The Good Eleven

I've been back in the Bay Area for eleven days, and all is well. Here are the good eleven things that happened, in chronological order:

1. I hugged my mommy.
2. I purchased a new desk and chair from IKEA to create a productive space for the summer.
3. I began to learn Spanish.
4. I ate Thai in downtown Sunnyvale with a bunch of good friends from middle school.
5. I was impressed by Phillip's mad mountain dulcimer skills at Barefoot's open mic night.
6. I learned about Genghis Khan with my brother at the Tech Museum.
7. I enjoyed the most amazing café au lait I've ever tasted with Robert at the Nile Cafe.
8. I visited Fresno for the first time to attend a beautiful wedding (read: ADX reunion).
9. I attended the 10 pm Mass at Newman, with Fr. Charlie presiding.
10. I helped my dad pick out a new grill, and we had delicious ribeye steaks.
11. I started my internship with the Law Foundation, working on housing discrimination and predatory mortgage lending.

I'll share more on my internship as the week progresses, but suffice it to say that I am very excited about this summer.

Monticello

A view of Monticello from the flower walk along the west lawn.

This morning, Jess and I hopped in her car and took a 111-mile drive to Charlottesville, VA, to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's plantation. The weather was perfect for us, in the high seventies with a light breeze and wispy little clouds in the blue sky, and the plantation gardens were in full bloom. Even the drive was a delight; the single-lane highways through Civil War battlefields and farmland were tranquil and pastoral.

Monticello is absolutely beautiful. I can understand why Jefferson chose to build his home there, and why it is a World Heritage Site. What impressed me the most during our tour was the ingenuity with which Jefferson designed the house.  From the dumbwaiters connecting the dining room to the wine cellar, to the pond stocked with fresh fish, Jefferson thought things through to optimize convenience and efficiency.

It was interesting to learn more about Jefferson. He was our third President, and the drafter of the Declaration of Independence, of course, but he was also the founder of the University of Virginia, a doting grandfather, a gardener, a diplomat, a violinist, and a bibliophile. He was also a slave owner, and most likely the father of one, if not all, of Sally Hemings' children. He commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition, and made the Louisiana Purchase. He was inspired by his "trinity of the three greatest men the world has ever produced," Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke.

After our tours of the house and the grounds (more photos here), Jess and I drove into downtown Charlottesville to see the University of Virginia, including the Rotunda. We were amazed by how nice the campus looked--even the frat houses were in the style of American Neo-Classicism! After cruising through Charlottesville, we began our long drive home, with brief stops along the way at some considerably less noteworthy locales, including Chick-fil-A and IKEA.

Yesterday was also lovely, by the way! I visited the National Zoo with Brad and Jess--see Brad's blog for the details of our encounter with some amorous turtles. My favorite moment was in the outdoor flight cage, where one can walk along a path to view birds flying freely. As it so happened, one of the peacocks had fanned out his tail feathers rather aggressively, blocking the path near the entrance. Jess decided to walk past the peacock when his feathers were down, but then he displayed them again, forcing Jess to sneak behind him to escape. After the zoo, we headed back to Brad's apartment, watched Iron Man (the first one), and had an amazing steak and Guinness pie prepared by Brad's girlfriend, Marie. Apparently, the pie is a Jamie Oliver recipe, which I will have to try out myself, because it was so delicious!

What's News?

So done. So very done. Just turned in my last paper of 2L year. Huzzah! Now, I get to spend a few days hanging out in D.C., and then I fly home to CA on Saturday! Beautiful.

My last final exam was on Saturday, for Refugee Law and Policy. It was a very fair exam, the sort where the professor presents opportunities for you to demonstrate your knowledge, without any tricks. That's how all exams should be.

After my exam, I went to the Newseum, which is a very modern and interactive museum devoted to the history of news. The exhibits appealed to me both as the former editor-in-chief of my high school's newspaper, and as a hardcore news junkie.

You start on the 6th floor (after taking a ride on one of the world's largest glass hydraulic elevators), where you can walk along the outdoor terrace for an excellent view of Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol.  I went to the Newseum on a whim (and left my cellphone in my checked backpack), so I apologize for the lack of photographs. Inside, there is a long hallway with the day's front pages from around the country and the world. It reminded me of the newspapers on display in front of the Free Speech Cafe at Berkeley.

The 5th floor was devoted to the history of news. I spent a lot of time reading about the various phases of news, including the origin of eyewitness reports, the beginnings of female and minority reporters, and even satirical news sources like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Onion! There was also a timeline featuring actual newspapers, so that you could get a feel for the major events of each year. They even had a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle from 1989 about the Loma Prieta earthquake.

The museum emphasizes the freedoms of the First Amendment throughout the exhibits, but the 4th floor had a gallery specifically devoted to each of the five freedoms (religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition). There are computers all over the place with games for children, and, I don't mind telling you, I rocked the First Amendment game. I knew two semesters of Constitutional Law would be good for something. The 4th floor also had a gallery devoted to 9/11, which included front pages from around the world about the event, and a large, mangled piece of the broadcasting antenna that had been at the top of the North Tower.

As I walked through and looked at those photos from the attacks, I couldn't help but to think back to 2001. I was a freshman sophomore in high school, getting ready for the day. We didn't really know what was going on when the first plane crashed--I thought it must have been a terrible accident--but, when I watched the second plane hit on TV, it was clear that this was deliberate. My first class of the day was Journalism, and we rigged up a television in our computer lab so that we could watch the news coverage. We spent English class journaling about how we felt about the attack. It was amazing how, instantaneously, things had changed.

The 3rd floor had some great information about the freedom of the press internationally, and a memorial for journalists who died on the job, in the pursuit of truth. There was a wonderful exhibit devoted to radio, television, and the Internet. I was very impressed by how up-to-date the exhibit was, with information about Twitter and even the iPad. I was amused by an old editorial cartoon they had displayed, in which a bunch of people are standing on a subway, reading the newspaper, except for the guy at the end of the car, who is carrying a massive personal computer in order to read the newspaper online. I wonder what marvelous things the future will bring.

The 2nd floor had a ton of computers with games for children to grapple with journalistic ethics. I played a couple of the games out of curiosity, and thought they did a good job of covering a wide array of issues--manipulation of photographs for dramatic effect, taking a photo of a person who needs help, going undercover at an insane asylum to get the inside scoop, and others. There was also a bank of video cameras and green screens where you could try your hand at reporting. I kind of wanted to do it, but not alone. Oh, well, next time.

The 1st floor was basically just the lobby, though they did have a little gallery with Pulitzer Prize photographs, which were all incredible. I especially loved the photographs of Barack Obama's presidential campaign by Damon Winter. There was also an absurd "4-D" theatre with 3-D glasses and moving seats, which showed a 20-minute film about important reporters in history, including Edward R. Murrow and Nellie Bly. Don't get me wrong--the film was great, but I just don't think that a film about the history of news needs to be in 3-D with moving chairs. Then again, perhaps I overestimate the attention span of middle schoolers.

Finally, on the Concourse level, there were eight sections of the Berlin Wall and one of the East German guard towers on display. It was strange to see in a museum. Part of me was grappling with the historical significance, but another part of me was appreciating the graffiti as art. There were also a couple of temporary exhibits, one on sports photography, and one on "g-men" (the FBI). And, for what it's worth, they have a very nice food court, if a bit pricey. (Then again, I have yet to find a museum in D.C. that serves reasonably priced food.)

The building design is very aesthetically pleasing, both inside and out. I have always loved the text of the First Amendment on the outside of the building. All told, I spent over three hours at the Newseum. I highly recommend it, even though it's one of the few museums in D.C. where you have to pay to get in ($20, ouch).

Diversions

In no particular order, the following are topics about which I wish to know more:

• Classical music
• Wine
• Jazz
• Religions other than Christianity
• Plant names
• Geography
• Saints
• Sight reading
• Latin phrases
• Culinary techniques
• Visual art movements (esp. in painting)

Perhaps this list will serve as inspiration for some of my summer reading. With luck, perhaps it will prompt some summer adventures! Do you have any suggestions as to how I should educate myself about any of these topics? Do you have topics about which you wish you knew more?

Personal Day Off

I had my International Law II final exam on Monday, the third exam in the course of a grueling six days. As my next exam, Refugee Law and Policy, does not take place until Saturday, I decided that I would take yesterday as a "personal day." After having a lovely lunch at Five Guys (D.C.'s attempt at In-N-Out, minus milkshakes, plus peanuts) with my friend Brad, I decided to check off a couple of locations from my D.C. to-do list: the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Castle.

The Natural History Museum is pretty cool. I really enjoyed walking through the Mammal Hall, which had a great number of wonderful specimens. I found the minimalism of the displays to be particularly striking; rather than surrounding the animals with recreated approximations of their natural environments, the animals are displayed in plain settings with only a branch or flower or prey, so you can focus on the specimen itself.

I also enjoyed the Insect Zoo, which had some living insects, including some awesome camouflaged stick bugs. Stick bugs hold a special place in my heart, as my mother has been raising them for ages for her classroom. Alas, there was a very long line to get into the butterfly pavilion (darn middle school tour groups), so I'll have to go back another time.

The Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals was, well, sparkly. Everyone was crowded around the Hope Diamond, but I found the other displays to be far more interesting. I amassed a fairly decent rock collection when I was younger, so seeing the various rocks and gems and minerals was delightfully reminiscent. I was surprised by the incredible collection of meteorites.

All of the children in the museum were obsessed with the dinosaurs exhibit, but I found it to be a bit overwhelming, and quickly escaped into the adjacent fossil plants exhibit. I cannot believe that we can dig up the preserved remains of plants from tens of thousands of years ago... Science is so cool.

After the Natural History Museum, I walked across the National Mall to the Smithsonian Castle. I have been intrigued by the building for a while, as its turrets are such a compelling addition to the skyline of the Mall. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything of interest inside the castle, other than information about the Smithsonian museums, a theatre that shows a video about the museums, and a cafe. I was not terribly impressed, and only spent about ten minutes wandering around. I imagine the castle is a wonderful resource for tourists, but it does not do much for an experienced local such as myself. Oh, well, at least it's pretty.

Today, I am back to my studies. In addition to Saturday's exam, I also have a paper due next Tuesday for my Negotiations seminar. I am hoping to finish it sooner than that, though, so I can spend my time having fun next week! If I get very ambitious, I believe I may have to add some more locations to my to-do list.

Summer Preview

Whilst I am in the middle of final exams, I cannot help but to daydream about this summer. My internship with the Fair Housing Law Project (a part of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley) begins on June 1st. I'm so glad it's only in San Jose, as opposed to my insane commute to San Francisco last summer.

Speaking of commuting, I'm still figuring out the best way to get from Sunnyvale to San Jose by public transit. I think the fastest method--I'm guessing 45 minutes or so--will be to bike to the Lawrence Caltrain Station, take Caltrain to the San Jose Station, and then bike to my office. I suppose I could attempt to take a combination of buses (probably the 32 to the 522) but VTA is so much less reliable than the train. Plus, biking is more fun and healthful.

I have some goals and projects lined up for this summer:

• Read for pleasure
• Begin to learn Spanish
• Research and apply for fellowships and clerkships for after graduation
• Write On journal competition grading (~25 10-page case comments)
• Spend quality time with friends, preferably on short Bay Area adventures
• Visit my grandmother as often as possible

I have some other ideas to which I have not yet committed... For instance, I am considering taking a martial arts class, maybe Judo or Taekwondo. I also am brainstorming some sort of spiritual devotion for the summer (ideas?). I really want to make the most of this summer. What with studying for the bar exam next summer, this is my last truly free summer as a student. Sheer madness.

Any suggestions for my summer reading list? So far, I know I want to read:

• Traveling with Pomegranates, by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor
• The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life, by Fr. James Martin
• Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages, by Ammon Shea

Lovely as this summer daydreaming is, I must come back to the present. Final exams tomorrow, Friday, Monday, then one more exam the following Saturday and paper due the following Tuesday, whew! I am not flying back to CA until May 22nd, so I'll have a few days to hang out as a tourist in DC and tidy up my apartment for my lovely sublessee. I hope I'll be able to check off a few more things from my DC To-Do List (see column, at right), as my pace has stagnated considerably this semester.

Journaling

Last night, the Poverty Journal had our end-of-the-year banquet. It was on the rooftop of Tabaq Bistro on U St., and the weather was perfectly gorgeous. I had a mesclun salad, salmon with lobster sauce and mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. Quite delicious!

It was great to honor Hasa, our outgoing editor-in-chief, for all of the hard work he has put in this year. I hope that we can continue lead the journal in a good direction next year. I think my managing editor position will be a lot of work, but well worth it.

I was very surprised during the banquet when I was given a trophy for all of the community service I've done for the journal this year! Ha ha, I don't think I've received a trophy since high school. It has my name on it and everything:

A bunch of us went out after the banquet to the lounge downstairs at Saint-Ex. At first, it was a pretty empty bar, but it rapidly turned into a dance party, which was fun. It was nice to relax with friends for the evening, what with next week being the last week of school, and final exams starting up on the 5th. Madness! There is much work to be done over the next few weeks, but it'll be fine. It's just a matter of pacing myself.

My last final is a paper due on the 18th, but I'm not flying out to California until the 22nd--so, D.C. kids, let's hang out! It'll be fun to pretend to be a tourist for a few days, and maybe even check off a few more things from my to-do list...