My First Real Long Weekend

We're talking about a real long weekend. A weekend where I did nothing but fun stuff! I spent Wednesday night working on my research proposal and got a feedback from my Professor the next day saying I no longer need to edit anything because it's close to perfect and gave me an A+ for it. Thank god she responded on Thursday. I was able to enjoy a leisurely weekend.

R, Z and I went on a day drive to Glen Ellen up north in Sonoma and visited Jack London State Park. It was quite a nice walk through the woods all the way to the Wolfe House, built by the famous author Jack London. We also walked all the way up to where his ashes were scattered marked with a big rock. It was so quiet up there. So relaxing. There was nothing but the sound gentle sound of our footsteps on the trail and the occasional chirping of birds.

We drove back to Glen Ellen and stopped for some chocolate tasting. Hmmmm. I love the tiramisu cabernet the best. They were about $1.50 per piece which was a little steep. But they're so worth the money. On our way back, we went through Napa, sipped espresso and just enjoyed the day fading out.


Saturday was family time. I took my mom on a drive to San Francisco, relaxed at the Golden Gate Park, sipped some tea at the Japanese garden and stopped by Sausalito for some afternoon coffee.

Today was bike ride day. My good friend Bolivs let me borrow his bike and had to test it out. So I drove to Alameda and tested it on the trail by the bay. Man, the bike rides so fast! I'm hooked!!! I loved the wind against my face and the views were fantastic.

Now, I'm back to reality. Gotta finish a few more papers and I'm done for this semester.

Things That Matter

I spent the whole weekend and Monday at the State Capitol learning more about the legislative process and how appropriations work. It was definitely an eye opener for me, having the chance to understand Assembly Bills and Senate Bills and what they really mean for me and the population I work with.

We discussed the governor's proposal of $456 million dollar cut on CalWORKS in 2007-2008 and $566 million annually thereafter which will directly impact families and children. It looks like the governor is trying to balance the budget on the fragile backs of California's children. We say no to this budget cut because it is unfair. We say no because it will create great difficulties for low income families, especially children, who will be at risk of hunger and homelessness.
We also tackled the issue of homeless. Senate Bill 2, if passed, will mandate cities and/or counties to designate a space as shelters in their planning. I'm not really sure about this bill. I think it is shallow, temporary and palliative and doesn't really address the problem of homelessness.

One thing that I was passionate about was Universal Health Care for all Californians. The state of California is the 6th largest economy in the world. We already spend about $180 billion dollars in health care and $20 billion is wasted over unnecessary administrative cost due to HMO's and what nots. Yes, $180 BILLION and many Californians are still without access to medical care. What are we thinking? Yes, we want health care. And we want it for everyone. Senate Bill 840 will allow every Californian to have access to health care. It won't be based on employment. Health care which is a basic right will be available to all. Universal Health Care will cut the unnecessary administrative cost, thus saving the state more money. In the long run, the state will save around $346 billion dollars in ten years because of the focus on preventive care and other cost saving measures.

Before leaving the capitol, we were able to meet with a few senators and members of the congress about these bills and how much their votes matter. We appealed to them in behalf of their constituents that would be impacted if they reject this bill.

It was an amazing experience just being there, learning all the tools on how to lobby for a bill that would impact me and other fellow constituents. Plus I got to spend some time with friends and colleagues in exploring Old Sacramento and touring them around the State Capitol.
Let's be proactive. Write to your senators and your local representatives. Tell them how Universal Health Care would benefit you and others. IF you voted for your senator, tell them so. Let them know that you voted for them and that you expect them to represent you and the people.

I am looking forward to that day when health care is available to every Californian. Young and old, working and non-working, students and professionals having access to doctors and medical care. Prop 63 happened. SB 840 can and will happen.

For more information about the Universal Health Care Bill (SB 840), visit www.onecarenow.org

Lunch in SF

What a great way to end a very exhausting week.

A and I went to Jeanty at Jack's in San Francisco, a French Bistro. It's a cozy place that serves absolutely mouth-watering French cuisine. It is uncomplicated, superbly-prepared French bistro food. And that's a fact.

I had the Tomato Bisque en Croute to start with. It is absolutely the best tasting tomato soup ever!!! It is uniquely serve on a white ceramic bowl with pastry covering it. When I dug my spoon into it, the soup was steaming hot. The taste is heavenly. A ordered a salad but too much vinaigrette I guess so they had to replace it.

Then I ordered Smoked Salmon Carpaccio while A went for Cassoulet. I give the Salmon dish 5 stars. I had a bite of A's Cassoulet and that is something that I would have to order next time I'm at Jack's. Everything just tasted so good, deeply satisfying and expertly executed.

The ambiance of this French bistro is warm. We were seated on the mezzanine level which provided reasonable privacy. Noise level was ok until lunch crowd from the financial district started coming in.

I had fun though. Great food, great conversation. I really had a great time.

A perfect ending to a very stressful week.... :)

Roller Coaster

My class met at a restaurant yesterday as sort of a Holiday celebration and as a celebration of such a wonderful group of graduate students. We were allowed to order alcoholic drinks so I did. I ordered their cheapest house margarita and guess what! I got ID'd. Not that big of a deal if your in your 20's but once you hit the big 30, that is a big deal. Trust me. It made my day.

What is up with this age thing? I was at a group supervision with some Psych students earlier today when one brought up the topic of cultural assimilation. She then asked me when did I move to the US. So I told her I moved to the US in 2000. And she made a comment that totally cracked me up. Here: "I wonder how it was for you to move to the US as a teenager!?" I stared at her and replied: "I moved here six years ago. I am 30 now so I was 24 then." And she was shocked. So were the other interns and our clinical supervisor. They all said I look so young for my age. Ooooooh, wasn't that music to my ears!!!!!

So yeah, I've been feeling good about this and the successfull, awesome, glitch-free powerpoint I made for class. One of my classmates actually said I could totally put together a module for a Powerpoint Training. I incorporated all the video clips etc. that we needed and what can I say, it turned out really good. So now I am bragging. :D

But yeah, life's a roller coaster. I am happy and next thing I know I'm almost on the red. Oh the life of a student. A... I... I don't know. I really don't know what to say. I am this close <--> to being broke. No, I've never been this broke my whole life. At least in the past, when I get this close to being flat broke, I knew I was getting a paycheck the next day or the coming week. But this time, there is no paycheck to expect, no lottery winnings, no trust fund. Nothing. Zilch. Absolutely nothing.

Am I freaked out? Of course I am!!!! Do I have a plan???? No, not really. I've been planning to turn in my application for a job at the General Hospital but I'm not really sure how that would play out with my internship schedule and once my classes start for Spring, it might get all fucked up. So no, I really don't know.

So this is Christmas. There's always a first right? So this is it for me. My first flat broke Christmas. And no, it doesn't feel good at all.

Thankful

• I am thankful for public universities that made graduate studies possible for me.
• For a library system that acquires books when they are not available on the shelf.
• For a laptop borrowing program in school where I can take em out for 4 hours within the school to do my powerpoint presentation in class.
• For desktop computers in the library and for writely.com so I don't have to bring with me a CD or flash drive every time I work on my paper.
• For the rain that makes the grass glisten when the sun comes out.
• And the cool, crisp November air that gets me excited for Christmas.
• Thankful for professors who inspire me to be the best that I can be
• And thankful for my professors who challenge me with their unrealistic expectations - they are actually bringing out the best in me.
• For flickr friends who amuse, teach and inspire me to take better photos.
• I am thankful for a childhood friend who has been and will always be the sister I never had.
• For a friend who knows me inside out and yet accepts me for who I am and who I am becoming.
• For classmates who became my friends - because they understand the way I feel, and the tough times I am going through because of school and its demands, intellectually, financially and even emotionally.
• And a family that will always be a haven when I need love and acceptance.
• I am thankful for all the lessons learned, wounds healed and memories. They made me into who I am today.
• And I am thankful for Luna, the best cat in the whole world. She warms my feet when I sleep at night and kisses me good morning as I wake up.
• I am grateful for this wonderful life - no matter how bleak it looks sometimes, I am thankful for everyday reminders that it is a wonderful life - birds chirping, fog rolling in, a squirrel scurrying into the bushes, creamy chocolate ice cream and a slice of homemade tiramisu
• I am thankful for everything that makes this life a wonderful one.