Mindless Ramblings of an Incoherent Mind

Political Influence

2011-04-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

dude...if all political activists looked like gigi ibrahim, i'd follow her revolution.

Strangers

2011-04-22T10:01:00.003-04:00

wow...it's been a while since i've done anything with this site. suffice it to say that the lone reader that still subjects themselves to reading this lowly medium into my random thoughts has moved onto newer and shinier objects in the webosphere. but whatever, my corner of the blogosphere remains to simply allow me to throw junk into onto the internet, and i will continue to do so.

i don't really have anything insightful or truly thoughtful to post this morning, just thought i'd post this wong fu productions video that i found hit particularly close to home.

Cabin Fever

2011-02-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

needing a good weekend outside the confines of the district, a bunch of friends and i rented out a cabin in the shenandoah for a few days of hot tub relaxation. it allowed for friends to gather...play a few games...drink you libation of pleasure...taste the local wines...and rest the dc weary minds for a couple of days.

night one...a surprisingly fun drive through a blustery winter evening ended with patrons of my car being fearful of driving into the woods with a classic horror film beat down pickup truck following us down winding mountain roads. though it did eventually veer away, what started out as a cheap scary movie allusion quickly turned into a muted, but genuine fear felt among all riders. but alas, we ended up at our assigned cabin in hot tub heaven and proceeded to hot tub and play drinking games until the wee hours of the morning.

day one...a day of wine tasting and vineyard frolicking. our caravan of two cars hopped from winery to winery. making stops at fox meadows winery, to linden vineyards, to narmada winery where we finished off our day reliving our childhood days on a playground as we watched our friend's dog chase down sticks and tennis balls.

night two...we finished that day with burgers and shrimp, our poor man's surf and turf. with everyone exhausted from a day of wine-ing, the night seemed to end earlier than most nights i've spent in dc. but surprisingly, that was a very welcome night's sleep.

day two...pack up and clean up. check out at 10...and we were back on the road. no sooner had we left our diamond shaped urban prison for the rolling hills of the blue ridge mountains were we back, ready for another week on the grind.

but for a few days, a quick drive westward, and in the company of good friends, one can escape and just have fun the way it's supposed to be had.

Prom

2011-02-06T23:09:00.000-05:00

another year...another february...another excuse to don the tuxedo and head out to tysons for the winston health policy ball.

ever since my first visit in 2008, as a naive and wide-eyed young staffer, i've looked forward to this event each year. this year was particularly rewarding as i had to wrangle my way into the ball as a guest of a friend so as to not rankle the unusually strict reading of the ethics rules my boss had. but i wiggled my way around the rules and was able to bring out my tux from the corner of my closet and pull out my shining black dancing shoes (though no dancing was to be had).

but what i really took away from this year's event was the growth i've had since 2008. i remember that first year, not knowing anyone besides the few coworkers and staffers in a ballroom of hundreds. so new that no one really wanted or needed to talk to us...with only a few lobbyists making their a work-demanding effort to reach out to us junior staffers only because we were of the finance committee.

then moving onto that second year, with the entire health world reeling from the uncertainty of a post-scott brown era. with the bill languishing in the freezing nights of snowpocalypse, we gathered in the ballroom all a bit more somber and what a party should have been.

but this year, full of energy and with a new and some more respectable role as a true health care staffer, i realized that i knew a lot more people and was able to walk down the hallways and not feel as if i was that freshman in high school who didn't know anyone as the seniors and popular kids mingled and ignored you. instead, this year i was able to inject myself in conversations as opposed to having be introduced.

by no means do i feel like i've made it, but there are minor moments in my day-to-day where i do feel that i've done something. that i haven't just been a prop in the ever changing moments of life. and those days aren't too bad.

Brotherly Love

2011-01-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

no no...this really has nothing to do with my brother, whom i do love very much and is doing well in shanghai.

this is about a random weekend trip i made out to philadephia to visit a few friends from san diego. being my first trip out there in my nearly four years on the east coast, i was fairly excited. though it probably wasn't smartest to head over there in the dead of winter.

but whatever, off i go...just a quick weekend trip to see the liberty bell, independence hall, old told philadephia, constitution center, reading terminal...you know, the standards. but coming from a city full of historical importance, i did find it ironic that the only thoughts i had while standing inside independence hall was about the movie "national treasure"...typical.

it's okay though, the purpose of the trip really was just a quick break from the district, to visit some old friends, and to enjoy some good philly cuisine...which i did, here, here, here and here. overall, a pretty decent day and a half. a nice little escape out of my tiny little city.

We Reach For The Stars

2011-01-12T23:36:00.003-05:00

it's easy to blame...it's easy to complain...and it's easy to make excuses. it's hard to accept...it's hard to understand...and it's hard to take responsibility. but in light of the president's speech tonight, it is upon all of us to seek the humility and the humanity that we seemed to have lost.

except, in the wake of tragedies like the one this past saturday in tuscon, there are never any words to say or actions that can be taken that will ease the pain and suffering of the victims.

at these moments, we look to our leaders to guide us. and though sometimes i hope that aaron sorkin would come to the rescue and put his rhetorical magic into the mouths of our public speakers, i know jeb bartlett will only speak to the "streets of heaven being too crowded with angels" in the annals of television history.

but sometimes, reality surprises us. oratory, when given well, has the ability to move us like music and deliver us an emotion that we could not have conjured ourselves. and while the president's speech tonight touched on many issues: anger, acceptance, humility, hope, and remembrance of those loved and lost...i will focus on his foresight and desire to see what we can be in light of what we are. expectations...to ourselves and to each other...all summed up in the eyes of a nine year old girl, a role model for the innocence and optimism that our country and political arena are built on, that too often we forget.

"i want to live up to her expectations, i want our democracy to be as good as christina imagined it, i want american to be as good as she imagined it. all of us, we should do everything we can do to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations"

Citronelle

2011-01-06T23:35:00.001-05:00

not being made of money (or work in the private sector in this city)...a visit to citronelle is definitely only called for on a special occasion. and as a send off to my very good friend and fellow foodie, my ucsd travel buddy, and former roommate, ting, before she leaves the district, i felt this a very worthy chance to spoil myself with some of michel richard's delectable cuisine.

opting for the 3 course dinner prix-fix as opposed to the promenade gourmande, i chose the mosaic to start, the venison as the entree, and finished it all off with the napoleon for dessert. throw in an amuse bouche as a little appetizer and another for dessert, and i left with my belly stretched and my taste buds satiated.

i would have to say that the amuse bouche was a very welcome starter. it included bites of quail egg topped with ikura, a salmon tartar wrapped in pickled jicama, and a mini cupcake with creme fraiche icing...all of which i quickly popped into my mouth followed by "holy crap...this is great" comments after each morsel. though i would have to single out the quail egg as the best of the three.

as for the venison, you must enjoy the gaminess of the meat to fully appreciate this dish. so if you already have trouble with lamb, stay away from the venison. as someone who has a rather indiscriminate palate for food, i rather enjoyed the dish...leaving me with my only criticism that there wasn't enough of it to go around. served with a cabbage cannelloni and a very succulent gravy, i was almost tempted to just lick the plate clean...but felt the inappropriate for the standards and class of a place like citronelle.

and to finish it all off, a creme brulee napolean. and i'm usually not a big fan of desserts (or sweets in general), but my first taste was immediately followed by another "holy crap" moment. the puff pastry that divided the vanilla creme brulee slices were perfectly flaky...the assortment of fruits that covered the dish were fresh and exquisitely paired with the passionfruit sauce. i must say, dessert usually being the course that surprises me the least, this one stood out.

so after the rave review, why only a 4-star rating you ask? even though the food was great and the service was top-notch, it is difficult to justify the costs even for a foodie like myself. there aren't many things that i'm willing to unconsciously drop large sums of money on, and food is one of them. but it is still without a moments pause to think that you have to be prepared to shell out a couple of benjamins if you want to savor the experience that is michel richard. personally, i'm glad i came, but it would take another momentous occasion to bring me back. i'll stick with his much more accessible and equally delicious central for my standard monday evening meals.

2010 Post Mortem

2011-01-04T23:02:00.002-05:00

beyond producing some verbal vomit every so often into my little corner of the interwebs, these yearly memorials have been a fantastic time capsule for my already addled mind. so to ensure that i will always have a lasting visual of what my life once was, i will continue to type my babbles.

last years inaugural posting reflected on the seeds that i have planted while looking forward to a year of progress. looking back on it, i can say that it has been a year of partial successes and half failures. certain things moved forward while others stayed completely the same. so this year, no lofty goals, no inspiring quotes, just another year gone by.

december
a rambunctious and surprisingly productive lame-duck congress finally put an end to the 111th congress, the most active and successful congress in decades. though happily, unlike 2009, i wasn't forced to sit through endless hours of cloture votes this month and i was able to make my trip out to taiwan for a long overdue visit to my family.
november
this was the first year in quite a while that i was the sole chef for the thanksgiving table mainstays (turkey, ham, blah blah blah). and i tried a new recipe...and joined (though i've heard it many times before) the brining revolution. probably one of the best turkeys i've ever pulled out of an oven.
october
a month of political chatter and electoral banter led up to our shellacking of november's midterm elections. but us liberals did get a nice reprieve from the consecutive appearances of sarah palin and glenn beck with our own rally with our icons on the left...jon stewart and steven colbert.
september
a birthday month with a much more extravagant and costly (thanks friends) than i expected. it also came with a nice visit from a good friend from the other side of the country. another year older and another year wiser...well, i definitely got the year, but not necessarily the wisdom.
august
crossing off another state on my futile and not really active attempt to see all 50 states, i got a visit to minnesota taken off my list. as the new representative on health care issues for the senior senator from minnesota, i made my rounds around minneapolis and st. paul meeting all the players.
july
of all things that progressed in my life, my career was probably moving at the fastest pace. and with all the glory and reputation of working on health care reform, i was surprised that my half-assed and semi-unprepared job search ended in such swift conclusion with my hiring at the health legislative assistant for senator amy klobuchar of minnesota. also, i did get to make a very nostalgic visit back to california for a very nice reunion of san diego friends at helen's wedding.
june
before my move to the hart office building, i took a reward trip to boston as a reward for a year and half of being stuck in the dirksen office building. so while unknowing that i would cross minnesota off my list of unseen states, i got to add massachusetts to that list as well. i was sure to hide my lakers jersey while i walked the streets of celtics territory.
may
on this look back, i realize that i did a fair amount of traveling this year...taiwan in december, minnesota in august, massachusetts in july. for the month of may, we can add montana and new york to that list. montana for work for the old boss...a victory lap around the state to sell the ~~bill~~ law; new york for a vacation with an old friend...a personal celebration with drinking and debauchery.
april
like last year, april seemed to have dragged on, but in a much better way than last year. this april was more a "take a breath and relax" month as the finance committee's health team finally got some time to sit down and enjoy the spoils of success.
march
what a month march was. with another around-the-clock effort, democrats on the hill followed the president's leadership and determination to finally pass health care reform and the accompanying reconciliation bill. march 23 will now represent the peak of my legislative career.
february
this was a tough month...with our seemingly dead health care reform legislation sucking in its last breaths while being pumped by life support. not to mention that the entire district was snowed in by our own little version of snowmageddon.
january
before the political earthquake of a scott brown victory for ted kennedy's historically liberal democratic seat, the entire health care world was roaming around the floors of the capitol building, darting in and out of bicameral+white house meetings working on a conference health reform bill. though it included extremely late nights and painstaking negotiations, it was probably my favorite part of the entire legislative process.

so there it is, the year in a nutshell. i can't seem to find a proper wrap up of the past year or an appropriate prediction for next year. maybe it's my lack of imagination or creative instincts, hopefully it's not an omen for the future, but i'm having a hard time deciding whether my glass is still being filled.

Taiwan 2010

2010-12-31T09:40:00.003-05:00

for my annual trip out to the far east, i met up with my family in our taiwan home base in taichung. it was a welcome trip out of dc, and luckily, right before the snow storm hit the east coast. plus, it has been a couple of years since i've seen my brother and several more since i've seen my grandmother...so a nice family reunion was to be had.

i remember when i was younger, making these trips was very much a chore. always having to ditch my friends during our very few chances to meet up, never really haven't any friends out in asia, always being bored spending time with parents. and sure, those problems still exist now, but i have come to truly appreciate what these trips are for me. being so far away from my family, i have to take the very view chances i get to see them (any why not...it's not on my dime :P)

and this trip was no different...my brother flew down from shanghai to spend a several days with the family. we brought my grandmother over so we could take family photos. we went on a short in-island vacation to the local hot springs of yilan. and we ate...ate...and then ate some more.

though this will be the first year that i didn't celebrate a new years eve with excessive drinking and eventual vomiting, i'll take this clam and quiet transition to another year as an omen of a tranquil and stable 2011.

E Pluribus Unum

2010-12-22T15:54:00.003-05:00

in a flurry of activity and in record speeds, the congress passed both historic and necessary pieces of legislation during this lame-duck session. from hostage negotiating a tax extension to finally repealing "don't as don't tell" to ratifying a new START treaty to ensuring health care for our 9/11 heroes...the last few weeks have been a whirlwind by senatorial standards.

some will come out of this thinking that we've heeded the calls of the midterm elections, that bipartisanship is the new watchword of the future. and even the president seems to believe it, which his most stirring oratorical statement in a long while: "For we are not a nation that says, 'don't ask, don’t tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.'"

the optimist in me hopes that the sentiment is real...that it wasn't just a momentary glimpse into what the founders intended congress to be. but the realist in me knows that we're looking at a couple years of deadlock and partisanship.

but however we spend the next couple of years, the idealist in me continues to hope that each individual member comes to the table with a genuine desire to do good of the country, regardless of whether or not i believe in their positions or not. after all, it is in that love for country that brings all of us into one.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T01:09:00.003-05:00

the tradition continues...pre-thanksgiving feast 2010 was another success. again missing my coveted sous chef, i took on more of the responsibilities myself. and i was very pleased with myself when everything worked out.

but the main reason for this post is to rave about the utility and benefits of a good brine. and stealing alton brown's recipe, i thought the turkey turned out great...probably one of the best i've ever made.

anyways, now that the thanksgiving weekend is over and the leftovers are still being consumed, i'm already excited for the next time i get to feast.

Dream Girl

2010-11-27T11:45:00.005-05:00

there may need to be new room on my mantel of ridiculously hot women that i will never get to meet...and as much as it pains me to think about this possibility, emmanuelle chriqui, has some serious competition.

so without further ado, to live forever in my creepish fantasy world of awesomely beautiful women who i will never have a chance with...arden cho.

and to further promote her and a few ucsd alum and a bunch of much more creative asian people than i..."A.S.S"

Where Amazing Happens

2010-11-09T23:37:00.001-05:00

so good that you can't help but love it...

...or if you're in anything but purple and gold, just hate it.

More Sane?

2010-11-01T16:07:00.002-04:00

us on the left have definitely had a plethora of ironic, hypocritical, downright hilarious, and realistically dangerous material from the right wing, tea party base the past few years...and it's done for some good ratings for the daily show and the colbert report. but what is truly appreciated about those types of shows is the level of intelligence that the two respective hosts bring to the discourse...it's not about who's winning or who's the loudest. yes, they make a living calling out the crazies, but those who believe that is news are just as ironic, hypocritical, hilarious, and dangerous...and sadly, missed the whole point of the rally this past weekend.

we were supposed to rise above the noise, not succumb to sound bites and talking points, and truly engage ourselves in the process and make our own decisions.

sure we may not be as hateful or be as aggressively spiteful, but we need to be careful not to be as blindly led.

Cuisine

2010-10-28T11:40:00.002-04:00

it is no secret that i have been irate about the lack of quality mexican food in the district. and whenever i spout off on my complete disdain and disgust at the scene, i get rebuttals to visit places like cactus cantina or lauriol plaza, i immediate refute their claims that this is mexican food. as evidenced by the most useful of diagrams...

i won't lie, i do enjoy a plate of nachos or chips and queso or enchiladas and overly stuffed burritos. but there are times when i really just crave some quality chorizo or succulent carnitas...and sadly, those are harder to find in what should be a metropolitan.

Irony?

2010-10-15T09:20:00.003-04:00

perhaps after sending sexts of your junk to unsuspecting former coworkers, this is what you get in return.

it doesn't matter where you are, whenever a guy sees another guy getting hit in the nuts they will instinctively feel a bit of pain in their own region...but that being said, this is still pretty funny.

Goals

2010-09-30T20:55:00.002-04:00

now that i've recently passed my latest celebration of my birth year, i feel that i should assess where i've come and where i want to go. thus far, it seems that i've followed the exact route that i should have...the stereotypical first-generation asian american path: do well in high school, get into a good college, travel a bit (explore the world), pursue and advanced degree, then find a job. that is the path that my parents have laid out in front of me, coddled and nurtured to succeed. but they can only take me so far...

at this point, it's really up to me. so yes, on paper, it looks like i've done a decent job with myself. grad degree, worked on an exceptional team to pass health care reform, and now am responsible for the health care portfolio of another senator. sadly, i've been working under the feeling that i've gotten very lucky...having fallen into my job with finance, which allure and aura helped land me my current job. i'm still waiting to feel like i've completely earned what i have.

but beyond these deep seated ramblings, i still have to set goals for myself. and i won't bore the blogsphere with the thoughts of job advancements or luck in love. i've set a few very achievable goals that i hope to have in my lifetime...and here they are:

1. i want to be able to live in a house where i can have my own pool table
2. i want to have an infinity pool overlooking a cliff
3. i want to be wealthy enough to be able to open up a restaurant without fear of it failing

so now that i've succeeded in most of my goals during the first quarter century of so of my life, let's see if i can't get the rest of those in the rest of my life.

Volt

2010-09-20T15:18:00.001-04:00

like many many others, i only know of volt through owner/chef bryan voltaggio's top chef fame. without that, i'm sure i wouldn't have made the hour drive to this quiet little block of frederick that reminded me of old town alexandria...with the same historic ambiance with an authentic american feel to it. and heading out there on a sunday night towards the end of a heated redskins game made the city blocks seem nearly abandoned. as my friend and i wondered what a famed chef and top tier restaurant were doing hidden in this more pastoral town as opposed to a trendy urban enclave, i had to stop myself from overly critiquing and just enjoy the new american cuisine in this classic american setting.

but once you walk up the stairs of the landmark houck mansion and into the restaurant itself, you leave the historic feel of frederick and are whisked away into a modern, chic, and surprisingly brightly lit dining room. though we arrived early for our meal, we were seated promptly. which meant we had to forgo the pre-meal drink at what looked like a rather comfortable lounge/bar. sadly, we were not offered a table in the kitchen. instead, we sat in the main dining room which was bright, with shining linens and plush seating...all adorned in white, offsetting the black/gray suits that the hosts/servers were wearing.

once seated, our server was quick to offer us the house filtered still/sparkling water as well as the cocktail/wine list. from which my friend and i both ordered expertly made manhattans...smooth and smokey. having done our homework, we had already decided to go for the pre-fixe six course kitchen menu opposed to their a la carte menu (though it was a very tough decision...but i figured i'd go for it since it was my birthday).

as for the food, we were presented with a trio of canapes to wet our palettes. it included a beet flavored puff with a little dollop of creme fois gras, a cube of compressed watermelon flavored with prosciutto, and a lobster salad with fried leeks...what a great start to the meal. the tasting menu followed along with a plate of heirloom tomatoes topped with tomato dip n' dops, olive oil ice cream, and mozzarella spheres. not only was everything on the plate fresh, as if it was plucked directly from the soil, but the combination provided a refreshing tone to evening. we followed that with what i would say is the stand out dish of the evening...the goat cheese ravioli. one bite in and i was awed at its creaminess, its boldness in flavor, and its harmony of tastes. the sharp goat cheese was countered with a very sweet puree of butternut squash, providing a balance between sweet and savory. the spotted skate wing was the next course...sitting on top of a bed of pea puree, was nicely prepared but didn't inspire me to sing another aria to the chef. the red water pork belly with white beans and stewed mustard seeds was fork tender, melt in your mouth delicious (but if given the choice, i'd still take david chang's pork belly bun from momofuku). the last savory dish was a neatly butchered, rare veal loin. i wasn't disappointed, but again, it didn't even beat out the braised veal cheeks i had at tabaq here in dc. the dessert was a texture of chocolate...and unlike the rest of the world, i'm simply not huge on chocolate. and the ganache and caramel was just too rich for my tastes.

overall, the food was definitely worth the hour drive away from the culinary adventures of the district, the service was impeccable with a server clearing the plates and utensils after each dish, and the price for a six course pre-fixe was not outrageous. and i didn't leave hungry as you often do from tasting menus.

granted without his top chef fame i probably never would have ventured into frederick, but now that i've tasted what i watched on tv, i'm happy that i did.

Election Season

2010-09-15T11:59:00.006-04:00

as the owner of a big D-card, all this talk about republicans sweeping into power this year and the ineptitude of the democratic party has gotten me down and frustrated. yes...i agree that the economic outlook and the democrats complete lack of a message are big reasons why we're in the pickle that we're in. but at the same time, i'm seeing hypocrisy in action when talking about tax cuts and deficits...i'm seeing a republican party oppose any and everything for the sake of winning and the cost of the country...and sadly, i am seeing an insane amount of lies and deceit driving a less than informed electorate. but what really pisses me off (and this is a bipartisan finger pointing) are the people who take advantage of the electorate to make money under the guise of "restoring america".

i can respect policy differences...i can respect their position that government is too large and that tax dollars should be returned to those who make them. but when they take that argument and suggest that it will spur the economy because those dollars will simply be put back into the private sector, i urge them to bring me historical evidence. we need only look at this past decade to prove that that plan didn't work. with some of the largest tax cuts we've seen resulting in the largest deficits we've seen. at what point does perseverance become downright crazy?

but what's even more despicable with their tax policy is their continual raving about the deficit and pounding democrats for overspending. if the republican stuck by their by-as-you-go guns on everything else the democrats have tried to do these past two years, then i expect them to do so with the tax cuts. to offset the trillion dollars this is going to cost us, i want to hear them say they're raise the retirement age for social security, or list the benefits they would cut out of medicare, or limit the exorbitant defense budget. but they won't say any of those things. so they'll pound us for spending money on the poor, the needy, and the middle-income while they rake in cash from the uber wealthy and the large corporations.

not to be a blind loyalist, i've got my beef with the democrats as well. i've said this before, and it holds even truer today. but one of the reasons why i am a democrat is because we are open to ideas and a rather welcoming tent...but at the same time, that leaves us vulnerable and divided on message. i understand that all politics is local and that members of congress are sent here to represent their constituents...and they can't influence the social good if they can't win at home. but for once, i wish the democrats would stand tall, face the dirt that's being thrown at them, and remove their veil of cowardice and punch back. be proud and say "yes, i voted for the health reform bill, climate change, and financial reform. i know you disagree. but here's why i did". but instead, they run and hide. and as they always do, they say "don't pick on me". show me that candidate and i'll vote for him/her any day.

but i don't see that candidate anywhere. and i do see millions of misinformed americans blindly following the tune of beck, palin, limbaugh. these working class americans who belief faith has been lost in this country, that the democrats have auctioned off the wealth...i want them to ask glen, sarah, and rush "how much money did you make scribbling on your blackboard this year? how much money did you make touring the country as the mama grizzly? how much money did you make spewing hate over the airwaves?" then see how much they'd give back to you in times of trouble.

so with that note...end of rant.

Sick

2010-08-31T14:20:00.002-04:00

Minne-soooo-ta

2010-08-28T01:55:00.003-04:00

new job, new office, new m-state to travel to. this time, work has sent me to the upper midwest, home of the twin cities...minnesota. of all the things i've ever heard or known about minnesota, it's about the civility of the people. they have a charm and calmness about them that i can only imagine comes after building generations of patience to survive the brutality of their winters. but whatever the root cause, minnesotans are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

beyond boring you with the banality of endless meetings, racing my rental car between offices and hotels, shuttling between generic diner and faux-trending restaurants, i will just explain the sense of adulthood i felt after the trip.

i've been on business trips before, and have been working a 'real' job for nearly two years now...but this time, the responsibility is actually on me. the boss will actually turn to me, leaving me without the safety net that i once had. sure i have resources to turn to, institutional memory to rely on, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with me. and i've been uncomfortable with that situation for a while...but this trip has helped me, though not yet overcome, adjust to my new surroundings. and only time and experience will truly push me to independence and confidence.

but fret not, though my trip to the great state of minnesota didn't allow me the luxury of free time (i failed to explore the mall of america and i flew out the night before the famed state fair began), i did get to enjoy a twins game on the finest of minnesota evenings.

Gluttony Week

2010-08-22T16:53:00.001-04:00

those who have followed these ramblings are the ones who truly know me (besides all those who just happen to link to my page from a picture of one of my dream girls). so those who are still reading this now...i know, the dream girls are distracting...know that there are few things that i have no hesitation in spending my hard earned dollar on. and one of those is food...whether it be fresh from the farmer's market, store bought, ordered in, or dining out. so this past week of gluttony--restaurant--week, i definitely ate my share.

for some reason that i can no longer remember, i seemed to have fallen behind on my self-improvement routine and already missed the gym for a few days, and then my schedule being ruined by reservations, i continued to miss more. so truly, 4 reservations in one week, no days spend at the gym, i was indulging myself in my favorite of all sins.

i won't get into the details of my dining escapades, since they'll only leave my mouth watering and anxiously waiting for the winter restaurant week to come. you can read about them here, here, here, and here. and beyond those 4 visits, i also made stops for happy hour sushi and a large shrimp burrito, as well as large platters of homemade indian food.

so i sit here, as disgusted i am with the rolls of fat spilling over my waistband, i am just as equally satisfied at my epicurean adventures. onto the next meal i say...i can always go on that diet tomorrow.

Adjustments

2010-08-01T23:06:00.004-04:00

on the eve of my third week with the new job, i'm still finding myself uneasy and tepid about my surroundings. though it's normal and i do have the advantage of having been around the hill before, i'm just not a big fan of not having a sure footing.

but in the middle of last week, i walked to my desk to find an item that i had been waiting for. it was a three part process, which made it more enjoyable when it finally arrived to my cubicle.

it's a framed copy of what's called a "redline" document. in this case, it's of the health reform law...the first and last page with the signatures of the president, the veep, and the speaker. and on the front, it was graciously signed by my previous employer, senator max baucus.

i've seen other staffers with redlines neatly framed in their offices and i've always admired them as signs of accomplishment for their work. and i know i haven't done anything to prove myself in my new position, but hanging this up next to my desk at least made me felt like i belonged there as opposed to just lucking into it.

so as tiny a symbolic gesture it is...it's helped me ease into my third week and hopefully the many weeks to come.

First Day

2010-07-18T23:09:00.002-04:00

i'm sitting at my desk tonight listening to the rumblings of thunder and watching the downpour of rain and hoping that this dreadful weather is not an omen for the next leg of my career. or maybe i should think of it as a palate cleanser, allowing me to walk into hart 302 tomorrow with a clean slate with a new opportunity to prove myself. or...maybe a thunderstorm is just rolling through the district.

whatever the literal or existential reason is, tomorrow will be the first day i call myself a health legislative assistant for senator klobuchar and actually have the business cards to back that up. taking a walk down memory lane...remembering the surprise i felt when my dad woke me up one morning to tell me i had been accepted into grad school, and then the angst that came with employment (though it was just an internship), and also the elation i felt after seeing years of hard work actually paying off...i found myself thinking about which adjectives i'd be using to describe the next part.

everyone has been asking me whether or not i'm excited to be starting a new job, and to be honest, i can't say that i am...or at least not in the same way i was when i first moved to dc or when i was hired by senate finance. this move, though new and respectable, almost felt as if it came out of necessity. not being able to advance myself further, i was forced to take the opportunity. and though it is definitely a move up and will be immensely beneficial to my career as well as exceedingly humbling, i feel disappointed that i didn't make this move completely by choice or desire. but regardless, i take my full dedication and energy with me and will exert all i have to ensure my success, to make this all it can be and take all it will give in return.

Nostalgia

2010-07-12T21:25:00.002-04:00

there have been a lot of change these days...birthdays, weddings, new jobs, new lives. but an invitation that arrived in the mail several months ago indulged me in a few days of the past. an old friend from years past was getting married...and i happily took this opportunity to see some great friends from a former life.

i've never been great at maintaining old friendships. my modus operandi is to develop a great group of friends everywhere i go...claremont, san diego, dc...but somehow i tend to only have the capacity to hold onto a handful of lifelong friends and regrettably, i lose touch with lots of others. and after making this trip back to california, seeing some of my old friends, i realized that i really missed that life.

dinner with lil sibs, drinks and a impromptu visit to napa with a great friend, reminiscing with old roommates, and wedding date with an old crush...it was all just a little bit surreal.

maybe it's hearing what all my old college buddies have been up to in the years that have gone by, or realizing i'm at the age when friends of mine start getting married and having kids, or that i've taken responsible steps to improve my career/life even if i'm not as confident about it. but as much as i move around and go down paths i never thought i would have, i still have to think...change is hard.

Boston

2010-06-27T09:55:00.003-04:00

before last monday, heading up to boston for this seminar on comparative effectiveness research was a good educational move for my work with the committee. but after an unexpected call from the senior senator from minnesota that afternoon, having the committee pay for my trip seemed a little selfish as i would no longer impart my knowledge for their benefit. but after making sure my office was still okay sending me (probably as a reward for the past year and half of health reform), i happily booked my tickets and hotel room for a few days outside the diamond confines of dc.

so under the guise of this seminar, i escaped dc for a few days to visit boston (where i have never been). and i'm glad i went. the conference itself was uneventful and i was definitely out of my comfort zone of policy and politics as this was a scientific methods discussion and i gave up my scientist-card the moment i barely passed o-chem. but the true purpose was simply to walk around a new town, eat some food, catch some sights, and enjoy a relaxing few days...and that i did.

as tempted as i was to stroll through boston common wearing my purple and gold, i fear that i would've been mugged in broad daylight and the police would've encouraged it. so i refrained from my gloating and just enjoyed the city on its own. and i must say, it is a beautiful city. walking down commonweath, you'd be hard pressed to find a more serene street anywhere else. with red brick row houses facing a park-like divider lined with plush green trees, with a george washington statue at its helm before opening up to the public garden and boston common.

staying in the south end, i was privy to the "new money boston" as it was put to me by a tour guide. i was definitely pleased to have been recommended some wonderful gastronomic pleasures and wish i could have taken advantage of all of them. but i will highlight my first non-conference dining experience at b&g oysters. nestled into a corner of tremont st, it definitely held its own amongst the numerous dining choices available to me on those stretch of blocks.

and of course, what would a trip to boston be without visiting harvard. as much grief as we give our cambridge friends, i was still anxious to stroll along the campus and hopefully soak up some ivy league intelligence. and i must say, the campus is exactly as you imagine it to be (though not necessarily full of tourists gawking about)...with its large brick buildings, large shaded quad, and historical influence exuding from its grounds. i made sure to sit there for a while and let osmosis do its work...i instantly felt my iq jump a few points.

overall, though my time was short, i truly enjoyed myself. and i thought about how close i was to having gone to school at boston university and how different my life would be if i had. it seems that i've been having a lot of those "grass is greener" moments recently...and at the end of the day, i just have to enjoy and focus on the patch of lawn that i am sitting on now.

Moving On

2010-06-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

don't worry reader, this title does not represent my retirement from this blog, though i have noticed a severe drop off in posts (my bad). but what it means is my departure from the legislative, history-making senate finance committee. i have been offered the health legislative assistant position with the senior senator from minnesota, amy klobuchar, and today, i accepted.

i must say, it is very difficult to leave the prestige of the committee room, but this move to a personal office will be both a unique experience and a learning opportunity for me. at the same time, i worry that my penchant for acting smart will be called into question and everyone will realize that i really have no idea what i'm talking about. but even beyond personal fear or the risk of disappointing my new boss, i'm most afraid of the embarrassment i'd feel if my current colleagues were ashamed that i made such mistakes after sending almost two years under their tutelage.

but whatever i'm feeling, the wheels of progress are turning. come july 19th, i will not be strolling into the dirksen building, ride the elevator the two floors i could have easily walked, or enter 207 and walk down the hall to my desk as i spy who's already in the office. instead, i'll be entering hart, feeling better as i ride the elevator three stories, and walking toward an unknown cubicle. it is an odd feeling, but a good one, knowing that i am moving forward with my life. but at the same time...change is hard.

Ulcers

2010-06-13T22:53:00.002-04:00

i'm not generally someone who is overwhelmed by pressure or lets things i can't control get to me...but when it comes to lakers playoff basketball, i am stressed, agitated, and rather irrational. after this disappointed game 5 loss tonight, if anyone tried to poke at me i wouldn't be surprised if i threw a punch.

but instead, i'm going to calmly picked up the remote that i threw across the room, pound two shots of jameson to numb the pain, close my door, and rant to the blogosphere where no physical harm can be done.

so tonight's game was the perfect example of why i hate the 2-3-2 format for the finals. the top-seeded team should be rewarded for their achievements in the regular season...and yes, the lakers do have home court and can take the last two games at home. however, when two great teams do what they're supposed to do and split the first four games by each winning one on the road, then the pivotal game 5 should be played at home for the top-seeded team. that is they're reward for having outperformed in the regular season. instead, they're faced with a difficult road game when it matters the most.

i'm not guaranteeing that lakers would have won game 5 if it had been in la, but i'm sure it would've made the supporting cast feel much more comfortable. instead, granted the celtics played great defense, no other player besides kobe's single handed efforts to keep the lakers in this game and gasol's meager 12 points were in double digit scoring...no one rebounded the ball...no one played with a championship desire. just because we won last year doesn't mean we can coast...play hard 12 minutes every quarter, 48 minutes every game, 82 games a year, and then win 16 games in the playoffs. that's what every coach has preached to a player ever since they stepped on a basketball court.

i know we're banged up and i don't underestimate how important having a healthy bynum is to the lakers...but the rest of the players need to step up as nate robinson and big baby has for the celtics. where's odom? where's artest? where's brown and farmer? kobe had 19 points of the lakers 26 in the 3rd quarter. i didn't need him to do that to show me he is one the greatest players ever. what i needed was for other players to play and for the lakers to want this, to prove that last year wasn't a fluke and that we can beat the greats.

so guys...for my sanity, for the avoidance of physical harm, for the two maine lobsters riding on this series...please, step up your game.

The Big Apple

2010-05-31T18:27:00.002-04:00

after returning from a quick trip to the big city to the north, i again realized that i have a love/hate relationship with the city. well, i won't go so far as to say 'hate', but "can't see myself living there unless i had a lot of money" doesn't fit.

i was lucky this trip, visiting a friend who used to live in the city to take me off the beaten path, i was able to see a bit more of new york that isn't simply on postcards and movie cliches (though we did see the spot tom hanks and meg ryan had their romantic final embrace in you've got mail in riverside park). but beyond that, what always draws me to the city is the unending plethora of fooding/drinking/social experiences that can be had. it is a foodie's dream...with its 5-star establishments to its hole-in-the-wall joints, there are no bounds to the eating that can be done. and if i was rich, had the time, and didn't care about my appearance, i'd just take a year and eat my way around the entire city. but since i can't do that, it just gives me more of an excuse to come back and venture to other parts of town to dine on new cuisines and drink to my liver's content.

Business Trips

2010-05-20T00:35:00.002-04:00

when i was younger, my dad was a frequent business traveler...hopping from city to city, jumping from plane to plane...and i always thought that would be cool. to be a man of the air and to visit so many places. obviously, his excursions were never puddle jumps...unless you consider the pacific ocean a puddle. and a constant 13 hour flight every few weeks can clearly cause a significant amount of stress...which i have always been grateful for my dad to have endured to provide for my spoiled ass.

but now that i'm older and taking business trips of my own (and granted, i only make these trips VERY rarely), i have a new found respect fo the work that he did. as for my experience, work has shipped me out to montana to help educated the locals about what we did in health reform. thus, i've spent the past few weeks setting up meetings, booking hotels, renting cars (yes, i can finally do that legally), and reserving seats on planes.

and now that i'm halfway done with my trip...i've run into a handleful of miseries common to the business traveler. the trip didn't start out great with a meager (but damaging) 30 minute delay out...which meant that, even with my furious race down the terminal, i still missed my connecting flight, stranding me in salt lake city for an extra couple of hours. and getting into my final destination later than expected, my luggage's travel time was not in sync with mine. (normally i would've tried to the 'up in the air' theory of only keeping one carry on, but i haven't mastered the packing needs yet).

travel issues aside, what really gets to you is the constant moving around...hopping from meeting to meeting, conference room to conference room, speaking the same canned response and answering the same common question. all the while finding a restaurant at the end of the day to have a meal alone and then return to a hotel room and sleep in a bed that isn't yours. i've always liked hotels...but after three nights in a strange bed without the mental comforts of home...you do start to feel a bit uncomfortable.

but at the end of the day, i really have no complaints. it is nice to get out of dc and to get out into the real world. and since i don't do this very often, the novelty of it still exists and i'm going to enjoy it while i can.

Rat Race

2010-04-30T10:14:00.005-04:00

as i come into a new season of job hunting and anxious anticipation of a single acceptance amongst piles of rejections, i sometimes wonder what it'd be like to not be a part of the rat race, to have the freedom from any responsibilities beyond your own existence. obviously, those who know me know those thoughts don't linger long as i am a creature of urban existence and luxuries. but there are moments when the calm serenity of a backpack and green pastures or white sand beaches sounds extremely appealing.

this morning, as i prepared for another job interview by frantically browsing the internet for porn and gossip, i stumbled upon this time lapse short about someone's travels through the silk road. maybe it's my a.d.d. that is keeping me from focusing on the job hunt at hand, but the harmony of the music set to the vicarious adventures has me day dreaming the morning away.

Silk Road Timelapse: Two Months Across Tibet, Xinjiang, Yunan, and China from inMotion on Vimeo.

Denial

2010-04-17T00:54:00.003-04:00

i've never lived my life with very much regret...or at least i always tried not to. there are very few things in my life that aren't good and i've been extremely fortunate to be where i am, so i find that allowing myself to regret paths not chosen is disrespectful to those who got me where i am and those who don't have the opportunities to have enjoyed what i have enjoyed.

but every once in a while, when things are going the way i hope, regret seems to be the scapegoat of my contempt. why didn't i try harder in san diego? why was i so selfish in shanghai? why didn't i come back sooner? etc etc etc...

you learn things as you gain more experience, and what i've learned about myself is that i'm really good at denial. and that's disappointing because i like to solve problems...but when it comes to ones i find have unfavorable resolutions, i tend to deny the outcome and pray that the grass is greener on the other side of my thoughts, that there's still a hidden path that i haven't found yet that will get me where i want to go.

my only fear is that in my denial, in my constant search for that path the doesn't exist, is that i miss other paths that may lead me forward.

More Animal Cuteness

2010-03-31T11:47:00.006-04:00

to follow up on the great panda escape, here's another clip of a bear cub of the black bear variety (i'm totally guessing here) being freaked out by a lion. i would imagine that this pairing could have potentially become one of those "odd couples" in the animal friendship world.

Bear Cub Scared By Lion - Watch more Funny Videos

All Done

2010-03-28T01:48:00.003-04:00

it's finally recess here in congress...meaning the streets and buildings have completely emptied out as congressional staff members take their stockpiled vacation days and bolt the city. and i will follow the masses and take my leave as well.

but this recess has the added bonus...unlike previous breaks, this one doesn't have that sense of pressure, that i was leaving something unfinished. and that is because the century long health care debate has finally ended. sure there will be court challenges and the midterm elections...but behind all the teabaggers and empty rhetoric, health care reform is ultimately finished and the democrats have won. and though we don't know how it'll eventually play out in november, i doubt the world be succumb to armageddon.

and after over a year's worth of toil, we finally have time to reflect on the efforts of the staff that pushed through this effort. and some well-deserved recognition must be made.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

219

2010-03-22T00:21:00.002-04:00

readers of this blog need not know any more context.

We the People

2010-03-21T10:09:00.003-04:00

sometimes in a democracy, the other guys win. and i'm hopeful that in a few hours, democracy (however nasty and dirty a game it is) will prevail again and we'll have the votes to pass comprehensive health care reform after a 100 years of struggle.

these people, with their whining, misinformed fox news babble can now afford health insurance, can now be protected from malicious insurance policies, can now realize that they the sky didn't fall down and they can still see their doctor, can now go to their grandparents' houses and realize they're still alive. and 20 or 30 years down the line, when these people become accustomed to the benefits that they derided as socialism today and defend their tax subsidy as they now defend the single-payer system of Medicare, i hope that they can all look back at this snapshot in time as realize that they're giant douchebags.

Escape!

2010-03-18T10:57:00.008-04:00

maybe there was just a lusher pile of bamboo on the other side of the fence or some smoking panda chick sprawled over some leaves...but these two renegade pandas have hatched the an escape plan based on "your shoelaces are untied" trick.

now i've seen pandas first hand, and if my brother is any indication, they like to sit and eat and generally are not runners (though i hear that my brother is changing that trend...way to go man). but this just goes to show you that curiosity, the desire for freedom, or just the opportunity to display your cuteness in a youtube world is motivation enough to make a dash for the unknown.

Health Prom

2010-03-16T23:38:00.003-04:00

every year, the winston health policy fellowship hosts a ball as fundraiser for itself that also seconds as a celebration of the their fellows for that particular year. it's a formal, black-tie event that is well attended by lobbyist, advocates, and policy folk alike. so every year, the health policy folks who are anybody (or just people who know the right people...ME) dress up and walk the health policy red carpet at the ritz carlton.

so with the context established, the health team of the senate finance committee gathered together in our dresses and tuxedos and marched from our prisons in the dirksen building to the luxurious ballroom of the ritz to celebrate ourselves and to get incessantly lobbied by special interests and industry. all trying to steal a snippet of information about what's going on in the halls of congress as we move forward with health care reform.

though it wasn't the celebratory "we passed health reform so suck it all you republicans in the room" event for us, good times were still had all around. conversation was welcome, drinks flowed from the open bar, and networking was conducted. all and all, it was a good event. hopefully i stay in the good graces of the event planners so to receive an invitation for next years soiree.

WTF

2010-02-28T10:55:00.005-05:00

lately...there has been a kind of malaise around me. it is the lack of motivation or excitement that comes with uncertainty and powerlessness. usually at these moments, you feel completely alone and unsure of the next steps or who to turn to. but as in the midst of my ritualistic sunday perusal of the interwebs, i found that i am not alone...but that even the calendar feels the same way i do.

Fooding

2010-02-12T10:03:00.003-05:00

it is no secret that i like to eat...so i thought that it would be beneficial to the eaters of dc to know where i like to plop myself down and shovel sweet ambrosia into my mouth. and after serious consideration and weeks of thought, i've made that list and got it posted on here.

but in case you really can't click on another link...here's my recommended list:

1. Scorched earth cocktail at The Gibson

2. "G man" sub on a hard roll with everything at Mangialardo and Sons

3. Southern fried chicken with fresh greens and mac and cheese at Levi's Port Cafe

4. Honey glazed duck breast at Birch and Barley

5. Beef shawarma at The Shawarma Spot

Snowmageddon

2010-02-09T18:15:00.002-05:00

there is no doubt that i've done my extremely large share of complaining about the snow storms dc has been hit by the past few days. and i still hold my ground in that, even though there was a serenity to the quiet and calmness that comes with a blanket of fresh powder, the snow has become burdensome.

however, besides waiting in line with fellow panicked residents at the grocery store plucking the few remaining items off the shelves...and besides the constant fear of cracking my skull slipping on a slab of ice...and besides the claustrophobia inducing metro, the storms have brought us some goodness. the joy of children sledding down hills...the massive impromptu snowball fights...seeing the goodness in people as they help dig out trapped cars...and my personal first snow day off work.

undoubtedly, as we (myself included) are forced back to our desks and can no longer enjoy the snow and ice in the comforts of a heated house and hot cocoa in our hands, the cacophony of complaints and whines will grow louder by the day. but from the confines of the metro to the doldrums of a day at work, we should keep in mind the childhood fun we all found in snow.

Washington, DC Snow Storm from Es Video! on Vimeo.

Stir Crazy

2010-02-06T01:38:00.002-05:00

forgive me in advance for what looks to be a self-loathing posting...but for the past few weeks, my morale, my sanity, and my mood have all been slipping. from the democratic party failures at work to the record setting blizzard trapping me in my own house to the emotional pendulum of my history have caused me to get a severe bout of cabin fever.

the signs of have clear of my impending downward spiral. three weeks of constant droning and internet browsing at work while we wait for any health care reform heartbeat...inches to feet of snow ruining plans for the third consecutive weekend...and months of misconstrued communication with a part of my past. it seems the only thing slower at acknowledging the signs of me reaching my dregs of sanity is toyota's delayed recall.

but alas, there are always two sides of the coin. and i was reminded, if not urged, by a friend of mine that complaints and whining are never attractive. and at this point, i need all the attractiveness i can muster to keep me afloat. so hopefully come sunday, a fresh layer of pristine white powder will also bring with it a renewed layer of optimism.

5 Stages of Grief

2010-01-20T17:25:00.005-05:00

how the health care world ended up at this point is completely full of irony:

from the democrats sweeping into power and elect the first african-american president with the oratorical skills that could persuade the cynic of cynics, but couldn't find a cogent message to sell reform to the american people...

to ted kennedy's health getting into the way of his life's work and dream of health reform...

to the senate finance committee wasting months on end trying to negotiate with republicans only to be skewered by liberals for being too slow and lambasted by conservatives for jamming this down their throats...

to a nude, republican centerfold (way to go you uptight northerners) win over ted kennedy's long held seat in the bastion of democratic ideals...

to the democratic party not learning from past mistakes and ending their run a deja vu fashion by losing control of congress and still not having health reform.

this has been a complete crash of morale and my spirits have been dashed away. whatever hope i have that the house of representatives will pass the senate passed bill is flickering ever so slightly...as i hold my breath the next few days as i fear even the smallest whimper will extinguish it.

i find myself working through the 5 stages of grief as i try to compose myself and shake off this haze of uncertainty...

denial
there was just no way massachusetts would cede their democratic voice for that of a conservative republican. there was no way the democrats would nominate someone as inept at campaigning as martha coakley. there was no way the white house and the senate campaigning arm would take the race for granted. there was no way...until 8:30pm on tuesday night where that way was forged.
anger
why couldn't we have parted ways with the republicans sooner? why couldn't the house taken up the senate bill with modifications as opposed to relitigating every single policy? why didn't the white house not lay down the law? why can't the house just take the senate bill now?
bargaining
we can make the deal so that the house passes the senate bill now, maybe we can assuage their concerns with a rider or reconciliation bill later. (in fact...there are no more bargaining options after that if we can true health reform)
depression
seeing a year and a half worth of work, toil, sweat, and blood go into a product that is facing failure has rocked me to my core. it has made my physically sick and mentally defeated. the potential of complete and utter collapse is a massive body blow to my young professional career.
acceptance
hasn't happened yet.......

....this sucks

Battle Lines

2010-01-07T14:31:00.004-05:00

while diligently researching conflicts of interest clauses and federal statues on financial interests...i found this:

Little asian PC girl vs. MAC parody - watch more funny videos

which obviously proves that i wasn't diligently doing either research or work.

Another Decade in the Books

2010-01-02T23:56:00.003-05:00

as i sat down at my desk trying to figure out what memories i could draw to write this memorial of 2009, i realized that as hectic and crazy this year has been, it all surrounded a singular topic which readers of this blog know all too well by now. hopefully my regurgitation of history won't be as monomaniacal as my career has made me.

a good friend of mine asked me yesterday if 2009 was a good year for me, and in most aspects of my life, it really was. from several new toys to play with...to fostering friendships...to a conclusion of a rather uninspiring academic career...to a blooming professional path already flowered with milestones.

exactly last year, i was penning a post predicting my naivete in hoping for a 2009 full of highs. and exactly one year later, i don't find myself wishing for continued ebullience, but merely for progress...for too many seeds were planted this past year and they must be vigilantly nurtured.

december
the health reform battle that labored for months had culminated in a three-week floor battle and an ever more historical christmas eve vote for final passage. and sitting in the gallery of the senate, i witnessed a years worth of hard work be rewarded with 60 aye votes.
november
with the holiday season revving its engines and no extra chef hands to help this year, i decided to try something different. a turducken was ordered and prepared...then deliciously devoured as the pre-thanksgiving holiday feast continued.
october
another month consumed entirely by work...this time it was the precursor to december action, committee markup. countless hours, innumerable talking points, dem on dem bickering, and political courtship resulted in a bipartisan 14-9 passage of the finance committee version of health care reform.
september
as i hit my quarter century mark, i was gifted with a new computer (a beautifully sleek macbook pro whose keyboard glows a heavenly aura as i type) and a return of my black, equally sleek acura mdx that has now freed me from the shackles of wmata.
august
with congress heading home for recess, i was affordable a comfortable month of excessive indulgence as restaurant week reservations were made and a decadent trip out west was enjoyed.
july
is it a good thing that i only remember two moments of this month...and that i have previous entries about both? i'd like to think my life was more interesting than playing hearts as we awaited the splashing of fire and lights across the sky or a trip out to the vineyards of virginia on a perfectly weathered summer day.
june
sadly, june was a month that was spent trapped inside the dirksen building as negotiations raged on. minus sitting down at the smallest (6 seat) yet most intriguing meal of my life, june was a month consumed by work.
may
graduation month...the finale of two years of grad school and the nail in the coffin of my academic career. sure sure, education extends beyond the walls of a schoolyard and never ends...but it never felt so good to gain three little letters after my name.
april
i remember april to have dragged on...with senioritis weighing down my legs and extensive hours at work continuing to place burdens on my shoulders, i could not wait to escape the pouring showers of a long, wet spring.
march
the doldrums of winter caught up to me again this past march. a good california boy like myself can only handle the biting cold and dampness of snow and ice for so long. but i will remember the month as an old friendship was rekindled...if only ever so slightly.
february
the memories of this month have escaped me...sadly, the only thing i can really remember that caught my attention this month was the last minute toe-tipping catch santonio holmes made to win the superbowl...wonder what that says about february.
january
even though i was diverted by a blockade of obamaniacs, i will also remember january as the month i almost got to see obama inaugurated. even with the failures of the blue ticket gate, the inauguration was still the breath of fresh air the country needed...before a year of beer-summits, economic stimulus, and health care reform partisanship tainted our beliefs of hope.

so there is it, 2009 wrapped up in a neat little blogosphere bow. of it all, i will appreciate the past year as perhaps my most independent one of all. i spent wire-to-wire in the district with only a few days beyond its boarders...graduating with a degree, pouring hours and hours into a cause and finally seeing results, and the ability to reap in the rewards i actually felt that i earned.

to 2010...

Viral?

2009-12-28T01:57:00.003-05:00

there must be a lot more health policy junkies than i had previously imagined...or else the entire public policy bubble of dc united to make my boss a viral video (albeit still no where close to the hilarity of david after dentist).

but still...i find it hard to believe that somehow, this video of my boss proudly striking back at republicans for feigning bipartisanship made it onto any top ten list of viral videos on any website.

for what it's worth, this speech was awesome.

60-39

2009-12-25T00:08:00.002-05:00

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Ron Pollack, FamiliesUSA

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Senate
The Democrats were working for a fundamental tenet:
All Americans should have health care at a reasonable price
By forcing insurance companies to finally play nice.

The reform bill they pushed took some very strong positions,
Like no one denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Premiums, in the future, would need to be fair
With no differences for women and people needing care.

The Democrats made sure that the bill they designed
Would give folks 'cross the nation some real peace of mind.
Health care would not end if jobs changed or were lost
As all could choose health plans at an affordable cost.

For seniors needing medicines, the bill had much to extol:
It plugged gaps in their coverage, like the bad "doughnut hole".
And for empty-nesting parents, there was reason to rejoice
Kids could keep family coverage, this was now a parent's choice.

But all Republicans scoffed and persistently said "no"
With the sometimes exception of their colleague, Ms. Snowe.
With obstructions and filibusters, they tried every delay
To stop the bill and kill reform, before Christmas day.

So Leader Reid called his colleagues from left and from right,
For all 60 to join him, lest they lose this big fight.
Now Nelson, now Lincoln, now Franken and Wyden,
On Lieberman, on Bingaman, on Harkin and Cardin.

Christmas eve turned to night, and when the votes were all counted,
The filibusters and obstructions were completely surmounted.
The vote was inspired by the memory of Ted
Who'd applaud the victory for the cause he had led.

The work isn't over, there's much yet to be done
The Senate and the House bills must be merged into one.
But the vote on Christmas eve offers reason to cheer
*Cause health care reform will pass in the new year.

So call your fine leaders, and let your voice be heard,
With letters and emails, we must spread the word.
Our message is clear, and it shines a bright light
Health care coverage for all, and for all it's our right.

it was well over a year ago that i started working for the finance committee...providing me the perfect opportunity to make an early mark in a still very impressionable career. and what started with a white paper on health reform...through months of negotiations, weeks of wrangling with cbo, days of committee mark up and floor time, hours of speeches and talking points...the u.s. senate passed health care reform on a crisp christmas eve morning.

the gravity of what happened today hasn't even completely set in yet. it would be nice to know that we're done, but we're not. it would be nice to know that we've finished, but we haven't. but it is nice to know that we accomplished something that hasn't been done in 100 years. but even more than that...it is nice to know that when this is done, when this is finished, we will have made a difference.

Sad Panda

2009-11-18T22:30:00.003-05:00

how you ask, do i connect a sad panda entitled blog entry to health care reform...well, its simply the fact that i've lived, breathed, ate, and bled reform for the past year and sadly, it has controlled my life. but this posting not only reaches into my heritage (if only by stereotype and ethnicity of the protagonist), it also shows the difficulties of our economy and the joy some people can somehow find from it.

Final Pushes

2009-11-17T22:06:00.003-05:00

its pretty obvious reading my blog these past few months that my life has been dominated by one subject...

...so it's not surprising to see this posted on here as well

Lessons Learned

2009-10-30T22:14:00.002-04:00

i realized that i haven't updated a completely brainless, menial post...so i figure i'd use this opportunity to prove the world the correct chicken wing eating etiquette. now for those who know me, know that i'm a huge fan of chicken wings of all sorts. ans for those who know me, they know that when it comes to eating wings, it doesn't have to be clean as long as the meat gets in my mouth.

but now that i've seen the video below, i will have to be careful not to leave pieces of meat sticking to the bone.

14-9

2009-10-13T21:49:00.004-04:00

in this political bubble that i live in, today was a watershed moment...the senate finance committee passed comprehensive health reform by a vote of 14-9, with the honorable senator from maine crossing partisan lines to vote with history.

after a historic two week markup in committee, 70-80 hour work weeks, countless late nights, and unhealthy amounts of stress later...we've come to this point. never in history have we come so far on health care reform. though we're not there yet, it is inching its way forward and the anxiety and anticipation of progress is palpable in our little corner in the dirksen building.

looking back, my high point of the markup would have to be hearing senator snowe give her closing statement: “Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls. I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress taking every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time.” those few words, so eloquently delivered, brought satisfaction to the hours and effort put into securing her vote. of course she is far from guaranteed to stay with us through the end, for this moment, we can stand tall and breathe a sigh of relief.

a close second to this closing moment of redemption would be senator rockefeller's heartwarming recanting of his dedication to the needy. his command of the audience, senators among them, hanging onto his words as he emotionally told the story of an immigrant worker he once tried to help get a job. and though with all his efforts, with his family name, and with his heartfelt dedication, this man faced the tragedy of insurmountable challenges placed upon a hardworking immigrant's shoulder, and he couldn't break through. tearing up, senator rockefeller gave the speech of the markup.

these are just a couple of the very memorable and unforgettable moments during the past few weeks. i know it is something that is hard to comprehend for those existing in the real world, but for us policy junkies living and breathing by every vote count and cbo dollar lost or gained, today was one giant leap forward in our ultimate goal. hopefully the coming months will bear fruit to our labors and we'll see our president of change penning his name to the largest domestic reform of our generation.

In the Background

2009-10-01T09:51:00.002-04:00

the past few weeks were spent combing through conceptual language for a final release, hand holding staff and bosses to win their votes, furiously typing talking points to ensure issues were clear, and cramming marathon briefings to ensure the whole show ran smoothly. all this led up to the finance committee markup of the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009.

and now that we're well into our second week of a seemingly never ending markup, most of the staff have begun to physically and mentally crumble. after a month of 15+ hour days and adrenaline rushed days...copious amounts of junk food and sugar littered around our offices...sleep deprivation altering our perceptions of humor...the staff is finally getting some love. though i'm still far to junior a staff member to be mentioned, it's the office camaraderie...the band of brothers mentality...that makes this post story all the more enjoyable.

as for my own recognition, my own collection of political capital, came on tuesday afternoon when comparative effectiveness finally came up for debate. after prepping for days to ensure my advice to the boss was clear and cogent, i finally got the seat behind the chairman, ready to whisper him concepts to be understand and arguments to be made. though sadly, for an hour or so debate, my sage guidance of the senior senator from montana only made it on cspan for about two minutes. don't get me wrong, it's not about the face time or the glory (though my vanity could have been stoked just a bit more for my tastes), it's about winning the votes...and that we did.

so there it is, my moment in the largest social policy debate in the last generation. for those who may actually be interested in my celebrity, i come up at the 3:11:00 minute mark on the cspan video.

Offseason

2009-09-17T23:41:00.002-04:00

i may be enthralled in the realm of the pigskin at the moment...following my fantasy teams as i live and die by each yard and each touchdown...but i have to drop some love to basketball, my primary fanatical devotion.

as michael jordan was inducted to the hall of fame this month, there was look as to who would fill his shoes (as there always is). and he put it the best way, "there is only one michael jordan." and it's true. i know there has been talk of successors...vince carter, dwayne wade, lebron james...even harold minor! but so far, the closest member of the jordanesque has been kobe bryant (i know, you'll all think i'm just a homer and maybe i am). but he's got the rings and the instinct and the drive. i'll be the first to admit he will never be michael jordan, but he's inspired a generation of players who we will one day call bryant-esque.

and as much as everyone loves to hate him, you can't deny kobe's talent...

The Electorate

2009-09-17T09:02:00.003-04:00

i'm all for fair minded debate...but this is ridiculous.

i wouldn't call myself a bright-blue democrat, and i understand there are some legitimate gripes about health care reform. but when this is the substance of their argument, it makes me frustrated to work as hard as we do to try to help some of these people.

Excess

2009-08-31T22:58:00.011-04:00

as august winds to a close, so does my month of indulgence and excess. not once before had i thrown way so much prudence to ensure that i enjoyed my brief hiatus from the breakneck atmosphere of capitol hill. having endured months of endless hours and interminable days, i relished the idleness of august recess and reveled in the laxness of summer office hours.

with the context settled, i can remember upon the many moments where i chose comfort over practicality, luxury over caution, and self-indulgence over reservation. from enjoying a couple of high quality cocktails at the gibson to a fresh set of egyptian cotten sheets to several delectable meals to a weekend of immoderation in vegas, i had excess funds and time and i lapped them up.

apologies for not having described my opulent vegas experience in a more timely fashion, but i was distracted by my other vice...eating. as it was restaurant week, i again allowed myself to indulge in the grandeur of master chefs and edible works of art. with my eating partners in tow, ting and i marched into adour and siroc while theresa and i brunched at blacksalt.

but not to distract from the initial intent of this posting, a brief recap of a great weekend. despite being a captive of the jetblue terminal of jfk, there was little to complain about. not being a neophyte to vegas, i am less enamored with the glitz and the excess of vegas, but this trip definitely set a new mark. i have always enjoyed vegas in the context of a college student, stretching dollars by cramming scores of people into tiny rooms and pre-partying with shots poured into paper cups and clubbing in the midst of hundreds of others on a dance floor. and i've always had fun...but this was different, this was vegas done right.

although the housing situation still missed the spot (as there were fiscal constraints beyond my control), the rest of the trip met my laughable "baller" standard. but it did include all the extra amenities...table service at the mix lounge and body english, buffet at the wynn, limo rides, and the ability to disregard any restraint at the tables (to an extent...i, after all, didn't win the lottery prior to the trip). but to finally be able to spend a few extra dollars to truly enjoy the luxuries vegas is known for and not feel the immediate fiduciary gag reflex was a relief not felt before...and i definitely delighted in that opportunity.

but beyond my own self-accomplishment and indulgence, i was happier still to know my friends...many vegas virgins...had a great time themselves. happiness is always exponentially expansive if it is shared with others...and my ten friends definitely compounded the festivities of an already exuberant weekend.

so as the final hours of august recede and the work period of september creeps up, i can only reminisce and recollect on the memories...but i will continue to ponder and predict the appeasement of my next craving, whatever it may be.

Grounded

2009-08-21T01:38:00.004-04:00

on what i can only hope is fate testing my resilience and ridding me of any bad luck that may come my way this weekend, i am stuck at jfk international airport. i've seen plenty of movies and remember numerous news stories about being stranded that i'm surprised it has taken so long fir this particular situation to happen to me, considering how many planes and airports i've been in. but now that I'm in it, it totally sucks. instead of the glamor found in tom hanks' "the arrival", i find angry customers also left behind due to circumstances beyond our control and less-than-helpful airport employees unwilling to sneak me a plate of food or even secrets of the attractive flight attendant on her layover.

as i endure the next few hours of my grounding, i can only take solace that as uncomfortable these benches are and how annoying this pesky fly can be, i CHOSE to do this as opposed to the millions who everyday sleep on whatever street corner they can find. at least tomorrow, i'll be on a plane headed toward vegas and the lap of luxury. so in perspective, i'm not all that bad.

Flashback

2009-08-17T12:00:00.004-04:00

i probably wouldn't have found this so amusing had i not been able to relate to this young asian kid's vest for the taboo...or 'tittays' as this kid so eloquently puts it. there is a comedy here, as i can probably accurately predict this kid's entire social and familial situation. he's that pre-teen asian kid coming from a first-generation family, who's undoubtedly enrolled in math tutor session in addition piano and violin lessons, with parents holding onto the reins so tight that discovering choice images of vanessa hudgens naked will help develop this young man's appreciation for the female form.

what i find amusing is that in a decade of growth, the only thing that has changed from when that young child was me is the medium in which we can sneak peeks at the forbidden or steal snapshots at the unknown. and equally entertaining is the distribution of these fruits...transformed from the days of covertly slipping the playboy to your friend behind the bleachers to now possessing the concept of 'going viral'.

so to this kid, and future generations of our kind, i say this...enjoy the bliss of youth while you can because in a blink of an eye, you'll look in the mirror and see a up and coming young professional who's exterior is built for public consumption but who still holds on that little chinese kid inside.

The People

2009-08-13T15:58:00.004-04:00

undoubtedly, you have all seen or read or heard (better not have participated) in these protests at town halls. i make it a point not to partake in any news coverage or listen to pundits analyze the situations as it would only result in anger and possibly a broken tv as my remote will be hurtled at it.

but this image basically sums up how i feel about this summer of whining:

Recess

2009-08-12T09:54:00.002-04:00

after many months of 60+ hours weeks, roller coaster days of political jostling, and endless meetings of attrition with our republican counterparts...it is finally recess here on the hill.

as our members left washington without a health reform bill out of committee, they went home to face angry mobs screaming about death panels...

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...and medicare benies telling government to get out of their health care, us lowly staffers got to enjoy some time to ourselves. our lives have finally returned to some semblance of normalcy, if only for the dregs of august. but speaking as one of those individuals who has lost all friends and social life to late night briefings and arguments with lobbyists, i look forward to leaving the office early enough to see the sun, to sit at happy hours, and to actually venture away from the city (vegas in 8 days!).

so as the days wear on, i urge time to slow just a bit more so i can enjoy a few more moments of peace and relative tranquility before congress returns to their politico bubble...before the health reform debate resumes full force...before we see if our work the past year will bear the fruits of our labor. so before all that happens, let me enjoy a few more weekends in the vineyards of virginia, or on the golf courses of maryland, or just at the bars of dc...just let me live.

Cloud

2009-08-02T14:23:00.002-04:00

Cloud - A funny movie is a click away

Disgust

2009-08-01T16:30:00.003-04:00

it was only a few months ago that i was in shanghai, getting my annual wardrobe update with my tailored suits and shirts. the beauty of that was always the perfect fit that came with a nicely made suit that looked two or three times more expensive than it actually was.

fast forward to present day, it's 7 months later and i've already refitted ALL my suit pants as they no longer held that perfect fit. instead, they were tightening up around the middle section of my body, often eliminating the need for a belt to add that extra fit.

with this depressing truth in hand and months of work, eat, drink, and sleep...the extra pounds and the mounting lethargy has finally pushed me to action. i rejoined my gym...hoping the $90 a month will help inspire me to lose the fat around my belly or else that monthly fee will just help to lose the fat in my wallet.

but it's not even the money that concerns me...it's about the amount of time i can dedicate to actually going. i know it's only a few blocks from my house, but with the hours that i've been working, the only plausible solution was to wake up early to go to the gym. and for those who know me...doing THAT shows true dedication. AND...beyond the early wake up calls, i've been adding a bit of cardio to my workout too. now THAT is a shocking feat. but this is clearly the reason why i put my best effort into operation chub removal:

i started this past year at most...at 165 :(

it's been two weeks now...and i'm proud to say i've made the morning workouts 4 times out of the 10 workday mornings and then a few extra on the weekends. so it's a start...however meager it may be, it's a start.

It's Just Grape Juice

2009-07-26T11:07:00.003-04:00

after months of grueling 60+ hour weeks, it's always a gift to enjoy weekends at home instead of at the office. so when this past saturday rolled around, i jumped on the opportunity to hop in a car with a few friends and drive out to the vineyards of virginia.

clearly, with carolyn at the helm, the day was planned down to the minute. which was great for me as i could just sit in the car and relax as i sip on local wines and nibble on crackers.

with pit stops planned at four different vineyards (chyrsalis, three fox, naked mountain, and linden), it was a full day of tastings.

now i'm not a wine connoisseur by any means, but i enjoy a few glasses here or there, and it was more about the escape than it was the wine (though i did end up with a few bottles to take home). i was expecting to see rolling hills, rustic greens, and the asymmetry of grapevines spanning the grounds...and for the most part, that is exactly what i got.

speaking to my coworkers, these are the moments that keep is sane throughout a legislative sausage making process that has consumed our lives these past few months. whether it be a dash up to ny for a triathlon, some time spent with the children, an escape to wine country, or just a day at home...i've found these moments to be grounding and a replenishment of the mind and body.

typically, i generally find that copious amounts of alcohol will normally do the trick for me; and not to say there wasn't enough wine to go around, but it was the atmosphere of the country air and the dry, crisp breeze that seemed to have swept any thoughts of markups, legislative dealing, republican reluctance, or partisan agendas to a distant bubble of thought.

the words of the winemaker at our last stop has stuck with me the past day, and i'm sure will be a good reminder to maintain sanity and live in the now as opposed to a future that doesn't exist yet...

it's not about what it should be, it's just about what it is.

Belated Birthday

2009-07-12T20:15:00.006-04:00

happy birthday United States

i apologize to the netizen world about my severe neglect of my little spot of the blogosphere. there have been some things that will be worthy of posting when i get the chance...but for the most part, i've just been grinding through life.

i've been mixing things up with new locales to venture to and a few interspersed rounds of golf...but the underlying majority of my life has and is still consumed by the never ending health care debate and its roller coaster personality.

but i was able to enjoy the past weekend of festivities...after all, the government must be off for its own birthday. after holing in the first year i was here, being drunk and belligerent in columbia heights last year, i figured it was standard procedure as a dc-ist to experience the fireworks on the mall at least once in my tenure. so that is what we did this year...a little bit of pre-party at jane's and then a venture to the mall.

it was surprisingly easy to get in, crowds were abound but manageable...and a testament to jaclyn's optimism and experience, we were able to find a spot on the steps of the lincoln memorial. and after a rousing game of hearts, the show began...and here are just a few momentos of the experience.

Minibar

2009-06-17T22:11:00.011-04:00

this posting is clearly long overdue, but i've been quite busy and haven't had much time to indulge on one of the best meals i've ever had in my life. thanks to ting, i was lucky to have sat in chef jose andres' minibar to a tasting.

eating at places that like, a amateur epicurean like myself regrets never having gone to culinary school. good food comes in many different forms...home cooking, the classic bbq, ethnic cuisine, fusion...and then there's imagination put onto a plate, poured into a bowl, or mixed into a drink. that is what minibar is made of...that is what was prepared right in front of your eyes...and that is the essence of taste that you put in your mouth.

i won't run down all 28 dishes that consisted of that night's tasting, but i will divulge on some of my favorites.

beet tumbleweed i've always been a fan of beets, but this took it to a new level. this was basically a fried string of beets molded into the shape of a disparate tumbleweed that happened to breeze into my mouth.

bagels and lox don't be fooled, this isn't your standard bagel, cream cheese, and lox...instead, it was a cone of crisp breading, filled with creme fraiche, topped with salmon roe. ideally the best breakfast bite.

zucchini in textures possibly the best dish of the night, this is zucchinis done three ways: the bottom layer a savory paste of carmalized zucchini, next a spread of individually plucked fresh zucchini seeds, topped with a sweet and tantalizing zucchini 'glue'. perfect texture meets exquisite flavor.

kumquats & pumpkin seed oil this pre-dessert looks exactly as it tastes...tart, sweet, and the ultimate palate cleanser. at the end of the savory portion and before the sweet, nothing could have freshened the tastebuds better than this dish.

it's difficult to only single out these 4 dishes in 28 amazing plates, but to describe them all would result in my having to replace my computer as i'm sure the drool over my computer would have fried the motherboard.

if you ever get the chance to make a month-in-advance reservation for one of the 12 seats a night, you MUST experience this. expensive...of course. but for a foodie, nothing could have been more orgasmic.

Trapped

2009-06-12T10:43:00.003-04:00

it's not an uncommon sight to see throngs of reporters surrounding senators as they leave meetings and are vulnerable as they walk the halls back to their offices. and as there was a finance committee members' meeting, yesterday was no different.

after a constructive 2 hr meeting, i ducked out a bit early to make a phone call in our little hallway phone booth (which is basically a closet). unfortunately, as i ended my call...i noticed that there was a mob outside the door, blocking my exit. normally, it wouldn't be such a rude move to push through a few reporters, but this time was different. the person whose back was pressed against the door was that of the senator from maine, olympia snowe...and you can't just push a senator out of the way.

so for a good 20 minutes, i was trapped inside that little closet (as seen in the photo) as senator snowe answered questions and interviews. i furiously sent emails to our press secretary and a few colleagues asking them to perhaps stop by and ask the senator's staffer to move to the side so i could escape, but all i got back from them was mocking laughter and photo-taking.

as the reporters finally got their share and the questions began to dwindle, i finally got the attention of a staffer and a reporter, who kindly opened the door for me and freed me from my confines. and as a result of imprisonment, i did get a very sincere apology from the good senator from maine.

but beyond that low-moment of the week, there was also a fair amount of excitement (at least for a junior staffer of my level). the past two months have been spent speaking with interest groups, academics, experts, and fellow staffers to hone in on an improved reintroduction of my boss's comparative effectiveness research bill. for those who are not following health reform (i'm taking names and will make sure you don't get insurance or that you're premiums go up!!)...CER is what those on the right have labeled as our attempts to ration your health care by taking away decisions from your doctor and placing them in government hands.

of course, all that is full of crap and i'll be writing talking points to counter them soon. but to get back to the original point, this was the first time i've been sent solo to hammer out the details, make the sausage, and cut the deals...and the outcome was a bill, S. 1213 - The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Act of 2009.

it's been a nice progression for me since i've entered the world of professional politics...starting with a few terms with NACHC, helping the medically underserved and low-income populations find access to health care; then moving onto the hill shadowing the legislative director of a congressman from tennessee; to entering the annals of the national journal. hopefully this summer will be capped off with an invite to the white house for the signing ceremony for a comprehensive health reform bill...so here's to hoping.

Reminiscing

2009-05-25T00:45:00.003-04:00

everyone once in a while i go back to read my old entries, starting this blog back in 07 when i was still wandering about the blocks of shanghai...sometimes reaching even further back when i started posting on my xanga, looking at all the junk and mental diarrhea i once penned as thoughts. sure some of it was valid and parts of it were fun, but i looked back on it tonight and realized that i was an emotional sap...a vanity exercise all in my head...and a narcissistic punk in my immaturity.

now that it's three years forward, and i reflect on my life now, a lot has changed while plenty has stayed the same. my physical location, my age, my job, my schooling, my growth has all ripened and expanded...but i look at myself and i still see the immature, egotistical, guarded child that has dominated my emotions from time to time. but however slowly, i also see wisdom that is beginning to creep into my mind and experience beginning to wear down old foes. so i guess it is all about persistence in this game of life.

what really started me on this journey of introspection tonight was a thought that came across my mind when deciding not to go out with my friends tonight. though it was a long day and i'm still battling the swine flu and i could just use the rest, i realized that having personal time is key to my sanity. and i always crave it, but when i get it, i always wish i had someone around me to spend it with. my old relationships used to fill that void perfectly and happily, but we all know that i haven't had one of those in a long time. and then my family is just too far away to make it a consistent affair (though it was nice to see my mother last week, regardless of how much money i lost in vegas or the sadness of an aging grandparent). the feeling lingers...i was tired and didn't want to drink tonight, wanting to keep a level of mental sanity with personal time before work ramped up again...but once i got it, i started to look back and doubt my independence and confuse it with loneliness.

so i guess what i'm trying to say to myself is...sometimes i can be my own worst enemy, but it's the self-battles that are worth fighting and worth winning.

Graduation Day

2009-05-09T19:56:00.002-04:00

there was some discussion with a fellow graduate of mine on why this event didn't have the gravitas and the excitement that graduating from undergrad had...both of us had already secured full-time jobs and have already been at it for a while. for us, graduating was more about taking something off of our plates than achieving a milestone, now ready to face the world.

of course, that is not to say that this morning's commencement wasn't without its share of appreciation and satisfaction. what started as just another place to hid out before the real world has turned into two years of new friendships and reality checks. but with that being said, i bid a close to my academic career with one final walk across a stage.

from here, all those individuals in that room will have to find their own way. those undergraduates will now have to figure out where to go from here, with still some minor leeway until reality really sets in; and my fellow masters will really need to take that step forward into a world with fewer safety nets and more responsibilities.

congrats to all the other graduates.

MPP

2009-05-05T22:54:00.002-04:00

after two years, 36 credit hours, 42k in tuition...i have just completed my last class in my masters program in American University.

i'm now going to be one of those pompous jackasses that puts their insignificant MPP degree behind their name on their business cards.

Every Sunday

2009-04-26T09:21:00.002-04:00

at some point every sunday, i read postsecret and see what other people are thinking in their heads. and every once in a while, i run into one that fits my life and what i'm thinking at that very moment.

this one hit me today, right on the spot. it explains why i kept myself awake last night to make sure i called and why i couldn't sleep well and woke up early this morning. i don't expect you to read this, but i thought i'd just put it out there.happy birthday.

Need To Get Away

2009-04-19T08:28:00.003-04:00

it's really rare that i feel stress to the point where it actually leads to physical repercussions. i've always been proud of the way i dealt with stress...maybe living in an environment of constant motion and nonstop chatter has finally wiped me out.

its important that people take some time to themselves sometimes, but the problem i've run into is that, to compound the stress i'm feeling from work and school, is that when i'm away from that, i am alone.

it woke me up this morning, at 7 AM on a sunday...i haven't been up this early on a sunday since i was back in apo waking up for some crazy service project that po had set up...and i felt like i should do something cliche like take a walk around the mall (national, not some strip mall you uncultured anti-americans) and sit on one of the benches surrounding the tidal basin and watch the morning go by with jefferson and lincoln in the foregrounds...but instead, i did what i always do in this situation, said "fuck it, reflected on everything else i had in my life, and went back to bed"

QAS

2009-04-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

QUIET ASIAN SYNDROME - watch more funny videos

we must all band together...

i have established "Andrew's House" to help raise awareness and take donations for this debilitating disease

...together, we can overcome

Routine

2009-04-09T23:16:00.002-04:00

some people like the consistency of a routine...and for the most part, so do i. but there always has to be a bit of a shake up here or there, something new to come along to spice things up. lately, i've been stuck in life...as if i'm driving behind an old lady going 55 in the fast lane of a two-lane highway while blocked off by a semi next to me.

if i actually were in a car, i'd probably be tailgating that lady until she freaked out and moved out of my way...but i don't think i have the capacity at the moment to press down on the gas any harder. for me, that old lady would be the pressures of work (and my impending performance review that has gotten me anxious) and the semi would be the last month of school and the piles of work i need to get done before i can graduate. i'm hoping that one of the two will give way and i can actually enjoy some freedom to swerve around a bit of traffic.

but until something like that happens...it'll be wake up, work, school, too tired to cook cuz i'm home too late, sleep...and repeat

The Day to Day

2009-03-26T23:10:00.003-04:00

so the boss, senator baucus (democrat of montana), is taking lead on health care reform this year. luckily for me, as an eager and idealistic product of the obama generation and policy-ilk, i have been fortunate enough to be on the health team of the senate finance committee working on putting together the bill. the hard work and insane hours, piled upon school work, has definitely had its drain on me these days. but the end game is key...if we pass this, i will have been a part of the largest health reform legislation in 40+ years. that would be a milestone and huge career achievement.

but the real reason why i put up with it isn't for the inspiration to lead or to participate in the process or to give back for the public good...no, it was a vanity exercise to see how many times i can get caught picking my nose during hearings or how many magazine articles i can make it into.

if you're bored enough to catch some of the finance committee hearings on cspan, you probably haven't had a chance to see me beyond this brief moment in a press conference, since i don't usually sit behind the senator during the hearings. and if you're REALLY bored, you can catch me behind senator rockefeller during one of the health subcommittee hearings (its the 3-18-09 one).

but beyond that, you probably won't notice me too much...until last week's edition of the national journal where they did a nice big profile on the boss and his plan for health reform. in the lead intro photo to the piece, you get to see yours truly splashed across the fold.

so there it is folks...i've made it to national journal fame, with a circulation of over 12,000 and who knows how many online readers (though no images of me will be seen there). they say decisions are made by those at the table...and look where i'm sitting...

...though of course i'm not really making any of the decisions, but no one really needs to know that.

*and yes, i do realize my hand position looks odd...but i was flipping through my briefing book!

Notte Sento

2009-03-24T23:08:00.002-04:00

so i've been feeling like i've been drifting lately...busy with work, disgusted with school, singularity at home...it seems that i just haven't gotten my feet down firmly on the ground in a while. maybe i'm just burnt out, maybe it's the anxiety of graduation...but i haven't felt like myself lately. but every once in a while, you come along something that just lightens the mood and injects a tiny pin prick of spirit that can bring a smile back to my face...and this little italian short did that for me tonight. maybe it'll give you what you need.

Notte Sento (English subtitles) from napdan on Vimeo.

Dethroned

2009-03-09T22:40:00.003-04:00

after months of talk and buildup, we finally had our curry cook off this past week. 4 cooks, many friends, tons of curry, one friendly competition. it was quite a gastronomical feast.

sadly, i didn't take any pictures of the evening, that probably would've helped conjure the images desired of delicious curries. for our competitors, we had two south asians (gowri and nafis) throwing together their native indian and bangladeshi curries, and two east asians (carolyn and myself) throwing down on some thai curries.

as for my curry...i created an amalgamation of two recipies. after a trial attempt last week, i was fearful that my dish would not have that oomph to make it in this battle. but after a week's worth of thought, i did come through with the perfect balance of spice and sour. after making the curry soup itself, i only had one more ingredient for completion...the shrimp (the essence and also the downfall to my dish).

unfortunately, i made the very dumb amateur mistake of cooking my shrimp too early...leaving it chewy and overcooked when the competition actually began. so with that gigantic and completely avoidable mistake in hand, i sadly did not win this inaugural food competition (more disappointing is that my dish was thought to be in tight competition had it not been for the shrimp). that title, curry champion, went to my good friend nafis...who's one goal was to dethrone me as top chef. and though he probably wouldn't challenge me to anything else, i do tip my hat at him for taking me down this instance.

Waiting For Spring

2009-03-03T22:33:00.003-05:00

maybe it's the five months of winter or the frenetic nature of the senate or the consistently drone of school...not sure what it is, but i've been dragging lately. the constant cold, the pressures of impressing the boss, and oppressing senioritis might have finally broken my spirits.

i used to drown it all out with lots of liquor, but after months of unbalance and "stress drinking", my once physically toned abs now have a doughy consistency to them that i find unappealing. yet even this has not motivated me to find time in my schedule to actually exercise...what i need is a gay best friend to bring the criticisms and drive that once pushed me (i'm looking at you po).

but this latest snow storm, which though brought a nice powder and clean shine to the city, has really got to wishing for spring. so many things will happen this spring, maybe it's the anticipation, but it seems to have dragged these past few months into vortex of time where the end game just gets pulled further and further away. with spring, the temperature might actually break 65, gray and brown will be replaced with the greenery of the flora and the pink of the cherry blossoms, a finale of 18 years of schooling, and hopefully a clean escape from past vices.

so yes...though the fresh blanket of snow may be appealing for the day, i'm really hoping for the sun to shine on a new day and a new story...a rejuvenating spring to cleanse the palate of an over-extended winter.

Restaurant Week

2009-02-26T23:01:00.003-05:00

there has been some serious negligence to this blog, and for that, i apologize. i attribute that to the intense work schedule i've had for quite some time now and also my sheer laziness.

but i feel that the time is right for a slight update to my otherwise uneventful life these past few weeks. one of my favorite times of the year, restaurant week was upon us. sadly, however, i wasn't able to fully indulge myself as much as i would have liked.
but hitting up three meals at restaurants i otherwise probably would not have tried will hold me over until august, then restaurant week part deux rolls around.

i know i had created a food blog long ago with a fellow foodie, but that has obviously fallen by the wayside, so i will use this forum to express my epicurean adventure.

olives
lunch meals are clearly the best bang for the buck during restaurant week...and luckily enough for me, congress was in recess and i felt no guilt in taking a half day and eating some quality food after having worked 60+ hours a week for two months straight. olives, as you may know, is one of the many restaurants of celebrity chef todd english...so i had high expectations going in.

the roasted beet salad was a perfect mixture of sweetness and tang from both the cheese and the citrus, making it a nice starter...followed by a really decadent butternut squash ravioli...finishing up the meal with a nice mixture of seasonal sorbets. all in all, the food was quality enough and definitely worth the $20 spent.

bistro bis
this meal was more of an event for friends to gather together, enjoy a nice glass of pinot noir, and share grumblings and gossip of the week. and that's what it turned out to be, and it was a nice break from the typical monotony of a work week...the good food was an appreciated bonus.

my french onion soup starter, though tasty, was more of a strategic choice to match my choice in entree, a braised lamb shank that was quite delicious, though something i probably could have cooked myself. dessert was a molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream that definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and provided a well rounded meal. though delicious, the final amount of cash dished out probably wasn't worth it.

art and soul
another celebrity chef experience, this time by art smith, famed private chef to oprah and once potential white house chef. this meal would have to be the best of my three restaurant week forays.

it began with an embarrassment as a table full of asians (plus ting's boyfriend matt) dug into the kumquat centerpiece thinking it was meant as a pre-meal snack, only to have it taken away by the server who probably thought it equal to us picking off the leaves to a floral centerpiece. but all was forgotten as the complimentary bread was placed in front of us...an extremely airy loaf of buttery goodness, so delicious that we scarfed down six servings before our appetizers were even ordered.

starting with their brunswick stew, a perfect bowl of spicy and savory pulled pork and sausage, was the perfect remedy to a below freezing temperature day...following by a perfectly braised short rib that fell off the bone...and a dessert of mini cupcakes rounded out the meal.

if your mouth hadn't started salivating by now, it's probably simply because my descriptions did no justice to the actual consumption and sensory absorption. but to continue on my foodie experience, i round out this entry with a food description of my personal culinary talents...a dinner of seared duck breast topped with a red wine reduction over a saffron and wild mushroom risotto that i cooked for myself. and since i was forgetful with my camera during my excursions out, hopefully this picture will accomplish the desired mouth-wetting.

My Piece of the Pie

2009-02-12T13:19:00.004-05:00

so everyone knows that the United States is the home of the frivolous lawsuit, ambulance chaser, and malpractice mecca. and having lived in this wonderful land of freedom and excuses for 23 of my 24 years of life...i figure it's about time i got in the game.

so Lucie J. Kim, count me in...

and yes...i am a little embarrassed to be looking at TMZ while at work

Perfect Combination

2009-01-22T22:20:00.001-05:00

this is the ideal amalgamation of one of my favorite shows on tv ever with reality...

First Dance

2009-01-20T23:30:00.002-05:00

i remember my first dance...way back when in junior high. when it was still awkward and you could fit a whole other person between us. when it was all so new and exciting, as if for a few moments you were doing grown up things. and when i see those young kids feeling their first burst of butterflies in their stomach, it is still a warm and fuzzy moment.

and i know i'm still wrapped up in the events of the day and the measure of the moment...but is this not one of the sweetest things to see:

An Inaugural Experience

2009-01-20T18:31:00.003-05:00

the way things have been going with my ticket hopes, inaugural excitement, and historic involvement, i sadly left the inauguration disappointed and dejected...

no, it was not because transportation was gridlocked...or that the speech was not perfect for the times...or that the weight of history was too much to bear. but because even with a ticket to the blue section of the inauguration of a lifetime, i was unable to get past the broken power generators, unreliable metal detectors, thousands of people, and an unorganized debacle of a line.

yes folks...after all the hype that i made for myself, for all the energy i had exerted to make this moment one of those "i remember where i was" moments, i couldn't even get past the gate.

for me, this inauguration was an experience limited to standing in line for hours and watching as my entrance was disorganized, people pushed and created a logjam as they showed up late, lines converging where they shouldn't have, and innumerable issues with lack of coordination. and sadly, this was an experience shared by thousands of others standing beside me.

so after realizing that i probably wouldn't make it beyond the gates in time, my fellow hopeful in line and i dashed to a local bar to just catch the ceremony on tv. it may not have been the viewing experience that i had wanted or dreamed of, but as i was watching the President get sworn in, i was still awash with history and emotion. though i didn't make it onto the mall to share this moment with the 2 million others, i was part of the billions around the world who had their eyes and hearts fixated on this one man who defied prejudice, odds, and history to become this country's 44th president...and i realized, i will still remember exactly where i was when it happened.

REAL!!!

2009-01-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

after a seesaw of confusion about my previous "commemorative" inaugural ticket, i was luckily rewarded with an actual ticket!

i owe my luck to the fact that they are not allowing strollers into the ceremony, my coworker was unable to use her tickets lest her baby be stranded at home alone (seeing as it is nearly impossible to find a babysitter willing to skip the biggest moment in presidential inaugural history).

it turns out my decision to come to dc with the faint hope that i'd be around for the swearing in of a democratic president was a good one. so come january 20th, i'll be right there...soaking it all in.

Retraction

2009-01-11T20:50:00.002-05:00

so apparently...i will have to take a step down from my pedestal and join the mere mortals on january 20th. it seems that my previous elation over obtaining what seemed to be an inaugural ticket was all fluff and no substance.

now it's back to the hopes that i can work whatever minor connections i have into stealing a ticket and slip out of the cheap seats for my slice of history.

Real?

2009-01-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

so i come home after finally ending the work week from hell...or at least the work week from hell up to this point. i was ready to just collapse and not think about the sunday that i'll probably have to spend in the office when i decide to check my mail.

and to my surprise and disbelief, this is what i receive:

can this be real?? am i really going to the inauguration?? i'm in total shock if this is real...and i can't make myself believe it is until i get confirmation from someone else. i'm hoping that i don't find out this is fake and get completely disappointed. but it is from the presidential inaugural committee...so maybe?

Quick Trip to the Motherland

2009-01-02T20:21:00.002-05:00

in my first two-a-day posting in quite some time, i felt it necessary to enlighten you all about my brief vacation back to shanghai. it was a quick trip with three ultimate goals...eating, drinking, and shopping...all of which were accomplished with a gusto.

keeping to promises made in a previous post, i will divulge some of the happenings and revelations my most recent visitation.

the eating is always a delight when visiting shanghai. for those unfamiliar to the demanding taste buds of my mouth, i can say with great delight that i was able to gorge myself on a plethora of delicacies...from hot pot to spanish tapas. it was wonderful to enjoy chinese food as it was meant to be...and not the knockoff fusion or americanized-asian foods found here in dc. it may be quite some time before i am able to fill my stomach with the goodness that i most crave, but that is just the way the stomach grumbles.

to compound of consumption of solid food is the unavoidable curse of partying and drinking in shanghai. it was without a doubt that i found head buried in a toilet...not once, but twice, while having sunday lunch with my family. thats right, i was able to survive my worst hangover ever in full view of my parents who laughingly offered me more beer to ease my troubles. but what can i say, i was simply a casualty to 5 bottles of grey goose. (some photos of that night can be seen here)

and to satisfy my professional need of wearing suits everyday, i went to shanghai intent on coming home with some tailored clothes...and what i ended up with was an entire new wardrobe. having come off a shopping/tailoring spree to have made any girl jealous, i now have 5 new coats, 5 new suits, 7 dress shirts, 4 extra pairs of pants, and 3 scarves in my collection.

so that's that...shanghai in a nutshell. due to my new work schedule, my trip was limited to a quick 7 days...forcing me to indulge all my desires into a week, leaving me exhausted and in need of another vacation.

Remembrance of 2008

2009-01-02T19:22:00.003-05:00

during a conversation with a friend of mine, she spoke of how 2008 was her best year ever. this concept got to me wonder which of my 24 would be considered my best years (of those i can remember at least)...would it be 1990, trotting along in first grade when the backpacks were larger than my body and my lunch box emblazoned with ren & stimpy cartoons, before the politics of second grade kicked in?...or 2002, having survived the high school experience full of first-loves, ditching classes, and the inescapable competition of college acceptances...or 2006, finally traversing the college landscape dotted with previously inexperienced freedoms, real loves, and leaving with actual college degrees...or 2008, where a roller coaster of events rocketed me up to meaningful employment down to the dirges of lost loves shaped this previous year.

with fears of too much thought leading to a growth of my love handles, i decided that 2008 had been like all the others...unpredictable, memorable, heartbreaking...and most importantly, over. perhaps it would be too quixotic of me to say 2009 will only consist of highs, or even too naive of me to even want that...as it is the magnitude of events and emotions that help define us.

seeing as how my first post of last year was a recap, it felt fitting that the first post of year 2009 also contain a brief rendition of last years exploits. and following previous formats, the countdown will begin in reverse order:

December
the prospects of finishing up my masters is drawing closer at the conclusion of my third semester, which coupled with my full-time work schedule led to a much needed vacation with the family in shanghai.
November
wonderful november, a young politico's wish and democratic staffer's hopes have come true with a historic election...also, with the aid of another chef in the kitchen, we were able to host one of the most successful thanksgiving/holiday feasts ever with a table overflowing with food...it was an epicurean's dream.
October
this seemed to be a rather tiring month as i experienced my first month with a combination of full-time school and full-time work...this dual led to develop my drinking habits and expensive weekends out.
September
with a well-timed arrival of an old friend, i celebrated my 24th birthday with new friends at Marvin's near U-st. what can only be described as a 'growing' experience, it was nice to compound that with my acceptance as the new health research assistant for the senate finance committee, ending my unemployment while padding my resumé.
August
though the success and excitement of the olympics was in full bloom, this was not a very good month for my emotional humanity...having lost a part of me, august seemed to be bleak, though i somehow managed to restrain from entering depths i have vowed to avoid.
July
with frequent trips around town searching for jobs and networking old sources for help, i found july to be a humbling experience that unfortunately too many are dealing with.
June
i'll remember june with the ending of my congressional fellowship, my most recent trip to vegas, and what unfortunately became my last vacation out to san diego.
May
besides the end to my first year in grad school, may seemed to be unusually quite for 2008. either that or age has caught up to me and has plagued my memory with blind spots.
April
with ting and matt further solidifying their relationship, i found myself without a roommate for the first time in a long time...though i did come to enjoy the freedoms of living alone.
March
another seemingly forgetful month that i probably spent procrastinating from school, feigning dilligence at work, and entralled in a primary contest that would never end.
February
if august was the larger drop on the roller coaster, then february had to have been the quick loop and dip used to gain momentum in order for the cart to make it to the heights.
January
ahh...the beginning of it all...the prelapsarian month of this all too exhaustive year. the question would have to be, "if i knew this year would've been like this, shouldn't i have stayed in 2007?"

and with that, my reader(s), i relinquish my grasp on the previous year which will now be archived into memory...with little bits and pieces of it found right here in my little niché of the blogosphere.

Traditions

2008-12-26T05:58:00.004-05:00

so i had a reflective, pensive, and fairly depressing post written while i was sitting in the sardine can of a plane on my way over to shanghai, but i've decided not to post that one. instead, after having settled my tired legs, rested the mind a bit, and consumed copious amounts of delicious foods, my mentality has shifted slightly.

yes...i'm still a little bummed that this year, unlike the recent years, i am not visiting shanghai while leaving a part of me at home. though not carrying that guilt is freeing, there is still a void to be filled.

but enough of the weepies...its a new experience to share this trip with my family and friends that i have made over the years, and an old friend that seems to tag along with me wherever i go (i'm looking at you kevin!). since this trip is still in its nascent phase, there have not been many pictures to post or stories to tell, though i'm sure those will be forthcoming. so in the mean time, i hope everyone had a great christmas wherever they were and that their holidays are spent merrily amongst family and friends.

Overdue Update

2008-12-17T22:38:00.004-05:00

at the request of my singular reader, i have returned to the blogosphere to update my neglected home in cyberspace. i do apologize for my lack of attention, i have been preoccupied by...what's that word that is used to describe the world outside the netizen existence...real life.

i think i've come to a realization these past few weeks, i don't think i'm one of those people who can be married to their jobs or to anything people are normally attached to. i don't find school all too stimulating...i enjoy the work i do and the potential it holds, but i don't live and die by it...i don't hang on every word or announcement of obama anymore...and i find the things i look forward to are all trivial, drinking on the weekends and watching the rise and falls of my fantasy football team (yeah, 4 game win streak to get into the playoffs).

i'll attribute this mentality to my unofficial, but well-documented case of a.d.d. but i wonder if this little issue will hinder my ability to continue to "fake it until i make it"...cuz sooner, i'm actually going to have to be good at my job and i'm afraid i'll have looked back on my years and realized i don't know shit. even as i write this, my concerns are again washed away and lost in my distractions as i fiddle around with my blackberry and little strings that hang off my sweater.

i was recently told that i was such an optimist...i wonder if that's because i actually believe that there is always some sort of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel; or that i'm just too lazy to find complications and would much rather just go with the flow. but i guess either way, my somewhat de-cluttered mind has kept me afloat through all the good and the bad times throughout this year...and as this year whiddles down to a few days, i'm sure this mentality will keep me sane through the next 365.

Extreme Cuteness

2008-12-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

be careful...this one might just be an overdose

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-24T21:17:00.004-05:00

keeping with tradition, kevin and i hosted our pre-thanksgiving holiday feast. typically, this meal is a chance for friends to gather and enjoy each others company in a nice holiday setting before everyone scattered to their respective homes.

maybe its my slowing metabolism, my chronic laziness, the lack of gym time in my schedule, or the growing amounts of liquor i have been consuming...but i have recently added a little extra plushiness to my waistline. normally, i'd be disgusted at my gluttony, but its thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year (and yes, only because of the food).

so to indulge ourselves, we had a nice gathering with a LOT of food...turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, ribeye with gorganzola cream sauce, pork chops and apples with bourbon glaze, tossed salad with homemade pomegranate citrus dressing, mac n cheese, african chicken and rice stew, candied yams, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and lots of cornbread with honey butter...and desserts of pumpkin cheesecake, layer chocolate pistachio cake, and pecan tarts.

if that hasn't got your mouth salivating yet...you can just look at these.

delicious...

Fame

2008-11-12T22:43:00.007-05:00

after 24 years of life, experiences in many foreign lands, life stories from all walks, i have finally made it to the big time...i made it to the realm of jon stewart, bart simpson, josh lyman, and ari gold...i made it to television.

for those of you who would like to now join my entourage, please apply via the comment box.

yes, my friends, i have been featured (and when i say featured, i mean the camera panned over me while i was leaning against a wall at my boss's press conference) on c-span. for those of you outside the beltway, c-span is the network that covers congress and the rest of the government.

why was i given this golden opportunity to break the minority mold in television? contrary to previous understandings, i did not come to dc to open a shoe store (it was merely a side venture). i came here for the betterment of society, to improve the lives of millions, to make a difference...this is where you all decide to move out of the country.

but the past few weeks has been dedicated to producing my boss's vision for health care reform and the future of that endeavor. it was a massive project and a bold movement...it required hours of dedication, gallons of coffee, countless missed meals, and tireless execution to produce this 90 page document...and while the health team of the senate finance committee laboriously and amazingly produced this work, i enjoyed my weekends, hour and half lunches, and midday naps. so accordingly, i will take all the credit.

but in all honestly, for those who don't believe that i do work...here is the result of the many hours all of put into, your tax dollars at work.

Yes We Did

2008-11-05T09:54:00.006-05:00

we stood in the face of history this election, and with the support of over 63 million Americans, we took one giant leap forward. this greatness of this election was not how barack obama was going to solve the problems of the economy, of health care, of energy, or the wars...but it was about the resurrection of the American spirit that has been drowned out by years of disappointment, corruption, and failures. but now, there is new hope, new energy, new passion flowing downward from the white house and into the fingertips of all Americans...we have found the change that we seek.

for me, it was simple to understand the moment and impact of this election and what it will mean for me and the rest of the world, but for those who were unsure, here's a great reason why we voted for this man.

watching the results with my fellow hopefuls across an array of televisions, it was an unbelievable feeling to see state after state turn blue, to see that check mark next to barack's name. and after pennsylvania and new hampshire got called, we were on the cusp of making history, only needed one of the many previously red states to turn blue...and with one quick flicker on the television screen, a riotous cheer, high fives and hugs to friends and strangers alike, we saw ohio turn blue and the race was over. and the rest was history...a phrase never more befitting the moment.

i was truly in shock as we returned to my place to watch the final push, the west coast numbers...where my homestate of california put him over the top and cnn, msnbc, and even foxnews had to call it...Barack Obama declared the next president of the United States.

i will never forget this moment in my life, where i was, who i was with...as i'm sure neither will any of you.

november 4th, 2008

Hope

2008-11-03T23:58:00.002-05:00

"That’s what hope is—that thing inside that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that there are better days ahead."
- Barack Obama

now...how you apply that is up to you

Home State

2008-10-29T01:15:00.005-04:00

so many of you know that i braved the wilderness that is my boss's home state...Montana. it was a whirlwind of a trip, 4 cities (if you call some of them that) in 5 days...puddle jumping...hotel swapping. it was a very stereotypical business trip with a few highlights.

i'll be brief, as i haven't really had the urge to repeat this story over and over again...but i felt i must indulge my fellow netizens with my first experience in montana and as a staffer for the senate finance committee.

the main highlight would probably be the most nerve-wreaking as well. the charter plane with the boss, the big man, the senior senator from montana, Max Baucus. and when i mean charter plane, i don't mean a lear jet or any type of jet...i mean this:

yep, it was basically the size of our rental car (a midsized jeep suv). nice and cozy for the 6 of us, including the pilot. now it is known that i am prone to motion sickness, so i was terrified of the possibility of throwing up on the senator. luckily i was granted the co-pilot's seat, where apparently turbulence is lessened, and where i was able to make it through the flight safely and without projectile vomit.

and yes...it was cold for those who have never been "north". i don't mind the cold so much, as long as it's the dead of winter and not when it should be fall. so i bitterly endured.

but alas, after a week of meetings, listening sessions, and a hearing...i made it back to dc in one piece, educated in several health care issues, experienced in business travel, and with another state notched in my travel log. so...what's next?

17 More Days

2008-10-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

as election day speeds toward us, it is imperative that we understand what is at stake and why we're voting.

Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

So Close

2008-10-09T22:42:00.002-04:00

i hate to be a downer...and though its not 3am or the middle of the night...since i started working my bedtime has come earlier and earlier...so you'll have to excuse typical insomniac, emotional rant.

i know its petty to be worrying about all my little problems with all the things that have been going for me these days...but you know how it is, we always dwell on the things that have come and gone and the things we want but can't have. besides, its human nature to worry about the future, especially when you worry your dreams won't come true.

we judge ourselves by a plethora of measures...wealth, employment, friends, health, family, love. i'm not the wealthiest person, but i'm fortunate enough to be able to stay afloat in these turbulent times as so many others are not. i've finally stole my way into the perfect job, one that i probably didn't deserve. i have plenty of friends who will always be there for me if i needed them and i for them. with my eating and sleeping habits, its unbelievable that i still have my health but i do. and my family will always be the rock upon which i rely.

so with all those things...i should be extremely happy (and i am)...but its that last one that hasn't made me feel complete in a long time. its been a few months now and i still can't get thoughts of the past out of my head, nor do i want to...though there have been many days and even more nights where i hoped that they would just be gone. even as i write this, regret and insecurities rage throughout my mind. but i guess thats the way life goes. like i wrote before...i don't seek perfection anymore, and i guess meeting 5 out of 6 criteria is pretty damn good already. hopefully that last one will work itself out.

One Month Left

2008-10-05T03:04:00.001-04:00

just do it...it's your future, it's your life. do something about it....

Life 3.5

2008-09-22T00:45:00.003-04:00

there have been many things that have been traversing through my unusually occupied mind these days. having recently grown into another year of existence and received an offer to enter the working world, i have realized that i have advanced into another phase of my life...phase 3.5

phase 1 was obviously childhood and the teenage years...progressing through the k-12 years, ignorantly believing my high school sweetheart and i were destined to be together, when figuring out an excuse to stay out later than 11 was the task of trickery and genius. phase 2 would be the college years, when freedom and independence were first experienced and a forage into adulthood was at my fingertips. phase 3 would be my post-collegiate/grad-school year(s)...i throw in the obligatory (s) only because i'm including my brief stint in china which i give full credit into landing me where i am today. had it not been for the escape of my san diego bubble, who knows what meaningless position i would be in now.

so here we are...at phase 3.5 = still in school, working, but not yet paying ALL the bills and hoping i can avoid that as long as possible. i mention this, as i have ostensibly used many more words than necessary to get to this point, because i started this blog with the intention of posting some details of my birthday and hopefully trick you into checking out some photos. but i guess looking back, i must have lost your attention somewhere between teenage angst and arbitrary description of phases...so now, without the glitz of pictures or funny anecdotes to keep your attention, i'll just sign off as is.

with a quick thanks to all those who wished me a happy birthday and for those who were lucky enough to celebrate it with me at nafis's and marvins

The Real Straight Talk

2008-09-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

Balancing Act

2008-09-16T03:26:00.002-04:00

i haven't yet announced this news to but a few people, not sure what i'm waiting for exactly, but since no one really looks at this thing, i might as well continue...i have been given the opportunity to work for my perfect job. i am the new research assistant to the health team of the Senate Finance Committee. that doesn't sound so sexy, and i'm sure it won't be. but for a person in my shoes, this is the perfect stepping stone to a bright and hopefully, gratifying profession in public service.

this news should have drowned out all others and the elation of getting one's first real job should have engulfed my inner most emotions. and to a certain extent, it has provided a sense of relief coupled with increasing anxiety and nervousness. yet, here i am at 3:30 in the morning, blogging to no one about the sadness that has dominated my senses all night.

put in perspective, i have all that i can ask for at the moment when so many others have so little. and the appreciation is not lost on the irony that i have done relatively little and earned so much while so many others lost their jobs and homes this past weekend. so i'll keep my sadness brief.

but it is embodied in the notion that i couldn't share this with you. i type this knowing the object of this piece will not be reading these words...but still with genuine sentiment flowing through my fingers. there has been a dampness that i have felt. it has dulled the good and great moments and exacerbated the bad and worse ones. what was there was never perfect and probably never could have, but who wants perfection...seeking perfection sets us up for great disappointment. no, i'm not looking for perfection in everything, but i am (or was) hopeful in the potential of perfection in all things. this way, the bar is set high, but expectations moderate.

i bring up this new founded cynicism to this day...and this news. you knew what i was chasing and how perfect it would have been to have been able to share this moment with you. though perfection may have slipped from my grasp, not all was lost and i have set new terms of measurement...terms that i am happy to have met today.