California Calling

Two trips outside of So-Cal, one past, one future.

Let's start with the past one before I forget what happened there. I had a conference I went to on behalf of work to the great, wondrous, metropolitan city of......Watsonville :-/

To quote some previous tweets of mine:

No great place to visit ends with the syllable "ville."

I am so exited to go to Watsonville!!!!!! SAID NO ONE EVER.

The trip was actually quite productive, but there are some quarky stories I'd like to share.  The first, my arrival to the San Jose Airport.  Landed at about 11pm, and by the time I got my rental car and was well into the road it was around 1am.  Well, the drive up to this town (about 45 mins away from SJ) was extremely interesting/death-defying.  The road was pretty much going up a mountain, with zig-zags a la Dr. Seuss's designs.  Turn here, turn there, turn everywhere! Uphill in the middle of the night.  The following thought actually ran through my head while driving up there:

"So this is how I'm going to die...driving...a rental car...at 1am....going through a mountain....in Watsonville!!!!"

Got to the hotel, which I was less than satisfied with, and turned in for the night as much as I could as my first meeting was only a few moments away.  The school I was sent to wasn't a school, IT WAS A TOWN WHERE CLASSES JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE TAUGHT.  This school was just acres beyond acres of campusy goodness.  Not to mention that they have an equestrian club that houses 20 or so horses.  AH!

The conference was good, and I got a lot of great information I could bring back to LA with me.  Best thing about this trip was seeing a good friend of mine, Lizzy (http://secretariesinaphonebooth.blogspot.com)!  She lives in San Jose right now, so it was great making it into town (especially because at that point I knew what to expect from the roads going to and fro), seeing some shops, getting some food, and just talking.  It's just like we're fourteen, but now with master's degrees.

(Outside of Sushi Confidential in Campbell near San Jose)

Now let's dive into the future!  A note, as I was typing this blog I had a Skype conversation with Audrey affecting the dates of this trip.

So there's a group of us in Cali that once upon a time taught in Korea. We currently have two from our circle of friends in Pyeongtaek that are visiting Cali and found in a perfect time to organize a reunion.  So far, the following individuals are scheduled to appear in Fresno in two weeks:

Mel (http://italymel.blogspot.com)
Audrey
Josh (http://singinginkorean.blogspot.com)
Brooke
Pam
Lindsey
Jaime

Some tentative, but I hope it works out because the more the gears are going in these plan, the more exciting it feels.  I feel like it doesn't matter what we do, it'll be fun just like in SK.  It's like riding a bicycle, or in this case a 2,300 won taxi :-)  Whoop whoop!

Slumpdog Millionaire

The slump seems to be rising, and stars with the planets align one by one.  This feels better, more at peace.  We shall see.

I'll be gone most of next week, have to go to a North Cal conference which, despite it's location, I'm really looking forward to it.

There's nothing that family, friends, and a good cup of coffee can't overcome.


p.s. One of my favorite times in entertainment is when all of my favorite musicians have new songs and albums, now is that time.

Wake me up when October begins...

So it goes.

You see it in those you know.
You see it in the faces of your loved ones.
October is here.
It's not easy.
It's the norm of a slump.
To feel like a slump.
To let others' slumps affect you.

I see it in my friends.
I see it in my family.
I see it in my students.
I see it in my colleagues.

But it doesn't last long.
That's the good thing.
It makes you appreciate the other eleven months.
It's not even a whole month.
And then it's gone.
Then it's a memory.
Then October begins once more.
And then it's the time for the "here we go again."




Comment: This post didn't start out looking so poetic, but I went with it, and I have to admit it, I like it.