I have been wanting to take a road trip up to the bay for a few months now for pleasure, but all these trips have been work/school related. The trip next week is also for law school.
Driving up the I-5 is a wonderful experience, if you can stay awake. Since the rains over winter, much of the land flanking the highway is green and alive. The trees look healthy, even as they are subjected to napalm-like strikes of pesticide from planes flying above. On my first trip I made it as far as San Francisco for an interview over the course of the weekend. Man, the City is such a charming place. I think I would love it up there if I had to live there for a while.
The next time I drove up I went all the way to Portland, Oregon. So it was deja vu all the way up to Sacramento. From there on I got to see California like I had never seen it before. I had my road map open on the passenger seat and at one point I knew I was approaching Mt. Shasta but I still couldn't see it. According to the map it should have been right in front of my face. I stop in the town of Mt. Shasta to have lunch and the fog begins to lift. So I get back on the road and all of a sudden I look up in front of me and see it. Have you ever seen a natural wonder so awesome that it gave you the chills? That was the feeling, I got so nervous for some reason as if the power of the mountain scared me to my bones. Its the kind of feeling I get when I look down into the Grand Canyon or feel an earthquake. It was amazing.
Then, driving back was just as pretty. It was late at night on a full moon. The moon was sitting low in the sky, shining but sort of glazed over with orange like it was drunk. The silhouette of Mt. Shasta become sharper as the moon moved behind it. At one point, the moon was fully hidden behind the mountain and shone its light creating an aura of light around the mountain that looked magical. After a few minutes the moon peeked out from one side and then fully came out again leaving the dark mountaintop behind. What a sight! And to think, if I didnt decided to drive down that night I would not have witnessed that.
That didn't really make up for the rest of the 15 hour trip that was pretty boring overall, though. Remind me next time not to decide to drive up that far by myself again. Thats all.
...keep it fresh
- Neil
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tequila Gimlet
Thought I'd share my favorite drink recipe with anyone and everyone.
For those of you who sometimes go to a bar in the mood for a new drink and refuse to give in to a Jack and Coke, the Tequila Gimlet is a great option. That is, if you like tequila. I was introduced to the Gimlet by a bartender who offered the drink in response to my request for 'the strongest drink I could get for my last 12 bucks' at The Standard Downtown. Unlike the margarita, a gimlet will preserve the taste of the tequila. In case you forget what you're drinking, take a sip and it says, "Dont get it twisted, you're drinking alcohol." I love it. To be fair though, the pinch of lime tones down the bite of the tequila enough to make it a pleasant drink for people who aren't the biggest fans of cien porciento agave. All in all, its definitely worth trying next time you're in an adventurous mood. Trust, knock back two or three and you'll be doing the Macarena to Soulja Boy and Walkin it Out to The Ketchup Song!
Recipe:
2 oz Tequila Reposado (avoid dark or sipping tequila)
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz Rose's lime juice
1 lime wedge
Fill a shaker with ice, mix all ingredients, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
For those of you who sometimes go to a bar in the mood for a new drink and refuse to give in to a Jack and Coke, the Tequila Gimlet is a great option. That is, if you like tequila. I was introduced to the Gimlet by a bartender who offered the drink in response to my request for 'the strongest drink I could get for my last 12 bucks' at The Standard Downtown. Unlike the margarita, a gimlet will preserve the taste of the tequila. In case you forget what you're drinking, take a sip and it says, "Dont get it twisted, you're drinking alcohol." I love it. To be fair though, the pinch of lime tones down the bite of the tequila enough to make it a pleasant drink for people who aren't the biggest fans of cien porciento agave. All in all, its definitely worth trying next time you're in an adventurous mood. Trust, knock back two or three and you'll be doing the Macarena to Soulja Boy and Walkin it Out to The Ketchup Song!
Recipe:
2 oz Tequila Reposado (avoid dark or sipping tequila)
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz Rose's lime juice
1 lime wedge
Fill a shaker with ice, mix all ingredients, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Quit baggin on me
In my effort to accumulate less "stuff", I have started making it a point to ask stores not to bag items for me if I can carry them in my hands. Here's the crazy thing: More often than not, the cashier gives me a bewildered look and sometimes I even get a dirty look! At first, I wouldn't remember to ask not to bag the purchase until it was already done. In that case, I guess some people were annoyed that I didn't ask earlier so they didn't have to take the stuff right back out. Now I make sure to ask right when they start scanning items. This works much better and also breaks the ever-present awkward silence between customer and cashier at the register. Try it!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Planet Earth
The Planet Earth series by the BBC, aired on Discovery Channel last year, is one of the most fantastic documentaries I have seen. It is intensely beautiful, educational, and interesting beyond compare. 5 years and 25 million dollars went into the production of this amazing series. Thinking about the importance of this show and its impact on awareness and conservation across the globe on a $25M budget, I cant help but wonder what kind of impact this type of work could have if only we reserved a fraction of the resources we use in Iraq for conservation efforts. Right now, the cost of the war in Iraq is upwards of $450 billion. I have no idea how to interpret an amount like that.
Looking at what the BBC crew was able to accomplish imparts a sense of pride to me in the potential of human ingenuity. Looking at what the US has accomplished instills in me a fear of the self-destructive power of human hostility. Lastly, looking at what my hometown of Cerritos has accomplished with the construction of a $40M "state-of-the-art" library w/ underground parking structure just makes me frustrated at the ambivalence of upper-middle class America.
$25M was spent on educating people on the importance of conserving diversity of life on this place we call home, and $450B has been spent on destroying life. It doesn't seem equitable, does it?
Looking at what the BBC crew was able to accomplish imparts a sense of pride to me in the potential of human ingenuity. Looking at what the US has accomplished instills in me a fear of the self-destructive power of human hostility. Lastly, looking at what my hometown of Cerritos has accomplished with the construction of a $40M "state-of-the-art" library w/ underground parking structure just makes me frustrated at the ambivalence of upper-middle class America.
$25M was spent on educating people on the importance of conserving diversity of life on this place we call home, and $450B has been spent on destroying life. It doesn't seem equitable, does it?
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Breaking down the Lakers
At the top of the Western Conference, the Lakers are playing a game none of us have seen before. Keep it coming yall. Who would have thought that they would be sitting on top 60 games into the season?
I didn't. I didn't get a chance to see the first 20-30 games of the season, so I missed Andrew Bynum's blossoming and the cohesion that took place in the locker room. Of course the biggest news since then is the acquisition of Pau Gasol. What an amazing trade! As good as Pau is as an individual, he fits in even better with this Laker team. Phil Jackson can run plays with Pau that he couldn't run with Shaq because of Pau's ability to stretch the defense. Yet the full impact of Pau Gasol is not limited to his individual skill or coachability. It is the boost in confidence to the other players on the team that has sustained this early success for the Lakers. Farmar, Vujacic, Turiaf, and Radmanovic are playing better and better. Finally, it seems for some of us, the Lakers have someone else who can shoot the ball or score on a consistent basis besides Kobe.
While Kobe's assists are up this year as he has taken on more of a facilitating role in addition to being the leading scorer, his game is freed by Lamar Odom's versatility. Lamar has flourished in his do-whatever-it-takes role as Kobe's swingman. Lamar has been a great floor general and is comforted even more now that Pau has taken away the pressure of being the second scoring option. Odom feels like he can score when he's comfortable now which allows him to play his own game.
Sasha! The Machine! Man, his jersey sales (if they make a Vujacic jersey) must be soaring as high as his confidence right now. His growth, along with Jordan Farmar and Vlad, has changed the dynamic on the floor. Some people are wondering why they haven't seen the unhuman Kobe plays, where he takes on all 5 defenders and somehow gets the And1 with an impossible move. Well, Kobe used to force those shots because he didn't have the trust in his teammates to hit the open shots. Granted, the argument can be made that they weren't able to get used to shooting in the game because he never passed the ball. This year, he made an effort to change his game to involve his teammates and it has paid off. Now when he drives the lane, he simply drops it off to a cutting Ronny-Pau-Lamar, or kicks it out to Sasha-Jordan-Derek-Vlad for the corner triple. Of course Kobe's passing had to improve this year for this style of play to be successful and the growing pains have come in the form of more turnovers by Kobe.
Derek Fisher, God bless him for returning, added yet another dimension. The Lakers need a strong point guard so Lamar and Kobe don't have to handle the ball, call plays, and direct traffic all at the same time. And who better than a veteran of the 3peat-Jackson days who is familiar with the offense and the players. Derek's scoring consistency and calm-collected attitude on the court has made the younger guys comfortable as well.
Luke Walton is the only player on the team who has been left out in this unprecedented year of growth for the Lakers. His struggle this year is ironic. For the past 3-4 years when the Lakers have been struggling as a team, Walton was one of the more consistent players helping them stay afloat. Now, as the team is growing into the playoff team they want to be, Walton seems to be stagnant. His shot is off, and passing ability hiding somewhere he can't get at. Hopefully the excitement of the playoffs will bring out the Luuuuuuuuuuke in him.
As for Bynum and Ariza, I can't comment. Just as I came back home they both went out with injuries. Ariza should be coming back soon, and Bynum a bit later. If both of them play like everyone says they played before they went out, I think the Lakers will be fine.
Scratch that. The Lakers are arguably the best team in the league right now, making a run at the right time in the season when most teams are falling prey to the monotony of the 82-game season. And when Bynum and Ariza come back, there will be an air of excitement for the final 10-15 games of the season heading into the playoffs. I cant wait!
...Keep it fresh
- Neil
I didn't. I didn't get a chance to see the first 20-30 games of the season, so I missed Andrew Bynum's blossoming and the cohesion that took place in the locker room. Of course the biggest news since then is the acquisition of Pau Gasol. What an amazing trade! As good as Pau is as an individual, he fits in even better with this Laker team. Phil Jackson can run plays with Pau that he couldn't run with Shaq because of Pau's ability to stretch the defense. Yet the full impact of Pau Gasol is not limited to his individual skill or coachability. It is the boost in confidence to the other players on the team that has sustained this early success for the Lakers. Farmar, Vujacic, Turiaf, and Radmanovic are playing better and better. Finally, it seems for some of us, the Lakers have someone else who can shoot the ball or score on a consistent basis besides Kobe.
While Kobe's assists are up this year as he has taken on more of a facilitating role in addition to being the leading scorer, his game is freed by Lamar Odom's versatility. Lamar has flourished in his do-whatever-it-takes role as Kobe's swingman. Lamar has been a great floor general and is comforted even more now that Pau has taken away the pressure of being the second scoring option. Odom feels like he can score when he's comfortable now which allows him to play his own game.
Sasha! The Machine! Man, his jersey sales (if they make a Vujacic jersey) must be soaring as high as his confidence right now. His growth, along with Jordan Farmar and Vlad, has changed the dynamic on the floor. Some people are wondering why they haven't seen the unhuman Kobe plays, where he takes on all 5 defenders and somehow gets the And1 with an impossible move. Well, Kobe used to force those shots because he didn't have the trust in his teammates to hit the open shots. Granted, the argument can be made that they weren't able to get used to shooting in the game because he never passed the ball. This year, he made an effort to change his game to involve his teammates and it has paid off. Now when he drives the lane, he simply drops it off to a cutting Ronny-Pau-Lamar, or kicks it out to Sasha-Jordan-Derek-Vlad for the corner triple. Of course Kobe's passing had to improve this year for this style of play to be successful and the growing pains have come in the form of more turnovers by Kobe.
Derek Fisher, God bless him for returning, added yet another dimension. The Lakers need a strong point guard so Lamar and Kobe don't have to handle the ball, call plays, and direct traffic all at the same time. And who better than a veteran of the 3peat-Jackson days who is familiar with the offense and the players. Derek's scoring consistency and calm-collected attitude on the court has made the younger guys comfortable as well.
Luke Walton is the only player on the team who has been left out in this unprecedented year of growth for the Lakers. His struggle this year is ironic. For the past 3-4 years when the Lakers have been struggling as a team, Walton was one of the more consistent players helping them stay afloat. Now, as the team is growing into the playoff team they want to be, Walton seems to be stagnant. His shot is off, and passing ability hiding somewhere he can't get at. Hopefully the excitement of the playoffs will bring out the Luuuuuuuuuuke in him.
As for Bynum and Ariza, I can't comment. Just as I came back home they both went out with injuries. Ariza should be coming back soon, and Bynum a bit later. If both of them play like everyone says they played before they went out, I think the Lakers will be fine.
Scratch that. The Lakers are arguably the best team in the league right now, making a run at the right time in the season when most teams are falling prey to the monotony of the 82-game season. And when Bynum and Ariza come back, there will be an air of excitement for the final 10-15 games of the season heading into the playoffs. I cant wait!
...Keep it fresh
- Neil
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Continuing the story
Well, this started as a travel log and a way to communicate with friends and family. I think that it can still serve one of its purposes even though I'm back in LA and only a phone call away. One lesson I learned from traveling is that it is very difficult and even more important to process my own thoughts in some form. Whether on a daily, weekly, or unscheduled basis documenting my thoughts is a great way to reflect on my life and gain a better understanding of myself. As for why I choose this medium to do it; when I am consciously aware that the whole world has access to my brain at their fingertips, I think that sharing my thoughts will have the added effect of provoking thought in others. And that is something we need to do more with each other.
I had a conversation recently with a friend about the Obama campaign. Naturally, we began discussing what and why we were attracted to his campaign over any of the other candidates. One of the points we both agreed on is that Obama seems to have the charisma and energy of a leader that is not shared by any other candidate. And this is where it got interesting...
...because the focus that popular media highlights is "the issues." Where do the candidates stand on health care, "the war," social security, the environment? The candidates are applauded or criticized for their positions and their plans to change (or maintain) current policies. Finally, the candidates themselves point out weaknesses or inconsistencies in their opponent's campaigns. This is the presidential race (race...why are we in such a hurry?). This is the way it has been for as long as I have been alive.
But what else is there that motivates and inspires someone to exercise their "inalienable" right to vote for their future leader? Well, theres leadership. Theoretically, in our democratic society people are the ultimate leaders of the country. As a collective group, aren't we the ones who have the power to effect change in our own society? Yet, today we shrug that responsibility (and in turn surrender that potential power) and expect the government to do it for us. People expect the government to fix the housing crisis and stop the pollution of the environment and stop raising taxes and make sure that nothing interferes with the sale at The Gap on Sunday. When did people lose faith in their own ability to make a change? Unfortunately, the current administration gladly accepts its paternal role (human greed for power is a terrifying force) as it steers us further and further away from the true democracy we are supposed to have. Political officials are sometimes referred to as "public servants", yet so little of what they do is public and even less in an effort to serve someone other than themselves.
What I believe a leader of this country should do is incite people into action, motivate cooperation to change that which they believe needs change, and inspire us to become the the democracy that we fake to the world today. Essentially, when I hear Barack Obama speak on "the issues," I am not merely in general agreement with his proposals, I share his professed values and I feel this desire to work towards achieving something. I actually want to help the government because I believe in it. If people regain trust in the work of the government, then taxes will not be a burden, voting wont seem such an obligation, and Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly will hopefully finally be out of a job.
Two more things come to mind. One, the fact that people may read this and write it off as unrealistic idealism speaks about as clearly as anything to the rigidity in our culture. And two, that this post turned out to be nothing like I imagined it would be when I started.
Keep it fresh.
- Neil
I had a conversation recently with a friend about the Obama campaign. Naturally, we began discussing what and why we were attracted to his campaign over any of the other candidates. One of the points we both agreed on is that Obama seems to have the charisma and energy of a leader that is not shared by any other candidate. And this is where it got interesting...
...because the focus that popular media highlights is "the issues." Where do the candidates stand on health care, "the war," social security, the environment? The candidates are applauded or criticized for their positions and their plans to change (or maintain) current policies. Finally, the candidates themselves point out weaknesses or inconsistencies in their opponent's campaigns. This is the presidential race (race...why are we in such a hurry?). This is the way it has been for as long as I have been alive.
But what else is there that motivates and inspires someone to exercise their "inalienable" right to vote for their future leader? Well, theres leadership. Theoretically, in our democratic society people are the ultimate leaders of the country. As a collective group, aren't we the ones who have the power to effect change in our own society? Yet, today we shrug that responsibility (and in turn surrender that potential power) and expect the government to do it for us. People expect the government to fix the housing crisis and stop the pollution of the environment and stop raising taxes and make sure that nothing interferes with the sale at The Gap on Sunday. When did people lose faith in their own ability to make a change? Unfortunately, the current administration gladly accepts its paternal role (human greed for power is a terrifying force) as it steers us further and further away from the true democracy we are supposed to have. Political officials are sometimes referred to as "public servants", yet so little of what they do is public and even less in an effort to serve someone other than themselves.
What I believe a leader of this country should do is incite people into action, motivate cooperation to change that which they believe needs change, and inspire us to become the the democracy that we fake to the world today. Essentially, when I hear Barack Obama speak on "the issues," I am not merely in general agreement with his proposals, I share his professed values and I feel this desire to work towards achieving something. I actually want to help the government because I believe in it. If people regain trust in the work of the government, then taxes will not be a burden, voting wont seem such an obligation, and Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly will hopefully finally be out of a job.
Two more things come to mind. One, the fact that people may read this and write it off as unrealistic idealism speaks about as clearly as anything to the rigidity in our culture. And two, that this post turned out to be nothing like I imagined it would be when I started.
Keep it fresh.
- Neil
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The massage from Hell
This was written while I was still in guatemala but I got cut off of the internet, so heres the whole story:
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So, I was going to recount all that happened since Christmas Eve (which would end up being too much) but after what happened to me yesterday I have to write this down.
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So, I was going to recount all that happened since Christmas Eve (which would end up being too much) but after what happened to me yesterday I have to write this down.
I felt like Jack Bauer in China.
for those of you who didnt get that one, try this...
I felt like Jodie Foster in The Accused.
(I dont really know what happened to her; I never saw the movie but I assume it was bad from the context in which it was referenced in Wedding Crashers)
This is how it went down. I laid down on my stomach and she began the massage on my legs. At first i told her to take it easy because my body has become somewhat fragile in the past few weeks. So shes massaging very gently...too gently so I say its okay to put a little more pressure. For the rest of my life I will regret uttering those words to that massage demon woman! She starts putting more pressure and at first its okay until she moves onto my back. I cant explain how uncanny it was that she would put the most pressure on the places that hurt the most to me. It wasnt the type of strong pressure to try to relieve knots or lengthen the muscle, it was just someone angry pushing into your back trying to feel the inside of your spine. Then she would use the point of her thumb to dig into my back and run it along my spine up to my neck.
In addition, my head wasnt comfortably set into the hole of the massage table...well because there was no hole in the massage table. Instead, my head was just hanging off the front of the table so every time she pushed on my neck it was as if my head was going to detach from my neck and drop to the ground. Then, I had to turn over onto my back.
This is where things got really bad. My stomach is really tender right now because Im a little under the weather. Again she started on the legs which were fine. Then she started "massaging" my arms. It was bad. Every way in which you could apply pressure to someones arm and hurt them is what she did to me. Its like she was a martial arts instructor showing me all the pressure points and how to disable your enemy in a fight. Not only that, she would pick up her cellphone every time she got a call, put it against her shoulder, and continue with the massage while talking to whoever it was. Not the most relaxing setting for a massage.
To sum it all up, I was counting the minutes for the hour to end. And finally when it did, I was worse for it. Ive been sore all day today, and I think I'm actually sick. Ill be home soon...
Keep it fresh...
To sum it all up, I was counting the minutes for the hour to end. And finally when it did, I was worse for it. Ive been sore all day today, and I think I'm actually sick. Ill be home soon...
Keep it fresh...
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