Between the dreary weather, frustrations of my clinic case, and unsuccessful holiday shopping the day before I was in a bit of a cranky mood-- Alex even called me Scrooge. Then I had my own Christmas Carol.
Things were already turning around this morning as we went to Target, the happiest place on earth. We also went grocery shopping for the party Alex was hosting (and I was cooking for). As we were carrying in all this stuff, apparently I dropped my wallet outside Alex's building.
Hours went by and I did not even realize that I was missing my wallet. Then I went online at 3:58pm and found a facebook message from a GW student who had found it. She said she was leaving at 4:00pm and if she didn't get a hold of me she would turn it into UPD. I called her right away, no answer. I called a few minutes later and she said I had barely missed her and that she was at Union Station- en route to flying back to Seattle. Since UPD was closed, she took my wallter with her and said she could overnight it as soon as she got to Seattle, which was very nice but I needed my wallet to fly to California tomorrow. Trying not to panic, I asked her if she could leave it with the police there. She said she just passed a police booth and would.
Alex said he would drive me when he was done with work but I wanted to get my wallet as soon as possible, so I ran to the metro with two dollars that he gave me for fare. When I got there, a nice police man directed me to their booth, at which the officer there directed me to lost and found. I made it there 5 minutes before it closed and there was my wallet, everything in tact. And now I can fly home to California, hopefully without a hitch.
Moral of the story: There are still good samaritans who go out of their way to help you, police officers are very helpful, don't wait to get things in life- you never know when people are going to leave or things close, and facebook is actually useful.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
The End
Today was my last day as a student attorney for my law school's clinic. I wish I could say that it was a happy ending type of day but the rollercoaster of emotions of this clinical experience kind of ended on a down note.
We drove out to our client's house to do the inventory for his divorce that we have been unsuccessfully trying to do for months due to the incompetence of the wife's lawyer. Of course no one was there so we waited in the freezing rain for the locksmith.
Finally going into the empty house was really eerie. This is the place where all those horrible stories we had heard about occurred. Our client had not been in there for a year and all of his family heirlooms and valuables that he hid before he was ordered to stay away from the house were gone. It was just heartbreaking to watch him go through his belongings and see everything important to him gone. Moreover, the wife moved out all her stuff too so we have no idea where anything is. Or where she is. Sigh.
Although I had the chance to stay on this case until it goes to trial, I decided not to. I feel horrible, like I am abandoning my client, but I know that I would not have enough time next semester to fully prepare his case for trial. And while I know that he will be in good hands with a new set of student attorneys, it was really difficult reminding him today that today was my last day and we would probably not see each other again. So we said goodbye, in the rain, in front of his house, without any of his belongings.
There are many take-away lessons of clinic but today there was only one thing I could think of: divorce sucks.
We drove out to our client's house to do the inventory for his divorce that we have been unsuccessfully trying to do for months due to the incompetence of the wife's lawyer. Of course no one was there so we waited in the freezing rain for the locksmith.
Finally going into the empty house was really eerie. This is the place where all those horrible stories we had heard about occurred. Our client had not been in there for a year and all of his family heirlooms and valuables that he hid before he was ordered to stay away from the house were gone. It was just heartbreaking to watch him go through his belongings and see everything important to him gone. Moreover, the wife moved out all her stuff too so we have no idea where anything is. Or where she is. Sigh.
Although I had the chance to stay on this case until it goes to trial, I decided not to. I feel horrible, like I am abandoning my client, but I know that I would not have enough time next semester to fully prepare his case for trial. And while I know that he will be in good hands with a new set of student attorneys, it was really difficult reminding him today that today was my last day and we would probably not see each other again. So we said goodbye, in the rain, in front of his house, without any of his belongings.
There are many take-away lessons of clinic but today there was only one thing I could think of: divorce sucks.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Signs of Recession
Now that the election is over, it seems like reporters, pollsters, and statisticians are creatively scrutinizing a new subject: the economy. Everyday there is a new sign of the recession. Here are my favorites, backed up by hard numbers of course, thus far:- Rich Cut Back Payments to Mistresses: 80% of multimillionaires who had extra-marital lovers planned to cut back on their gifts and allowances. 12% of the multimillionaire cheaters said they plan to give up on their lovers altogether for financial reasons. (Wall Street Journal)
- Plastic Surgery Business Sags Amid Recession: 65% of plastic surgeons report less business, 5% decrease of breast implant sales nationally, and 30-40% decrease of plastic surgery in Orange County. (Huffington Post)
- Economic Tough Times Hit Nevada Brothel: Poor economy forced Madam to lay off 30% of her staff. (ABC News)
- Some Companies Thrive in Recession: The U.S. cigarette-and-tobacco market will grow 28% to $132 billion from this year to 2011. The U.S. market for pacemakers and defibrillators will grow 33% to $6 billion by 2013. (USA Today)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
District of Politics
Having time to spend time in DC without classes or exams looming over my head, I have had time to spend time with non-law school people around the city. Between reconnecting and meeting new people at a friend's birthdays and the DC Bruins Holiday Party I feel so . . . unpolitical.
My friend whose birthday I went to worked on the Biden campaign. Though I would naturally assume that his network would be other Biden people, I found myself also talking to people who were on the Obama, Edwards, and Richardson camps. They all talked about their current state of unemployment, which city they campaigned in in Iowa, and stories from the trail.
The next day at the holiday party, I chatted with friends, also unemployed, who worked for organized labor. There was a friend who worked for a digital political consulting firm, another who worked for Housing & Urban Developement (HUD), the former head of the Richardson campaign in Nevada, someone from the Conference of Mayors, etc.
So many political and government people.
Considering that politics used to dominate my life in college, it's funny how quickly the law school bubble and living in the upper NW part of the district can pull you away from everything. When people asked me if I was actually going to practice law, they were surprised when I said yes. The other thing about DC is that so many people going to law school here use it as a conduit for government, think tanks, foreign affairs, or higher-level campaign jobs.
I may be a transplant, but this week I felt like a foreigner, a beltway outsider. Not necessarily in a bad way. Just a funny observation that took me three years to realize.
My friend whose birthday I went to worked on the Biden campaign. Though I would naturally assume that his network would be other Biden people, I found myself also talking to people who were on the Obama, Edwards, and Richardson camps. They all talked about their current state of unemployment, which city they campaigned in in Iowa, and stories from the trail.
The next day at the holiday party, I chatted with friends, also unemployed, who worked for organized labor. There was a friend who worked for a digital political consulting firm, another who worked for Housing & Urban Developement (HUD), the former head of the Richardson campaign in Nevada, someone from the Conference of Mayors, etc.
So many political and government people.
Considering that politics used to dominate my life in college, it's funny how quickly the law school bubble and living in the upper NW part of the district can pull you away from everything. When people asked me if I was actually going to practice law, they were surprised when I said yes. The other thing about DC is that so many people going to law school here use it as a conduit for government, think tanks, foreign affairs, or higher-level campaign jobs.
I may be a transplant, but this week I felt like a foreigner, a beltway outsider. Not necessarily in a bad way. Just a funny observation that took me three years to realize.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Spa Day
I love all things Swedish. Abba, Ikea, meatballs, and Alex (1/2 Swedish). Now I am going to add Hela Spa in Georgetown to that list.The spa deems itself a Swedish oasis, and I can validate this as someone who has been to the Nordic Country twice. The interior had the sleek lines and clean colors that I love.
My friend and I wanted to go here during Spa week but they ran out of appointments. Fortunately the spa was nice enough to get gift certificates for full body massages (usually $140) for $50. We decided to cash these in after finals and it was such a good idea. It was so tranquil and relaxing, a sharp contrast to law school and exams. I can definitely see how people can get addicted to going to spas.
Though more expensive than the massages I got in Vietnam after finals first-year, a bus ride to Georgetown is slightly cheaper than airfare to Asia.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tights Are Not Pants!
Now that finals are over, I can write about the frivilous things I have been meaning to write about for weeks. First up: fashion crimes. I am fully aware that I am not the most fashionable or trendy person around. However, there are some things that are so bad that we can all agree that the looks should be banned. Here are those topping my list.
1. Tights as pants. My biggest pet peeve is when women wear tights/leggings in lieu of pants. The most tragic instance I saw of this was a girl who was wearing sheer black leggings and a normal length flannel shirt so that you were able to see her bright white underwear. A few days later, I saw a middle aged woman coming from an academic conference wearing a sweater that barely covered her crotch area and sheer leggings. It was disturbing watching her try to sit down on the bus without exposing herself to all of us.
Whether you are a teenage girl, conference attendee, or actress Sienna Miller (see right), it just is not right. Upon googling for images for this post, I discovered that I am not the only person who feels this way. There is an online movements where you can print out signs, and even Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl) expelled a Headband from her clique for violating this rule. In addition to being an eyesore to people, I cannot understand how this is comfortable or not cold for people.
2. Pajamas as pants. Are pants really that uncomfortable? I never liked when I saw people in high school, college, or on the street wearing pajama pants. But it really bothers me in law school. Professional school people. I do not care if you have an "early" class (9am is not that early) or are studying for finals. You are around people who may potentially hire you or serve as references. Usually I don't care what people wear (hard to believe after this post), but it reflects poorly on all of us when people in pj pants look like slobs.
3. The bandana. As though Bret Michaels has not harmed society enough with the show Rock of Love (as much trashy tv as I watch, I do have some standards), I feel like he is bringing back the bandana. I am not sure why the bandana headband bothers me so much other than the fact that every person who I have seen sporting this has been a jerk (See, e.g., drunk Capitols fan at the bar making fun of the UCLA 8-Clap; girl in the clinic office who is super loud). Furthermore, I saw two girls walking to high school both with the exact same bangs in the face haircut, outfit, and bandanas wrapped around their legs. My roommate laughed when I called them posers, but they just looked ridiculous trying to be so trendy, especially when there were two people wearing the same non-conformist emo outfit.
1. Tights as pants. My biggest pet peeve is when women wear tights/leggings in lieu of pants. The most tragic instance I saw of this was a girl who was wearing sheer black leggings and a normal length flannel shirt so that you were able to see her bright white underwear. A few days later, I saw a middle aged woman coming from an academic conference wearing a sweater that barely covered her crotch area and sheer leggings. It was disturbing watching her try to sit down on the bus without exposing herself to all of us.Whether you are a teenage girl, conference attendee, or actress Sienna Miller (see right), it just is not right. Upon googling for images for this post, I discovered that I am not the only person who feels this way. There is an online movements where you can print out signs, and even Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl) expelled a Headband from her clique for violating this rule. In addition to being an eyesore to people, I cannot understand how this is comfortable or not cold for people.
2. Pajamas as pants. Are pants really that uncomfortable? I never liked when I saw people in high school, college, or on the street wearing pajama pants. But it really bothers me in law school. Professional school people. I do not care if you have an "early" class (9am is not that early) or are studying for finals. You are around people who may potentially hire you or serve as references. Usually I don't care what people wear (hard to believe after this post), but it reflects poorly on all of us when people in pj pants look like slobs.
3. The bandana. As though Bret Michaels has not harmed society enough with the show Rock of Love (as much trashy tv as I watch, I do have some standards), I feel like he is bringing back the bandana. I am not sure why the bandana headband bothers me so much other than the fact that every person who I have seen sporting this has been a jerk (See, e.g., drunk Capitols fan at the bar making fun of the UCLA 8-Clap; girl in the clinic office who is super loud). Furthermore, I saw two girls walking to high school both with the exact same bangs in the face haircut, outfit, and bandanas wrapped around their legs. My roommate laughed when I called them posers, but they just looked ridiculous trying to be so trendy, especially when there were two people wearing the same non-conformist emo outfit.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It is amazing how much finals can kill the holiday spirit. I remember how bitter I was last week at the people buying Christmas trees, doing holiday shopping, and decorating their apartments. I try not to be a grumpy person, but it was purely jealousy. Whereas elementary schools had fun holiday parties with gift exchanges and songs, college and above has finals and then everyone leaves.
Fortunately this year, I finished finals early and have a little time to enjoy the holiday season here. We went to two holiday parties this weekend and the timing could not have been better. I cannot remember a time when I was so excited to do a White Elephant gift exchange, play charades with friends, sing along to a girl playing Christmas carols and Hannukah songs on an accordion (I kid you not), or have an eggnog cupcake.
How quickly I went from the hater to the person who people still taking finals hates. I just want to go iceskating and decorate cookies now. It's like the transformation that Scrooge felt in A Christmas Carole. I did not have a ghost of Christmas past, present, and future but there was the girl in the library on the crutch who was like Tiny Tim.
Fortunately this year, I finished finals early and have a little time to enjoy the holiday season here. We went to two holiday parties this weekend and the timing could not have been better. I cannot remember a time when I was so excited to do a White Elephant gift exchange, play charades with friends, sing along to a girl playing Christmas carols and Hannukah songs on an accordion (I kid you not), or have an eggnog cupcake.
How quickly I went from the hater to the person who people still taking finals hates. I just want to go iceskating and decorate cookies now. It's like the transformation that Scrooge felt in A Christmas Carole. I did not have a ghost of Christmas past, present, and future but there was the girl in the library on the crutch who was like Tiny Tim.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)