As much as I like new challenges, I am tired of the application process. I feel like since fall 2001, when I sent out my first applications for undergrad colleges, I have been constantly selling myself. Writing admissions essays and cover letters, getting references and letters of recommendation, updating the resume, interviewing.
I know going to college, law school, and getting summer internships are all of my choosing. And I know that job applications are something that everyone has to do. However, getting a rejection letter for a firm that I applied directly to (not one of the ones I interviewed with) can be frustrating, and shake you a little bit if you think you had a good shot with the firm. Overall, I am not worried about not getting any job next summer, I am just exhausted with what has seemed like six years of constantly applying to things.
I just want a permanent job, no more applications, real furniture, certainty etc. Whereas most people my age are afraid of "settling," I am the complete opposite.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Why Law? Why DC?
Throughout this job search, I have often heard interviewers ask me, "Why law school?" and "Why Washington, DC?" Though I have nice and articulate responses to these questions, I could simply answer: I am a nerd, particularly a constituional and political one.
Yesterday and today, I went to the Law Review's symposium on the chilling effect of 9/11 on the freedom of speech. Having worked on national security and civil liberty issues all summer, I was already excited.
Then I saw the lineup of speakers: Erwin Chemerinsky (the Constitutional king of our times, author of my Constitutional law book, Duke law professor, and recently hired-fired-and rehired Dean of UC Irvine's new law school), Colleen Rowley (FBI Whistleblower and Time Magazine Person of the Year), Mike German (FBI whistleblower, former undercover white supremecist turned ACLU lawyer, and someone I worked with this summer), Jameel Jaffer (young and famous ACLU lawyer who's worked on some of the big Guantanamo/Patriot Act/Post 9-11 cases), and others.
This is why I go to law school in DC.
Yesterday and today, I went to the Law Review's symposium on the chilling effect of 9/11 on the freedom of speech. Having worked on national security and civil liberty issues all summer, I was already excited.
Then I saw the lineup of speakers: Erwin Chemerinsky (the Constitutional king of our times, author of my Constitutional law book, Duke law professor, and recently hired-fired-and rehired Dean of UC Irvine's new law school), Colleen Rowley (FBI Whistleblower and Time Magazine Person of the Year), Mike German (FBI whistleblower, former undercover white supremecist turned ACLU lawyer, and someone I worked with this summer), Jameel Jaffer (young and famous ACLU lawyer who's worked on some of the big Guantanamo/Patriot Act/Post 9-11 cases), and others.
This is why I go to law school in DC.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
The Church Search
While I was home this weekend, I went to church with my parents in San Clemente. The gospel happened to be the parable of the prodigal son. Although I have heard this story many times (they read the same stories every three years), it has always been difficult for me to grasp. In fact, three years ago when I last heard the story, I wrote about how I was finally starting to understand the moral of the story.
Anyway, as the priest was giving his homily this week, I was absolutely riveted. Although I have started to come to terms with the prodigal son story, he brought up new things that helped me understand the story more. He even linked the story to the recent church abuses that have been plaguing the Catholic church. In addition to helping us understand the story, I think bringing up the scandals was a bold move that everyone in the parish appreciated. The controversies have been the biggest elephant in the room (or church), and it was so refreshing to hear a priest confront the issue head-on.
Hearing a good homily is like watching a good movie. Your attention is fully on every word that is said, and afterwards, everyone just looks at the person next to them with the look that says, "wow, that was good." Finally, when you leave the theater/church, you just keep thinking about it and want to talk to other people about it.
I know that it will probably be hard to find another priest that was this good, but I have realized I should look a little. The church that I currently go to has one priest that I really like. However, there is a priest I don't like, the church and environment is dark and somber looking inside, and the demographic is much older than me. With the children's choir on summer vacation, the church has really seemed especially old school and unlively. I think the main reason why I have continued to attend mass there is because I enjoy the solitary walk there and back; it was a way for me to clear my head at the beginning of each week. Not the worst reason to keep going to church, but not the best either.
Anyway, as the priest was giving his homily this week, I was absolutely riveted. Although I have started to come to terms with the prodigal son story, he brought up new things that helped me understand the story more. He even linked the story to the recent church abuses that have been plaguing the Catholic church. In addition to helping us understand the story, I think bringing up the scandals was a bold move that everyone in the parish appreciated. The controversies have been the biggest elephant in the room (or church), and it was so refreshing to hear a priest confront the issue head-on.
Hearing a good homily is like watching a good movie. Your attention is fully on every word that is said, and afterwards, everyone just looks at the person next to them with the look that says, "wow, that was good." Finally, when you leave the theater/church, you just keep thinking about it and want to talk to other people about it.
I know that it will probably be hard to find another priest that was this good, but I have realized I should look a little. The church that I currently go to has one priest that I really like. However, there is a priest I don't like, the church and environment is dark and somber looking inside, and the demographic is much older than me. With the children's choir on summer vacation, the church has really seemed especially old school and unlively. I think the main reason why I have continued to attend mass there is because I enjoy the solitary walk there and back; it was a way for me to clear my head at the beginning of each week. Not the worst reason to keep going to church, but not the best either.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sustainable Celebrating
Last night we went to Hook, one of the new 'it' restaurants in DC, to celebrate Alex's birthday. It definitely lived up to all its hype.
I was worried that we would lose our reservations because we were over half an hour late thanks to district traffic. However, when we finally arrived, they enthusiastically greeted us and escorted us to our table among all the DC hob-nobbers. The place was packed with men in power suits, women with pearls, everyone with blackberries, diplomats speaking all different languages, and people talking politics. Not our usual dining crowd, but it was fun pretending that we fit in for one night.
Onto the food. Hook is famous for serving sustainable seafood, locally grown produce, humane meat, and generally being upscale eco-friendly. Very bourgie, very limousine liberal, very DC, I know. However, I give the young, cute, and already famous chef, Barton Seaver, credit for raising consciousness taking ordinary or unknown fish and cooking it really well. Really really well.
For dinner we started off with crudos, which is an Italian version of sashimi, and an amazing beet salad. For dinner I had bluefish and Alex had snapper. Finally, for dessert, we shared a ligonberry tart and a little goat-cheesecake. We usually do not go through all the courses when we go out, but it was a birthday. I was just happy when Alex put this dinner as one of the top five meals he's ever had.
After going out for a really nice meal, I can finally see what they are talking about on Top Chef and also why other countries look down on American food as a whole (we choose quantity over quality). Unfortunately sustainable seafood restaurants are not as sustainable to my bank account- at least not yet. But I bet I could make simpler versions of some of the food tonight. Like that beet salad, yum.
Anyway, I am no food critic but if you have a special occasion, go to Hook.
I was worried that we would lose our reservations because we were over half an hour late thanks to district traffic. However, when we finally arrived, they enthusiastically greeted us and escorted us to our table among all the DC hob-nobbers. The place was packed with men in power suits, women with pearls, everyone with blackberries, diplomats speaking all different languages, and people talking politics. Not our usual dining crowd, but it was fun pretending that we fit in for one night.
Onto the food. Hook is famous for serving sustainable seafood, locally grown produce, humane meat, and generally being upscale eco-friendly. Very bourgie, very limousine liberal, very DC, I know. However, I give the young, cute, and already famous chef, Barton Seaver, credit for raising consciousness taking ordinary or unknown fish and cooking it really well. Really really well.
For dinner we started off with crudos, which is an Italian version of sashimi, and an amazing beet salad. For dinner I had bluefish and Alex had snapper. Finally, for dessert, we shared a ligonberry tart and a little goat-cheesecake. We usually do not go through all the courses when we go out, but it was a birthday. I was just happy when Alex put this dinner as one of the top five meals he's ever had.
After going out for a really nice meal, I can finally see what they are talking about on Top Chef and also why other countries look down on American food as a whole (we choose quantity over quality). Unfortunately sustainable seafood restaurants are not as sustainable to my bank account- at least not yet. But I bet I could make simpler versions of some of the food tonight. Like that beet salad, yum.
Anyway, I am no food critic but if you have a special occasion, go to Hook.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
While I Was Out...
There was no blog yesterday because I essentially spent my whole day in the Santa Monica Double Tree Hotel for interviews. How did they go? Ask me in a few weeks and I will tell you if I got call-backs or not.
Although I was completely exhausted at the end of the day, I was glad that I got to enjoy Third Street Promenade with my friend for lunch and parents for dinner. Once I get over my initial nerves, I actually enjoy interviewing as well.
Here are some of the interviewing highlights of the day:
[Edit: My friend Helen reminded me of another highlight: after lunch, Helen and I went to the parking garage and did not see her car. We walked around for a good 10-20 minutes, and we even thought "what if someone stole the car?" Fortunately our manage/event planning personalities didn't freak out and instead thought of different plans of action (I would get a cab, go to my last interview, and come back to look for the car). Fortunately it didn't come to that since we found the car; turns out we were in garage 5, not level 5. How many UCLA graduates does it take to find a car?]
Although I was completely exhausted at the end of the day, I was glad that I got to enjoy Third Street Promenade with my friend for lunch and parents for dinner. Once I get over my initial nerves, I actually enjoy interviewing as well.
Here are some of the interviewing highlights of the day:
- Having two interviews start off with, "So I see you are from UCLA...oh wow, that was a bad game wasn't it? What happened?"
- Having a litigator ask me 20 questions rapid speed with questions ranging from: what is the last non-law book you read, what was your lsat score, what makes a good litigator, what are your three biggest weaknesses, favorite movie.
- Being asked if I sit in the same spot in all my classrooms.
- Skirting the question about which Presidential campaigns, Republican or Democrat, I think is particularly well run. (which to be honest, I do not know)
- Trying not to stare at one of my interviewer's toupee.
- Seeing my law school friends in California (world's colliding)
- And of course, breaking in the new power suit.
[Edit: My friend Helen reminded me of another highlight: after lunch, Helen and I went to the parking garage and did not see her car. We walked around for a good 10-20 minutes, and we even thought "what if someone stole the car?" Fortunately our manage/event planning personalities didn't freak out and instead thought of different plans of action (I would get a cab, go to my last interview, and come back to look for the car). Fortunately it didn't come to that since we found the car; turns out we were in garage 5, not level 5. How many UCLA graduates does it take to find a car?]
Monday, September 17, 2007
Overheard at Home
Mom: Did Dad tell you that I blacked out? I think it was the tequila.
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Dad: Traitor! *pointing at an Asian person cheering for Utah against UCLA*
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Grandma: I thought you were going to be taking me to Las Vegas for my birthday!
Dad: That would be bad news.
Grandma: But sometimes you have to be bad. You cannot always be good.
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Mom: So many car dealerships. How do they all stay in business?
Dad: What are you talking about? Just look at the roads! *while driving down the infamous California highways*
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As you can tell, I do not come home just for the food. There is always free entertainment.
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Dad: Traitor! *pointing at an Asian person cheering for Utah against UCLA*
--------------------------
Grandma: I thought you were going to be taking me to Las Vegas for my birthday!
Dad: That would be bad news.
Grandma: But sometimes you have to be bad. You cannot always be good.
--------------------------
Mom: So many car dealerships. How do they all stay in business?
Dad: What are you talking about? Just look at the roads! *while driving down the infamous California highways*
--------------------------
As you can tell, I do not come home just for the food. There is always free entertainment.
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