NORP 07

For my Spring Break in 2007 Cindy and I led a team to New Orleans to aid in the relief effort. We both went the year before (well, I went to New Orleans, and Cindy went to Biloxi, right?) and had incredible experiences.

The preparation for the trip was a little intense at the time... we needed to raise about $800 in support for each person going.. The year before, one of our friends put on a talent show to raise funds, so we decided to do the same.

we had so many great people put on performances! it was a really fun night.. we also had a service auction.. people would bid on things that others could do for them. We had apartment cleaning, writing help, a running buddy, cooking lessons, a chauffer, help with resume writing, and I made a home cooked southern meal.

One of the things we did to raise support was talk to several local businesses to see if they would want to sponsor us. Many of them gave us gift cards to their stores.. Moe's, Amoeba, Rasputin, etc. so we were able to raffle off those as prizes! I remember one day I was walking up and down Telegraph getting rejection after rejection from businesses, and I was so burnt out and tired from walking.. I was trying to decide if I should just stop for that day, go home and rest, or keep going. I had already skipped several classes that day to talk to businesses, and I felt like I needed to press on even though I was physically and emotionally exhausted. But as I was wrestling with myself it started hailing.. i know.. I have never seen it hail in Berkeley except for that day. So I stood in a doorway until it finally stopped.. and took that as a sign that I should go home and rest.. haha

We ended up getting all of our support, and some came from really unexpected places. At the time, I was working as an intern at a firm in Oakland, and told one of my coworkers in passing about what I was doing for Spring Break.. The day after I was caught in the hail, he gave me a check that completely covered one person's entire trip. It was so so so cool to see God working in others, and see that I, in my limited abilities and stamina, can only do so much. But HE is soooo much greater than me and everyone, that HE can move mountains, and does!

apparently, I kept all of the info we received.. from emergency contacts, to maps.. Because I was the only one over 21 with a license, I had the privilege of being the driver of the rental mini-van.. so we had lots of maps.. hah

and then the instructions on how to properly gut a house.. priceless. This year was a little different from the last.. It had been a year and half since Katrina, and the city was a little more put together than the last time I was there.. We actually stayed in a hotel, and were able to take a shower every night.. instead of in 2006 when we stayed in an old warehouse and had portable tent showers, with no heat.. I think I took 2 showers that week.. haha
It was also different because we had to wear these intense face masks to protect our lungs from the mold.. before, we just used the little paper ones you got from the hardware store.

one of my film prints from the trip
those are some tough looking girlies!

This was a church in the lower ninth ward, about 100 yards from the levy. Not much had changed after a year. I would really like to go back now and see what is in its place..

march 5, 2006

March 28, 2007

soft oranges

Every year, the M. Arch students were always getting grants to do weird things around Wurster (my architecture building). Usually interactive installations, seating, or a green roof. This one was my favorite though.. the orange slices were filled with water and lights.. it was supposed to be heated as well, but I never went while the heater was on. It sat 8 or 10 people and was actually pretty comfortable.. you could go chill at night while it was lit up and the wurster kids were working hard, or during the day between classes to lay in the sun for a while.

"what if a warm, soft orange lived at wurster..."

the international noise conspiracy

my ticket to the show..

That semester, my friend D and I went to sooo many shows.. mostly by obscure bands I had never heard of.. Most of the time they were in Berkeley or Oakland; but for this one, we ventured across the bay into the City. I remember getting off the BART and having absolutely no idea where we were.. it was already pretty late, and we weren't in a very good looking neighborhood (around civic center). so once we figured out where we were, we pretty much ran to the venue. then we had a great time at the show, but had to leave early to catch the last Richmond train at 12:20. and then we got on the Pittsburgh/Bay Point train and had to wait at the Macarthur station in the cold for the transfer.

You should try to check out the (international) noise conspiracy .. I only have like.. 4 of their songs on my comp, one of them is called Capitalism Stole my Virginity. so you know they're good. haha

bring your friends

found this on the street.. i liked it.. so i brought it home and put it on my wall. haha

audium

This was also on my wall for a while. When I first moved to California, my mom gave me this book called, "San Francisco Weird." It has a TON of weird things to do.. from Da Vinci's Camera Obscura, to the acid blotter museum, to the fortune cookie factory.. and of course, Audium.

It was on my list of things to do from 2004 to 2006, when I crossed it off the list. Having only the description that it was a musical mastermind, from the 60's, that would basically blow your brain to bits, we jumped on the bus.. well, bus to bart to muni.. to go to Audium.

tickets are cheap: only $15 for the most INTENSE musical experience of your entire LIFE.
and you get to explore this weird dimly lit museum first to get you in the mood.

after, you go sit in this round room with speakers all around you. you are instructed not to make ANY noise, and not to move.. not to even touch the person sitting next to you, in pitch black darkness. the neon exit signs kind of ruined the mood, but what can you do? and then the program starts. it lasts an hour.. and we were definitely expecting a musical experience.. but it was more like a bunch of weird/odd noises coming from all sides.. bombarding each other and you.

I'm glad I went, otherwise I would have wondered about this mysterious audium for the rest of my life.. but we all agreed that it probably would have been much more enjoyable if we lived in the 60's and were all tripping on acid.

You can read more about Audium here.

i don't want to be a hoarder!

So, a few months ago, I was watching that hoarders show.. that show FREAKS me out. Every time I watch it, it reminds me of.. me. and that’s scary. I keep so many stupid little things for “sentimentality’s sake.” It’s really ridiculous.

One of the people on this show, like many others, had strong attachments to some of the objects, even though she didn’t use them anymore. Her therapist told her to take a picture of the object, and then get rid of it. A digital picture takes up less space than the actual item.

I figured, since I have hoarding tendencies, I need to start combating them Now, instead of when things take over my future home. And since my feets aren’t doing anything special as of late, and this space has been pretty quiet, I figured I’d document the process of ridding here. I’ve got several boxes of memories stowed under my bed, so I’ll go through them box by box, item by item, and recount the memories as best I can, then get rid of it! This way, I can keep the image, and the memory and story it provokes forevs! And not eventually end up on Hoarders. Sound good? Good.

Box #1. Apparently my mom sent me some stuff while in the studio.. I think most of this stuff was taped to the walls of this bitty studio I shared with Ellen.

I laughed out loud when I saw this sign! I was taking a city planning class at the time, and as a requirement, we had to go to a city council meeting. Ellen needed to go for one of her classes, so we picked a night and went. As most of you know, living in Berkeley was quite the experience, and the council meeting would be a bigger glimpse into the craziness that is Berkeley. As we headed into the meeting, we were given these signs: note the no public urination on the bottom.. that’s a real problem in Berkeley - on a side note, I was waiting for the bus once, on University, and this woman was waiting there too. Before I knew what was happening, she was squatting next to the tree on the side of the road! I couldn’t believe it! On other occasions, I have seen guys peeing in MY front yard..

Anyway, turns out, that night they were holding an open meeting about this black and white liquor place. There were about two-dozen people there, half on the side of the store, half outraged by the store. The store had been damaged by a fire and they were going to decide if it should reopen or close forever. I remember one woman standing up and saying that the owners of the store had helped her out on several occasions when she had to leave her home fast. Another man was an employee and said he was grateful for the job he had there.

Others talked about the people the store attracted and how they would get drunk and then pee or puke on their front porches. That their kids couldn’t play in the front yard, because they didn’t know who had peed in it that day. They were outraged and crying.. it was the most intense city council meeting I’ve ever been to!

I can’t remember if they closed the store or not.. but I remember the adventure.

行不行？

This is a little segment I like to call... XING BU XING. (行不行？）

sooo... "xingbuxing?" means "is this OK or not?"
here are some translations from the internet: " all right; capable; competent; OK; okay; to go; to do; to travel; temporary; to walk; to go; will do"

to explain this a little better, I've thought of some illustrations.

Case #1: You want to add some hot spice to the soup you are sharing with your friend, you ask "xing bu xing?" and she replies "xing" "OK, that's fine".

Case #2: You are riding in a taxi to the train station because you are extremely late, and the driver has the audacity to try to pick up another passenger and not use the meter (so he doesn't have to pay taxes). He starts to pull over and you yell, "BU XING!!" "HEY! That is NOT OK!"

Case #3: You make your morning coffee, add the sugar, and then go to the fridge for your milk/creamer. You find that the milk is.. oh no.. expired.. for like 3 days. You are feeling really sad because your coffee is just not complete without the creaminess. Then you remember there is a tub of vanilla ice cream sitting in the freezer.. you add a spoonful of ice cream to your coffee.. all the while thinking to yourself, "行不行？"

xing in my book.


Homemade Blue Bell Ice Cream is the perfect way to saaayy
Have yourself a Blue Bell Country daaayy