Pennies

"Find a penny pick it up, all that day you’ll have good luck, find a penny let it lay and..."

I do not know the rest of the rhyme (is it even a rhyme?) but I certainly hope that I have good luck all day long. However, I left the penny on the ground when I first saw it and only picked it up when I passed by it again. Now I wonder what that means.


Anyway, I welcome the start of yet another week... Sigh. It feels like it is going to be a good one though.

Pick Your Choice: a Blue Pill or a Red Pill?

It is that time again when I have to start thinking about the courses I want to take in the Spring. I have a rather concrete idea of which classes I would like to enroll but I just need to talk to a couple professors before I make my final decision.

A "final" decision that I have made, however, is not to double major anymore. I will keep my International Affairs major but my Economics major will become a minor (since I have already completed the minor requirements). In addition, I will also pursue an International Political Economy minor. So I will have two minors... in economics. Bizarre, no? They have different focuses though--the latter is mostly on international economics while the former is on social theory.

I just adore economics but this way I can take classes that I would not be able to if I were to double major. 'East Asian Art History: China' has re-awakened my love for art history so I definitely want to take more art history courses (with a focus on China) and I want to throw in some cultural anthropology to the mix.

So... I will be taking 'Introduction to National Politics' and 'Theories in International Affairs' for sure, and either 'Human Rights and International Politics' or 'Global Resource Dilemma' depending on which one I get into first (but my fingers are crossed for the former). I heart Chinese art but anthrolopology, which I enjoy as well, may be more necessary since I want to pursue International Political Economy. This means that I have to decide between to 'Art in Contemporary China' and 'Introduction to Cultural Anthropology'... Unless I overload on credits.

Hmm.

One Tall Mocha with Skim Milk and Go Light on the Whip, Please

I like my coffee, and there is no better way to kickstart my Sunday afternoons than with a hot, steaming mug of mocha.

Unfortunately, it is just a complete letdown when the barista messes up your order. She gets a mocha confused with a plain, old latte. The crucial difference between a mocha and a latte--for me, anyway--is the chocolate... And I taste no chocolate in my mocha. To make matters worse, I got the burnt remnants of the coffee. Yuck.

Sigh.

Coffee's still coffee. Just not very good coffee in this case.

Once Upon a Weekend

Wednesday night was the culmination of months of preparation and a week of frantic publicity to have Loung Ung speak at my college. There were a few mess ups here and there but the lecture was amazing--it struck a chord with me and probably every single person in the Chapel because of how powerful and moving her speech was.

Anyway, now onto some of the (hilarious?) hiccups.

Before the lecture...

A school-certified student driver (you have to be certified in order to drive an official school vehicle) and I picked her up from the airport, and while waiting between the escalators from the arrival area and her flight's baggage claim carousel there was an Asian lady who kept staring at me. This worried me because maybe Loung's flight arrived early and maybe I did not actually know what Loung looked. (I thought it was rather lame and impersonal to hold a placard saying, 'Loung Ung,' and by the time I thought otherwise all I had in my purse were crumpled pieces of binder paper and a black pen). In between stalking the lady and reassuring myself that she was much too plump and mean-looking to be Loung I was looking at Loung's arrival information sheet, the screen showing arrivals, and a brochure that had her picture. Fortunately, another Asian lady soon came down the escalators and after an awkward 'Ms. Ung?' on my part it was confirmed that she was indeed Loung Ung.

We finally reached her hotel only to find out that there were no reservations under her name or the confirmation number I was given by the faculty who arranged her accomodations. Apparently our faculty organizer who organized Loung's accomodations had given us the incorrect information. Sigh. We stayed for a bit anyway because the student who drove us had to fix her laptop containing her next book that had no back-up! (You can all breathe a sigh of relief now because Loung's next book is safe).

On the way to the correct hotel the driver absentmindedly brought us back to school instead of her hotel but we decided to just wait there because it was around the time we had to go to dinner with a group of students and faculty members anyway.

After the lecture...

Quite a few Cambodian Americans from the Portland community attended Loung's lecture and afterwards they invited Loung, M, and I out. M and I were reassured that the place was not an over-21 only location since neither of us are over 21 so off we went with them. When we got there we saw an even larger group of Cambodian Americans who were unable to attend the lecture but wanted to meet and greet Loung. After introductions we all sat down at a long table and started to order drinks; I ordered my drink and M ordered his after me but as soon as he ordered his non-alcoholic drink he was carded! (Turns out the restaurant was over-21 only after 8pm). This was hilarious because I am always accused of looking like 14 year old but I was neither carded nor asked to leave! M and I left anyway but only after talking to the President of the Cambodian American community and receiving invitations for a Khmer dinner to make up for this rather embarassing incident.

Needless to say it was a great week for me, and the 'A' I just received on the East Asian Art History midterm I took on the day of the lecture does not hurt either.

;)

Savoury

I am savouring the last remaining hours of my Fall Break as I savour the last few sips of my now lukewarm mocha.

It was a short four-day weekend that was somewhat productive and quite relaxing, but now I must get on with studying and productivity. Neither of which goes very well together, unfortunately.

The Sound of Raindrops

I decided that we part. Indefinitely. For the rest of the night, anyway. I just need space to breathe. And by 'we' I mean my homework and myself.

This past week has been much busier than usual, which is mostly due to the fact that we only have a week to publicize Loung Ung's lecture. For a while we thought it was not going to push through because of monetary constraints but then at the very last minute various higher ups at my college decided to just give whatever money we still needed (and it was a lot, mind you). So if you are in the Portland, OR area, do try to come because it is open to the public and is a fantastic opportunity.

Many of you may know about the Khmer Rouge and how they murdered two million Cambodians in a population of a mere seven million through disease, execution, hard labor, and starvation. Loung Ung had to live through this horrific genocide. Her story mirrors that of the other Cambodians who had to endure this regime and she will be sharing her story with us for a night. Listen to her story--their stories--of survival.

I have gone off on a bit of a tangent but I just needed to share that small, but important, piece of information with you.

There are much more important things I need to be doing right now (i.e., homework!) but I decided to take a study break. It is a rainy and quiet Sunday night and that only means that Monday morning will soon be here. It has been drizzling all day long and right now there is nothing more comforting than the sounds of raindrops falling and jazz music fused together. None of my roommates are here either; I suspect they are all in the library being much more productive than me.

On a related note (about my roomies), we held a cocktail party last night. We all got a little something... If you know what I mean. I probably should not count though because I have a boyfriend...

Oh well.

Anyway, I think it is time for me to kick back my butt into gear. Thankfully I have something to look forward to this week; Fall Break is this week so my academic week is shorter by two days. Yay. I just need a break regardless of how long (or short) it is.

Oh, I met Eric Idle from Monty Python the other day. I played it cool.

Loung Ung in Portland, OR

LOUNG UNG
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
7:30pm
Agnes Flanagan Chapel at Lewis & Clark College

Admission is free
Parking is free after 7:00pm

Mon Amour

Meet my boyfriend...

...dressed in drag.