Food for Thought

If I weren't going into law, I would want to be a chef.

Do you surf?

I admit it, I tend to stereotype regions of the country and don't have the best impression of the South. I'm trying really hard not to do it as much, especially since I have met a lot of really nice people from south of the Mason-Dixon line. But there are definitely times when those stereotypes are reinforced. Case in point:

Yesterday when I was waiting to get into a Senate Committee Markup on habeas corpus restoration, I was surrounded by staffers, war protesters, reporters, and many interns, including an intern from Arkansas with no volume control. As we were all slightly irritated by waiting, we all really rolled our eyes upon hearing his very loud conversations with people who really didn't want to talk to him.

Intern: Where are you from?
Girl 1: I work for the Canadian Embassy
Intern: Wow! Are you from Canada?
Girl 1: Yes
Intern: Cool. Do you live by mountains?
Girl 1: Um...I guess, there are mountains near me.
Intern: Cool. So what do ya'll do in Canada for fun? Like, do you go see movies and stuff?
Girl 1: Well, it's really not that different from here.
Intern: What about hockey, do you like hockey?
Girl 1: Not really?
Intern: Oh. Since you've come here, have you started to like Football Americano?
Girl 1: Um, sure.

After a little bit, the Canadian left because she didn't want to wait anymore. So the Arkansas intern moved on to someone else (not me).

Intern: Where are you from?
Girl 2: California
Intern: Cool! So, what are the fashion trends coming out? In Arkansas, we're like two years behind. The only shop in our town is Wal-Mart. Bright colors, they're getting popular right? And those plaid pants?
Girl 2: Um, yeah.
Intern: So does everyone in California wear Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana?
Girl 2: Not really. California's a very diverse place.

This conversation reminded me a lot of one I had with someone from the South at a law conference 6 years ago. He asked me, "How do your people dance...you know, Middle Eastern people?" Once I corrected him, he felt the need to summarize: "So you're Vietnamese, via Minnesota, via California. Do you surf?" Wow, so dumb.

This is why I'm glad that I've met people from all over the country and world through travelling or going to school in DC, where everyone is from somewhere else. Because while we all might have general stereotypes in our mind, meeting people from different places usually does remind us that countries or regions are very diverse, and people defy a lot of misconceptions that we have. Not at all Californians surf. Not all French people are snobs. Not all people from Utah are Mormons. And not all people from the South are ignorant...just some.

In My Prime

I've officially moved out of being a palindrome and into being a prime number. What can I say? When you pass 21, the only landmarks you can find are within geeky math terminology.

So I realized today that this was my first birthday when I wasn't still in school; I have become one of those kids with a summer birthday. It's hard to explain, but it makes me feel more like an adult to have a low-key but very enjoyable day.

The highlights of my day included going to the Capitol Hill (rather than over the hill) in my new suit (which my roommate has now deemed my 'birthday suit'). Yes, you just got 2 bad puns for the price of one. After some more craziness with the voting, I came back to the office for lunch, and then got to go out to another hearing. Although exhausting, it was really nice to get out of the office for a day. Then, I had a very DC birthday by going to happy hour after work with some good company.

But the best part of the day was hearing from all my wonderful friends and family. I also realized that this is my first birthday away from my family, Alex, and most of my friends. I wish I could spend it with everyone, but it again, is one of those growing up things. But huge thank yous to those people scattered across the world and country for the birthday wishes, and the people closeby (including a wonderful roommie) who I got to celebrate with.

Public Defenders

Tomorrow my roommate, one of my other friends, and I are going to Capitol Hill for a hearing, appropriations bill, and committee markup, respectively. Welcome to the life of public policy lawyers.

Going to law school in Washington, DC, I found many other law students like me who are doing the non-profit or government sector kind of lawyering this summer. In fact, at my school, working at a firm after your first year almost seems like an anomaly. I guess we're all at that point in our schooling where we are still young and idealistic. Or we have not realized how much debt we have from law school yet.

I am glad that I am in DC though, in company with so many people who's main clients are the public at large. In some ways I think it can be more interesting but other times also frustrating when you do not have a tangible client. Whether its defending people's civil liberties, reproductive rights, or working on healthcare issues, you know you are doing good work that affects a lot of people but you don't get an instant or black and white result because you usually don't have direct clients that have jury verdicts or settlements.

Whether or not I decide to do this lawyering this summer, my week and a half have already been a great learning experience. And I'm excited to go back to Capitol Hill tomorrow in a different capacity. It's almost like I'm going from being "the man" to fighting it. But still wearing a power suit.

It's Lonely At the Top

I have felt pretty fortunate to come from one of the most powerful states from the most powerful country. (I have switched back from being a Minnnesotan to being a Californian) My entire life, the United States has been number one, and being king has its perks. Yet with an extremely unpopular war internationally, and now domestically, and other international tensions, I wonder if my generation will see the fall of the United States from its current super power status.

I don't know whether it is just because I read more news now or the news has over exaggerated things (would not be a first), but I feel like the rest of the world hates us more than ever. Whether or not this hatred is legitimate, having so many enemies is never a good thing.

Mexico boos the United States at the Miss Universe Pagent. South American nearly burns the country down in protest when Bush visits. Indonesia stages large protests too. The really scary "youth guard" in Russia called Nashi says, "It is time to put an end to America being the strongest and most influential empire." (you can read an entire article about them here) You know it's getting pretty bad when it seems like France, and their relatively pro-American President, is one of your better friends.

I wonder if things will change if we have a new President. Or if this was all just inevitable, and that we fall like everyother superpower before us. Alas, I should have learned Chinese in undergrad.

A Town that Talks

Caught up in the law school bubble, I sometimes forget that I live in probably the most political town in the entire world.

However, riding the metro today, I noticed that every single ad in the metrocar was about Boeing and military stuff. Exiting the metro, I then saw ads an Israeli-ad against Palestine and a Palestinean-ad against Israel.

In New York, I remember ubiquitous beer ads in the subway cars. In DC, I have seen ads ranging from promoting with coal energy to protesting abortion. Nothing like being lobbied on your way to work.

This little district's got a lot to say. Even the license plates are a political message: No taxation without representation.

And every once in a while, DC will show its nerdy political humor. As I was walking back from work today, I saw this ad infront of a beauty salon and couldn't stop laughing.

Hillary

I've always liked Hillary Clinton. During an interview for Girl's State in high school, they asked me about a female being President. I responded with something along the lines of "I'd love to be the first female President if Hillary doesn't beat me to it." Oops, wrong answer for the uber conservative American Legion who runs Girl's State. I got over it.

It's funny to think 6+ years after that interview, this joke about Hillary running for President is actually happening. It's a little surreal.

I'm still not committed to a candidate yet. Though California's primary elections are ridiculously early in February, that still gives me a good 7 month to finalize my choice. Clinton and Obama are my top choices, but I would take pretty much any Democrat over any Republican.

I will say, however, that the more I read about Hillary Clinton, the more I like her as a person. I still have concerns about how polarizing she can be, but she's an oustanding role-model in terms of using a law degree for good.

In an article about Clinton reshaping her image to focus on her Midwestern roots, it mentions that Clinton was "working for poor defendants while studying at Yale Law School, turning down lucrative job offers to work at the Children's Defense Fund and chairing the national board of the Legal Services Corporation when she was 29 years old." She was also on the editorial board for the Yale Law Review of Social Action and wrote her thesis on children's rights. Simply knowing what great work the Children's Defense Fund and Legal Services do, and always having so much respect for these organizations, makes it even more impressive.

I haven't read up on Obama as much lately, but I know that he has done a lot of community organizing work and that's equally as admirabe. He was also the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, which certainly shows his intelligence.

I know that being the smartest person in the room by no means makes you a good leader, 5 minutes in law school will tell you that. However, it's not a bad place to start. Having a socially conscious background and rising through the ranks of those organizations is also a plus in my mind.

As an original midwesterner, maybe I tend to like candidates from the region. The breadbasket of America. (And yes, like Hillary, I will play up my midwestern roots when adventagous. Much as I am also Californian, I can't say that we produce good Presidents. Nixon and Reagan?)