Rachmaninoff

Last night, I went to the Kennedy Center for a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra with some friends. We heard Auerbach's Requiem for Icarus, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18+, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36+.

I know very little about classical music, but I do know that I like it. Last night's performance was dramatic, passionate, surprising, touching, haunting, and, at times, a little bit crazy. The Auerbach piece was delightfully jarring. It is a contemporary piece (composed in 2006), which provided an interesting juxtaposition against the Rachmaninoff (1901) and Tchaikovsky (1878). There was a considerable amount of plucking of the string instruments, and the first chair violinist played the most ethereal, chilling high notes.

My favorite performance of the evening was definitely Denis Matsuev as the pianist in the Rachmaninoff. I had listened to the concerto several times this past week to get a feel for it, but an audio recording simply cannot convey how incredibly difficult that piece is to play. I was blown away! We had wonderful seats through the Kennedy Center's Attend program (best seats in the house for only $10 if you're under 26), so we were close enough to appreciate the impassioned expressions that Matsuev kept making during the performance.

I was also delighted by the little encore that Matsuev did after multiple standing ovations--an incredible In the Hall of the Mountain King! I am so excited that there is a video of him playing it on Youtube:

Equally entertaining was the conductor, James Gaffigan. I love it when the conductor is extremely expressive through his movements, and Gaffigan did not disappoint. I think it helps that he is so young--only 30! During the scherzo of the Tchaikovsky, he actually put down his baton and went all-out gesturing with his hands.

Events like these remind me how fortunate I am to be living in Washington, D.C., surrounded by so much culture and history. Seeing a world-class orchestra for the price of a movie ticket makes me so happy.

I'm Awake

Last year, I received a rather poignant fortune cookie fortune:

It's amazing how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.

That fortune came to mind during the Gospel reading at this morning's Ash Wednesday Mass, especially Matthew 6:5-6:

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Whenever I read this passage, I feel a little twinge of guilt in my stomach, because I sometimes ignore the Lord's call to humility. This morning, for example, I was kind of excited about wearing ashes on my forehead all day, and this passage makes me question my motives. The point isn't to get attention for one's piety. The ashes represent my repentant spirit at the beginning of Lent, which is between me and God. And yet, I shouldn't wash off the ashes, because, well, I'm certainly not ashamed of my relationship with God. Ideally, the fact that I had ashes on my forehead should not have had any impact upon how I conducted myself today. To put it another way, I should always act as though I have ashes on my forehead, because I am always representing Christ through my interactions with others.

The service I attended was in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the National Shrine. The presiding priest at Mass said in his homily that Ash Wednesday is like an alarm clock that goes off once a year to wake us up from our spiritual slumber. That really resonated with me. I'm awake, Lord! Ash Wednesday is my favorite liturgical season because it motivates me to maintain a higher level of spiritual discipline.

This year, I'm more focused on doing than giving things up. I want to be more mindful of how I spend my time, because my busyness often gets in the way of my relationship with God. So, one one thing I am "giving up," so to speak, is wasting time on the Internet. I am only going to go on websites like Facebook and Twitter once per day. I'm not giving them up completely for Lent because I don't think they're a vice. I think it's good that these websites allow me to keep in touch with friends. However, I don't need to check those sites as often--dare I say, compulsively--as I do. I am amazed, one day in, how many times I felt a nervous urge to go online, as though on autopilot. I'm going to try to channel those moments toward prayer.

The main focus of my Lent will be a different discipline for each day of the week, accompanied by a virtue upon which to meditate (in response to the seven deadly sins). I suggested this when brainstorming what to do for Lent last year, and this year I'm going to try it. Here is my schedule for each week this Lent:

Sundays: read the Sunday Missal, focus on charity (contra: greed)

Mondays: fast, focus on temperance (contra: gluttony)

Tuesdays: do Bible study, focus on diligence (contra: sloth)

Wednesdays: do prayers of intercession, focus on kindness (contra: envy)

Thursdays: pray the Rosary, focus on chastity (contra: lust)

Fridays: do the Liturgy of the Hours, focus on patience (contra: wrath)

Saturdays: go to Reconciliation, focus on humility (contra: pride)

I will also be going through a booklet called "Not By Bread Alone: Daily Reflections for Lent," which provides a reflection, a meditation, and a prayer related to each day's Mass readings. I've used this booklet the past couple years, and find that it works well for me as a morning devotional.

Also, next week I will be making a Prayer in Daily Life retreat through Georgetown Law's Campus Ministry. This is "phase two" of the retreat that I went on 1L year. It will be interesting to look back on last year and contemplate my spiritual journey through the first half (nearing two-thirds!) of law school. I'm glad that the retreat will be during the first full week of Lent, to set the tone for the season.

Now, it might seem odd to discuss humility issues on my blog, followed by a list of all the things I'm doing for Lent. Isn't that kind of like bragging? I hope not. I don't intend for this to be me showing off. Rather, I'd like my blog to be a forum for spiritual growth. Let's keep one another accountable this Lenten season, dear readers! What are you doing for Lent? You're in my prayers.

Snowpocalypse

The past few days have been consumed by an epic snowstorm that hit D.C. Friday and Saturday. All told, Arlington got 21 inches! The federal government is closed tomorrow, as is Georgetown. In other words: SNOW DAY! Indeed, I am trapped in Arlington, as the Metro is not running above ground (which is how I typically get into D.C.), and none of my bus lines are running.

I've really enjoyed hunkering down at home since Friday, especially after the frenetic pace of last week. Jess and I had hardly seen each other all week, so it was nice to spend time together in the apartment. We passed the time by staring out of our big window in the living room, watching not only the snow, but also the neighbors dealing with the snow. (Regular readers of this blog will recall that I love to window watch.) Appropriately, we then watched Rear Window, the 1954 Hitchcock classic with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. The tag line sums it up well: "Through his rear window and the eye of his powerful camera he watched a great city tell on itself, expose its cheating ways... and Murder!"

We didn't witness anything sinister from our window: children playing, people digging out their cars, snow ploughs, and dogs frolicking. I mean, murder? Cheating? We didn't even see churlishness. C'mon, Arlington, where's the suspense?

I had a lot of fun taking photos of the snow this weekend. The album is on Facebook, but I thought I'd share a few of my favorites here.

Staying warm under the auspices of hot cocoa.

It's interesting how the snow collected on the banister.

There was so much snow in our front yard.

Four Mile Run, our nearby stream.

This bench was already occupied.

I walked down to Fraser Park specifically to take photos of this fence.

The blue sky made photography so much more rewarding on Sunday morning.

Ben's Chili Bowl

I completely forgot to mention that I checked off Ben's Chili Bowl from my To-Do List! My internship is literally across the street from Ben's, so it wasn't exactly out of the way. I opted for their "famous" chili dog with french fries. (So, technically, I still need to try a half-smoke and cheese fries.) It was delicious, of course. I love chili that errs on the side of sweet as opposed to spicy.

Adding to the experience was the fact that I ate lunch at the counter. I went by myself since I was just stopping by before my internship. It was my first time ever eating alone at a lunch counter. Honestly, it was a little awkward to stare at all of the cooks running around behind the counter as they prepared orders. What do people do when they're eating alone at a counter? Should I have struck up a conversation with the cooks? Well, it was only my first time there... I guess I was just getting a feel for the place. Next time, I'll try to handle my visit like this guy:

Just Keep Swimming

This has been quite a week. My first and second weeks of school blurred into one behemoth of a week due to the first weekend of my Negotiations seminar, which met from 9 to 4:30 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I am really enjoying the seminar, but, gosh, ten days without a day off is kind of harsh for a student accustomed to a four-day week. Plus, I had to go in to campus yesterday to table for the Catholic Student Association at an admitted students reception, and to take care of some business for the Poverty Law Journal. At least I didn't have to leave my apartment today, especially in light of the weather:


Seriously, when I went to bed last night, there was no snow, and now we have half a foot. Though, it was gorgeous to watch all day while sitting on my couch, studying constitutional law and sipping hot apple cider.

I mentioned a couple of my classes last week, so I'll take a moment to fill you in on the rest of my schedule. My Constitutional Law II class is fantastic. I am delighted to be taking it with the same professor as I had for Contracts last year. Apparently, his premise for the course is to attempt to convince us that judicial review was a bad idea, though he admits that he will probably fail. I just love his lecture style--methodical, passionate and witty.

I am also enjoying my Refugee Law and Policy seminar. The past year has really opened my eyes to my personal interest in the intersection of international law and poverty law, and I feel that refugee law is a fascinating example. I would really like to do the CALS clinic at Georgetown next year, so this seminar serves as a good introduction.

My Negotiations seminar is awesome. It meets a total of two weekends over the course of the semester, with some assignments outside of class, and counts for three credits! Incredible. The class sessions are a lot of fun, because we mainly break out into role playing exercises with classmates. So far, I've represented a diverse array of clients: an opera company trying to hire a soprano, a radio station trying to hire a host , a single mother accused of neglect, an investor seeking an easement on a neighbor's property, a high tech start-up disputing a contract with an investment bank, and a British jockey trying to break into the Kentucky Derby. I am excited about this class because negotiating is not just a lawyering skill, but a life skill.

I also started my internship with the Legal Clinic. Everyone there is very nice, and excited to have my help. So far, I've been doing some document review. Next week will be interesting because I get to meet with each attorney to discuss their fields of work.

The Poverty Law Journal has been keeping me very busy this past week. I turned in a team assignment, submitted a paper I wrote last semester on the 2007 Hague Child Support Convention for potential publication as a note, and applied for Editor-in-Chief! Elections aren't until next week, but we had a Q&A session Thursday night where anyone on staff could ask questions of the three of us who are running. I focused on my leadership experience (CSA, ADX), editing skills (English major, high school newspaper Ed-in-Chief, general nerdiness), and desire to foster a greater sense of community. We'll see what happens!

I've also managed to do a few fun things, in spite of my busyness. Jess and I went to a D.C. Cal Alumni happy hour, I went to a party with a bunch of friends from 1L year, I rocked out to Deaf Dog and the Indictments (a band comprised mainly of judges), and I attended a Poverty Law Journal party. Oh, and watched the State of the Union, of course.

Sigh, I also watched the final episode of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. I really appreciated his farewell message. In particular: "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen."

I was so impressed by how Conan handled the whole ordeal. I hope that we see him doing something amazing on September 1 (my birthday!) when he is allowed back on the air. Also, I was excited to read that his production company, Conaco, is working on a new drama that "focuses on a Supreme Court justice who leaves the bench to start his own practice." I would watch that!

Dear Internet

Dear Internet,

Peace,

Amanda

Aaron Burr was a Scoundrel

I flew back to D.C. on Saturday. The best part of the trip was getting a free upgrade to first class for my ATL-DCA flight! Wow, first class is pretty nice. Delta offered me free wine, gave me real candy bars instead of those weird cookies, and the flight attendant was hilarious. Plus, I sat next to a similarly upgraded passenger, Javier, who is also a D.C. grad student. We toasted our good fortune and had a great flight.

Jess was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. When we got home, the first thing I unpacked was the Christmas present for her from my mom--a Zhu Zhu pet hamster! Jess got one that is yellow with stars on the back. We didn't exactly feel like 23-year-olds as we sat on the floor of my room and played with our hamsters, but it seemed a fitting way to celebrate being back in town.

On Sunday, I jumped right back into things. I went to Mass at 11 am (which felt, of course, like 8 am), followed by a Catholic Student Association co-chair lunch meeting. Then, I went to the bookstore to pick up $770 of books. Ouch. They gave me a cardboard box to carry them all to my locker, which is fortunately only a couple hundred yards from the bookstore. I grabbed a couple of the books, and headed to the library. Impressive... I made it a whole 21 hours without setting foot in the library.

That night, Jess and I took advantage of Restaurant Week by having dinner at Morton's, a steakhouse in downtown D.C. It was delicious! I had a Caesar salad, filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and double chocolate mousse. When the maître d' took us to our table, he informed us that we were sitting in Larry King's booth! Indeed, there was a painting of Larry on the wall above us, with the inscription "Larry's Corner." According to the maître d', when Larry eats at Morton's, he just walks in and sits himself down at that booth. "If Larry comes tonight, I guess he'll be eating dinner with you!" he told us, in a slightly rehearsed manner that was nonetheless delightful.

I spent MLK Jr. Day mainly at home studying and doing work for the Poverty Law Journal. Jess and I did venture outside for a trip to Trader Joe's, where I purchased many delicious items, including edamame, chocolate mochi ice cream, clementines, and sourdough bread. I have been amazed by the weather in D.C. the past couple of days--arguably nicer than the Bay Area was over break, at least during the day.

Today was the first day of school. On Tuesdays, I have two classes back-to-back in the same classroom, which is nice (because I don't have to set up my laptop and books twice) but a bit monotonous, atmospherically. At least it's one of the nicer classrooms (200).

My first class, International Environmental Law, looks like it will be awesome! The professor seems enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and I even answered one of her questions correctly. I was a little nervous about my lack of experience with environmental law, but my international law background more than makes up for it. I found the reading assignment very interesting because it discussed the impact of environmental issues upon indigent populations in developing countries. I'm very interested in the intersection of poverty law and international law.

Next, I had International Law II. At Georgetown, IL I (which I took last spring) focuses on public international law, whereas IL II is about corporate international law (i.e., trade, investment, and finance). Personally, I've discovered that I'm more interested in public IL than private IL, but it will still be interesting to learn more about setting up international business deals, arbitration, and the WTO. I mean, I did major in International Political Economy with a concentration in Law and Economics, after all.

This week is going to be pretty crazy. Typically, I will only have class/internship four days per week; however, this weekend is the first of two Friday - Sunday sessions for my Negotiations seminar. We will be meeting from 9 am to 4:30 pm each day! So, I have to go ten days straight without a day off. Don't pity me, please--I did this to myself. Actually, I'm really excited about the seminar, because negotiating is such an important part of life, not just the legal field. I'm reading Getting to Yes right now, which provides a very interesting strategy.

Well, back to homework; 63 pages of reading for Constitutional Law II tomorrow! Plus, tomorrow is the first day of my internship with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless [hereinafter Legal Clinic]. At least the authors of my Con Law book seem to have a sense of humor. They keep throwing in quirky facts at odd moments. For example:

Marshall outlived all of his contemporary adversaries, including his enemy Jefferson, and was determined to outlive populist President Andrew Jackson as well. Only in this last aspiration did the Chief Justice fail. He stubbornly refused to resign, notwithstanding failing health, and in 1835 became the first Chief Justice to die in office. While it was being tolled on the occasion of his death, the Liberty Bell cracked. (Can you beat that for symbolism?)

Seriously, that is the authors' parenthetical at the end, not mine. So far, I've also discovered a fantastic footnote about the "scoundrel" Aaron Burr, many exclamation points at unexpected moments, and an unlikely comment on Justice Harlan's predilection for chewing tobacco on the bench, but I'll spare you.

One more thing: I am an ardent Conan O'Brien fan. I watch his show every night (indeed, I have watched every single episode of his Tonight Show). I am devastated by NBC's actions, and am so fearful for what the end of the week may bring. Poor Coco! Though, I will admit that it has been interesting to follow this from a legal standpoint--all of the legal blogs I follow have been abuzz with speculation about his contract. Specifically, I'm curious to see whether Conan's lawyers will be able to successfully argue for a definition of "The Tonight Show" that includes the specific 11:35 time slot. In the meantime:

I'M WITH COCO!