Green Dragon Oolong Tea

I realize I have not posted a new entry in quite some time and although tragic, I don't know how many people are actually reading this considering the lack of comments. This moment seems perfect for playing some Brand New. Whenever I'm feeling lonely or disconnected I listen to them, yet I also listen to them when I'm with my close friends-belting out the lyrics at the top of my lungs. At this moment, unfortunately, I am alone.

I identify myself as one who thrives off of other people's energy and love surrounding myself with conversation and activity. I don't like to sit idly as life passes me by, nor do I enjoy contemplating my life as I end up feeling helpless to solve the world's problems. Being in a new place has been eye opening to how much I have connected myself to people in San Diego. Having a group of people to call up and enjoy each others company...that is something I deeply miss.

I also miss the ease of mobility. Having a bike makes it hard for me to visit those close friends I do have up here-in Santa Cruz and Moraga...a bit far to ride for a short visit. But knowing that I am not only saving money, but saving the earth is holding me over.

Spring break, as I have described to a few people, was a tease for me. I was given the hint of summer and the hint of freedom...yet had to come back to this place and return to the same schedule I've followed for 3 months. Once a skeptic, I now praise the quarter system. Oh irony.

The new things in my life are a job at REI (the greatest company on the planet) and a huge role in planning UC Berkeley's Earth Week events. My dad and a guy in Sustainability Team (the group I'm in that is putting on the events) made the logo below:
I think it's pretty sweet. We are getting Tshirts made by Mission Playground (100% organic cotton) which I am thrilled about since I love the company.

The part of the week that I am spearheading is the Environmental Film Festival. I utilized my connections from the festivals "Meat Jim" has been in to contact and confirm the screening rights to 7 amazing films. I hope the rooms are packed and people continue the tradition for years to come. I guess everyone wants to be a legacy.

I spent my night in a coffee shop on Telegraph tonight. It's called Caffe Mediterraneum and they have the best Mocha I've ever had, a decent yet artful chai latte, and fabulous green dragon oolong tea. The tea was particularly sweet because the leaves were so big that I got 3 teapots of hotwater and still had plenty of flavor left for another steep. Now THAT is an effective use of $2.25.

I have work early in the morning, so I should go to bed. I don't know if I've ever looked forward to a job more than this one. Oh wait, I have: WO (wilderness orientation). Guiding trips in the woods/sea with incoming freshman. Pretty much the greatest job EVER. love it.

To end in the words of Brand New...
"Nobody tries to be half a world away at times like these so I sat alone and waited out the night"

Donde esta Estados Unidos?!?!

Madison & Me @ the protest

Justin & Me @ La Fonda

I should definitely be studying right now, but instead of jumping back into life in the present, I'll reflect on my weekend and the protest in Berkeley last week.

First, with the protest. I'll keep it chronological.

Last week, Madison and I went down to MLK park to find a good sized protest going on between the US Marines and a group of Berkeley "hippies". I use quotes since I think the term has changed a lot since its typical 1960's usage. But forget semantics for now. The argument was over whether a military recruitment center in Berkeley is "welcome" or not in the progressive city. Apparently, this center was opened almost a year ago and many residents are upset and don't want their vulnerable youth to be coaxed into giving their lives to the government. The mayor of Berkeley made a public statement recently saying that the center was unwelcomed in the city and since then, the Marines have gathered numbers and approached the Berkeley City Council about the issue. It was a very "Berkeley" thing to witness: a protest against the establishment and a desire for peace and the end to the Iraq War. High school students along with community members got involved, some more active roles than others resulting in a few arrests throughout the protest. As a newcomer to the city, I didn't know what to think or whose side to be on, although I have many opinions about the military and about the war, so I was naturally inclined to side with the "hippies" on this issue. After listening to both sides over the evening, I started to wonder-should the military be allowed to recruit in a town as progressive as Berkeley? If the town is so liberal, why should residents be worried that their kids will enlist? Maybe if their kids are rebelling against how they were brought up? I wasn't sure if the center was such a big deal since the number of people enlisting from Berkeley is probably quite small. But then what if a porn shop located in town and had people recruiting for participants in the films? Although a terrible analogy, I can see how a conservative community might fight to get rid of the shop that is leasing the space (just as the Marines are leasing the spot on Shattuck). Both sides were VERY passionate with the Marines singing the national anthem (really badly, no offense...it is one of the hardest songs to sing) and other "patriotic" songs. I use quotes here because what is patriotism? Well, Madison and I pondered this question and decided to ask both sides what they thought. Generally, the patriotic side was skeptical of our questioning them, but responded adamantly with "supporting the troops", "loving my country", etc. The "hippies" responded with "the last refuge of a scoundrel" among other negatively connotative remarks related to disillusionment. The "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel", I learned was said by Samuel Johnson in reference to some people during the Revolution. From a biography of Johnson: "But let it be considered, that he did not mean a real and generous love of our country, but that pretended patriotism which so many, in all ages and countries, have made a cloak of self-interest". This was all very interesting to me. The protest appeared to have gone from a protest of a physical location or concept to a protest of the WAR. I think that if someone wants to join the military, go for it. I believe that honesty must be upheld and that if recruiters are lying or misleading young people, then the centers should not exist in Berkeley, or anywhere. I don't support lies or liars, especially when death results. The end.

Now, onto the pleasures in life:
LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, FOOD, SUNSHINE, and MUSIC!

This weekend I went to La Fonda south of Rosarito in Northern Baja with Justin. It was glorious. Great Mexican food, ocean views, and relaxation time. Although short, the weekend felt long with lots of naps and laziness; a great break from our busy lives. The beach was beautiful and our room was great (after we switched into one with a working shower=vital). Live music in the hotel and in Ensenada was great although I always feel sad when I see the Americanization of other countries (most music covered US bands). But that's an entirely other issue I can write about another time. The essence of the trip was a reaffirmation of how lucky I am to have Justin in my life. After 4 months I can't see myself getting sick of spending time with him which I think is pretty sweet. Distance sucks, but it really does make me value time with him a lot more that I did living with him. The border line sucked, and I don't really wanna talk about it (Mexican street signs, go to hell!), but you know it's love when you can sit through 3.5 ish hours of border wait and still smile at each other.

Sorry if that was too sappy for you (whoever is reading this).

Now I will nap considering my 5am wakeup to barely catch my 6:30am flight up to Berkeley has left me exhausted.

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Patience is a Virtue

Apparently I have no arms...

The night lights emerge

Madison on the slackline

I absolutely adore this beautiful place. As one who is studying the city, being able to view it from above is a very valuable perspective. I feel like all the people are ants and the buildings little boxes that can be manipulated and crushed with the touched of a finger. Instead of being powerless in the midst of these structures that are getting higher as the years go on, I can feel like I can make a difference despite the varying interests & activities of millions of people going about their daily lives. And it's just beautiful. The bay, bridges, lights, sunset colors, hills, trees...they all meld together in this breathtaking view that I can visit whenever I want. I am a lucky lucky girl. Well, woman.

REJOICE
Now, completely unrelated.
I got into all the classes I wanted!!!
After adding a meaningless lower division environmental design course in order to get units, I FINALLY got into my transportation class. Patience paid off because the professor said the chances were slim, but that I could stick around and see what happened. I went to every lecture and took notes hoping I would get in and BAM, I'm in.

Now I am just waiting on a Backpacking course (2 units) that is for fun. I had to "apply" to get in and am hoping they take me because I'd love to be involved with a group of like-minded outdoorspeople. Speaking of which, Madison and I went to this club meeting tonight called STEAM meaning Sustainability Team at Berkeley. It is SUPER COOL. We are getting involved with a clear cutting campaign to stop Cal from buying paper towels and toilet paper from a company that is clear cutting in the Boreal Forests of Canada. Lovin the Berkeley activism. The group also buys farmers market produce and brings it to campus and sells it for the same price...all to get the local movement going--the produce stand is called "The Local". I look forward to getting involved in their various projects.

Landscape Architecture
I'm getting into my classes and will hopefully be writing a research paper on Landscape Architecture in National Parks for my intro to landscape architecture course. I find the juxtaposition of "unaltered" nature preserved in the parks with manmade landscapes such as camping grounds and visitors centers to be fascinating. It really brings up the topic which I love pondering of what "nature" really is and why we choose to set it aside. If we decided it was worth saving and created arbitrary boundaries for our "parks" and set up public use areas for enjoying these areas with laws and restrictions, is that "natural"? How is an urban park designed by a landscape architect any different than a national park? Other than lacking the need to plant large quantities of flora...aren't they both planned and controlled by man? These are all interesting things I hope to address in my paper. Along with parks' uses of native plants and incorporation of natural elements in its planned landscapes. 7 weeks to write a 10-12 page paper. Amazing!!!

Also, check out Kenneth Helphand's Defiant Gardens book. FASCINATING lecture I went to the other night about gardens created in times of war and imprisonment in WWI, II and today.

Fitting In
Adapting to Berkeley life has been difficult despite the great classes and nice people I've met thus far. I am certainly lonely and miss my connections and friends in San Diego. I may complain about UCSD often, but I really do love it. Being at Berkeley has confirmed that for me. My education, jobs, clubs, friends, sorority, etc. I value them so much and wouldn't trade them for any other experience. San Diego is home and going back is going to be amazing. But I am grateful to be here in Berkeley getting a different perspective on college and learning to be in a new place all over again--I feel like a freshman all over again (cringe). I feel SO old. 21. Wow.

Politics
Lastly, before I start reading my homework at 12:30am (typical), I am excited about the fact that George W. Bush will only be in office for less than 1 yr. Congrats to Hilary for winning California. I can't really decide how I feel about Obama and Clinton because these days all candidates are so moderate to appeal to all types of Dems as well as those on the fence. Take a stand dangit! Talk about what MATTERS! I want to hear candidates taking stands on the Iraq War and Global Warming. No more tiptoeing around the pertinent issues! Okay that's my rant for now.



okay homework, here I come...

Possum Blood

Now. You may be wondering why I chose to put this horrifying picture on my blog. Well, if you had been there, as Madison was, scraping off the glob of blood from my J Crew pea green corduroy pants, you would choose this exact image too.

Last night, Madison and I went to the CLIF bar warehouse to see the Save Our Snow documentary, concert, auction, food, etc. Cheeseboard Pizza proved to be delicious (Berkeley food, I love you) and I won the $35 beanie for $16 at the silent auction. Oh and there was some great Fat Tire beer as well...I LOVE my recent drinking eligibility. Don't worry, I'm not an alcoholic, in fact, I don't like alcohol much at all nor does it like me (the life of a lightweight). Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves, watching the film, and listening to the extremely attractive and talented filmmakers (pro skiers and snowboarders in the flesh!) (Justin, you're WAY cuter than them, don't worry :) )

The environmental message was clear:

GLOBAL WARMING=WARMER EARTH=SNOW MELT=NO MORE SNOW SPORTS

STOP GLOBAL WARMING=KEEP SNOW SPORTS

See link below for film trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3T3Yx3_B8Y

Now, you're probably wondering, what does this all have to do with possum blood?

Being great environmentalists, Madison and I rode our bikes to this event (6.8 miles baby, yeah) and on our way home, I was crossing an intersection when I noticed my wheel approaching a mangled mess in the middle of the street.

It was a dead possum with blood oozing out of it's broken neck. Sorry for the grotesque description.

Without the time to turn back, I re-ran over this sad being. We've all done it in our cars, right? And we feel bad, but not AS bad as if we ourselves had been the original murderers of this innocent animal, yes? Well, I definitely felt bad, but this sympathy for the possum was quickly replaced with disgust. My bike caught some of the blood and splattered it onto my leg.

GROSS.

Like I said, Madison was kind enough to scrape off the glob leaving behind a subtle, yet DISGUSTING stain of possum blood on my pants. That's what friends are for!

Real friends are there to scrape the rodent blood off your pants when you need it most.

Caribbean Construction Materials?

For those of you unfamiliar with Berkeley, there are quite a few interesting people roaming the streets. Most of them may be characterized as "bums" or "beggars", some "crazies" or "weirdos". After being warned that La Jolla and Berkeley are very different in terms of crime and transients, I decided to keep my eyes open and be aware of those around me in order to avoid any run-ins with people who might see me as a perfect victim.

Today, I decided to get coffee at Peets on Telegraph and Dwight to work on my reading for CP 110 (the most reading EVER assigned in one weekend...literally). I was reading about shingles and other roofing types while strategically holding my valuables between my legs when the woman 2 seats away from me asked:

"What are you studying?"
"City planning", I said.
"Are you a UC Berkeley student?"
"Yes", I said.
"So you take your classes in Wurster?"
"Yes, all in Wurster Hall", I replied.
"I cleaned that building myself", the woman explained.
"Before I cleaned it, no one had before, and since then, no one has done it better".
I could tell she had some sort of accent or speech impediment, but couldn't put my finger on it.
She moved closer into the seat next to me.
All she had with her was a wallet and a paper coffee cup.
"What does your reading say?" she asked.
"It's about construction materials for buildings" I explained.
She then told me about her home in the Caribbean and how they build there for hurricanes, not for fires and earthquakes like in Berkeley. She said that concrete and metal framed homes are vital for withstanding the storms and that she went through a 150 mile per hour windstorm during a hurricane and the only reason her home wasn't destroyed....?

Was because she left a window open.

She explained that many folk's roofs came off because there was nowhere for wind to channel when it came through. By leaving her upstairs windows open, the wind came through her home and didn't destroy it. As she sat in her home, she watched out the window as her neighbors home turned 180 degrees and came off the ground, crashing into itself. Her voice trembled a bit when she described this detail. She started to get up and said,

"I was smoking marijuana and drinking Guinness while those houses were flying away".

HAHAHAHHAHA. Amazing. Unexpected. Perfect.

She walked away and as she left the shop she asked my name and where I was from.
"Good luck with your studies, Katie. And now you have a head start in your class because you know about Carribbean planning", she said.

These are the interactions I love. This is what Berkeley was and is in my mind. It's not everywhere that people from such different places in life can have a conversation. Sure, everything she said could have been bogus. But even if it was, I'm glad it happened.

On a different note, I got into my computer applications in environmental design class. HELL YES. I now have a full schedule.

Back to reading about Naglee Park in San Jose. WHY is the reading like 80 pages, I'll never know.

Peace.

A Brief Respite

It has been raining buckets here and the streets are filled with hoards of students in rain boots holding umbrellas alongside homeless folks hovering underneath awnings to get out of the downpour.

For now, there is a break in the rain. I don't know for how long. But it will make my bike ride to the store a lot more pleasant.

But speaking of homeless people...
I had a discussion about homelessness on the bus home from the party I went to Thursday night with a super nerdy guy who wants to be an aerospace engineer for Northrop Grumman. He mentioned his distaste with People's Park here in Berkeley and believes that the people should not be allowed to temporarily live and sleep in the park because it deters others from enjoying what the park has to offer. While seeing his point, I brought up the issues of drug abuse and mental illness among homeless people and that instead of displacing them from a community park, we should take advantage of their proximity and do what we can to help these people. Investing more time and money into mental illness research and substance abuse programs seems like a more effective solution. Many...well most people know what it feels like to have someone close to them with a mental illness or a substance abuse problem. These people should not be quarantined from society like dogs with rabies. Every person, in my opinion deserves the right to live and attempt to function in our world. Some just need more help than others in doing so.

On another note, catching up with old friends is great and wonderfully nostalgic. I'm off to eat lunch with Julius, my friend Sophia's ex who game me my original tour of Berkeley way back in high school. 3 of closest friends Senior year of high school-Talene, Sophia, and Cara traveled up to Cal to see what we hoped would be our future home. The week was fantastic--filled with food, frat parties, friends, and feelings of excitement for college...and spending it together. Julius showed us Rasputan, Naan n Curry, BART, Top Dog...all the very "Berkeley" parts of Berkeley.

Unfortunately, none of us got into Berkeley. and none of us went to college together. But hey, that's life...you can't plan it out.

I must go get ready because in true Katie fashion I'm in my pajamas and have to be at the corner of Channing and Ellsworth in 15 minutes. HA HA HA.

Whoever is reading this...here is a good song to listen to sometime you want some mellow tunes:

"How Bout You?"-Yonder Mountain String Band (Yes, it's bluegrass music)

Herky, Madison, and Me at a concert in SF

Escape to the Hills

First of all, "Georgia" is my favorite font. So this blog-site already gets my stamp of approval for offering the use of this fantastic font. Now onto more relevant things.

The city of Berkeley is a wonderful place. Thus far, I have eaten some delicious food at Naan N Curry, Smart Alecs, Cafe Intermezzo, and tasted some sushi at Akosoko (best name EVER) which is conveniently located 2 blocks away. Also 2 blocks away is Berkeley Bowl, a huge market with the cheapest produce I've ever witnessed and every type of orange/tangerine/satsuma variety on the planet. Heavenly.

I am blown away with how close food, shops, museums, and CAMPUS is to me.

I ride my beautiful $60 road bike from Craigslist (vintage French Mercier bike from the 70's in great condition) everywhere I go with a jerry-rigged light (helmet + head lamp=bike light) because until I get a job, I can't afford to spend money on anything but food (I miss my Outback Gear Shop income).

The Berkeley career website brought me to an internship with the Geography Department working on digitalizing Aerial Photos and Topographic Maps...after 1 hour of work I decided that working in the basement of a library with no human contact is very NOT ME. This inspired me to take a visit to Disneyland AKA REI to apply for a part-time job. We'll see if it works out.

Today was a frustrating day. I think UC Berkeley has a mission to make my life a living hell. Okay, so that's pretty extreme, but I feel much less than "welcome" in the College of Environmental Design. With hardly any access to classes and roadblocks to enrollment at each attempt, I may end up having to take meaningless courses unrelated to my original reason for coming here. I find that when I get super frustrated I just start to tear up (a wonderful confirmation of my womanhood) which only proved to the staff at CED that I am a scared and lost child. BUT I am determined to get what I want, so have no fear! I WILL take the classes I want which are:

1. Computer Applications in Environmental Design (GIS, basically)
2. Transportation Planning

I am already enrolled in:

1. Intro to City Planning
2. Intro to Landscape Architecture
3. People and the Environment
   

Classes up here are packed with more material than UCSD classes (semesters are longer, so it makes sense) which is slightly intimidating and also exciting because I really get to absorb myself in the subject instead of skimming the service. Most classes involve papers, projects, and field trips (sick!). The professors are great so far, but it's week 1...so they may be trying to impress us.

Roommates are awesome. Jennifer, Madison, and myself are Berkeley students and Mary, Anna, and Anna are CCA (California College of the Arts) students and are SUPER talented in their various specialties. We stay up late drinking tea and watching movies most nights so far. We all appreciate good food and have ZERO cabinet and fridge space...literally.

Weather here is frigid. I am getting used to it as the days go on, but it doesn't get above 55 degrees. I miss you San Diego sunshine!! The rain is inconvenient to ride around in, but I thank my NorthFace raincoat for being a loyal friend and keeping me dry. Last weekend the weather was GREAT and Madison and I went hiking in the Berkeley Hills which is where the picture was taken. It was breathtaking. There were so many people outside enjoying the views which made me so happy. I miss the beach, but the change in scenery is refreshing.

Last night I went to a show in San Francisco with Madison & Herky (Psycho ultimate friend) at the Rickshaw Stop on Fell St. and saw The Buttercream Gang (from Napa)---they were awesome! Also awesome was being able to buy drinks, yeah Kamikaze soooo good. Although drinks are pricey so I don't think it'll be a regular occurrence.

Whenever I miss home or want to relax, I listen to James Taylor's Greatest Hits album and it calms me like a hot cup of tea. He is a golden god.

This weekend is the Sonoma Environmental Film Festival where "Meat Jim", mine and Madison's film will show on Sunday. We get free passes to the whole festival, so we are going to hit up some great films on Saturday and Sunday YAY!

I'm off to read and be a good little student. Then to a party with Jenn Westhoff (Y&G friend from LC).


"How sweet it is to be loved by you"-James Taylor,

Katie