How Could I Not . . .

The worst part about being a law student is that you scrutinize every decision. I waivered all day Monday, trying to decide whether to go to Philadelphia for March Madness. However, I had some very persuasive friends practicing their advocacy skills who convinced me to go.

How could I not go when UCLA and American are playing in the same city, in the same evening session, and thus for the price of one ticket.
How could I not go when they be playing in a city that's only a two hour drive from DC.
How could I not go when I got tickets for a great price courtesy of the alumni club.
How could I not go when I am a second-semester 3L student with a relatively flexible schedule and fewer responsibilities.

So yeah, look for me on CBS. And cross your fingers that both UCLA and AU win, which would mean that they play each other on Saturday and I have a identity crisis (not really, Go Bruins!)

Congressman Cao

Reason #23952 Why I Love Going to School in DC: You get meet the first Vietnamese-American member of Congress at an event he squeezed into his schedule of congressional meetings.

The Asian American Law Students group at my law school had it's second annual awards dinner today, and Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao came by to deliver the keynote speech. When he came in and shook everyone's hands, he saw the last name on my nametag and said he was excited to see another Vietnamese person.

As I have written about before in my blog, his story is pretty cool. Like most Vietnamese-Americans who immigrated here during the war, he still has an accent and stands at only 5'2. With his slicked-back black hair, my friend Kim (who is also Vietnamese) said that he reminded her of her dad and uncles. It might sound corny, but it's comforting having a Vietnamese person, someone who looks and reminds you of your parents, serving in the Congress of the United States.

Southern Spring Breaking

For my Spring Break, Alex and I headed down to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, North Carolina. The trip was full of beautiful landscapes, American history, delicious food, and lots of walking. I could write tons about it, but instead I will do what Alex and I did to pass the time on our eight-hour drives: top five lists. Also below is my flickr slide show of the trip (pictures are also on facebook).

Five Favorite Moments from the Trip

1. Walking through the Historic District of Savannah at dusk. Between seeing all the people out enjoying the town squares, knowing the Civil War history, and the historic architecture, I felt like I was on a movie set.
   
2. Eating a full Southern lunch with 8 strangers from across the country at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room.
   
3. Exploring the Maritime Museum above the USS Yorktown carrier and getting to see what it is like on a military boat built to house 4,000 soldiers.
4. Swinging on a bench on the Tybee Island beach with Alex and watching the Atlantic Ocean.
   
5. Strolling through the cobblestone streets of Charleston and coveting all the beautiful pastel colored mansions with columns along the harbor.
   

Five Ways to Save Money on a Roadtrip

1. Find a "Manager's Special" at a Bed and Breakfast so you get first-rate service, home-cooked breakfast, a cozy room, and traveling advice from fellow lodgers all at an affordable price.
   
2. Stock-up on snacks from Costco like beef jerky, shelled-peanuts, raisins, and oranges. I shelled a lot of peanuts.
3. Drive a Honda Civic. Hooray for good gas mileage.
   
4. Share meals, especially in the South where the portions are huge. (See Seafood Platter "for one" at the Crab Shack)
5. Do research on what is worth the time and money. Special thanks to WikiTravel Pages, AAA books, Yelp, and advice from friends.
   

Five Things I Learned About the South

1. Most importantly, the people there are not that different from the rest of the country. Most people were friendly and helpful and did not fit the negative stereotypes except for the racist auto mechanic we met. Admittedly, I was in the more metropolitan and diverse cities.
   
2. There is an interesting dichotomy between religion and debauchery. For example, in North Carolina, there were billboards advertising strip clubs and "trucker showers" right next to billboards with biblical verses. Similarly, in Georgia, college kids with open containers of beer walked by the guy with the "Jesus Saves" signs at noon.
3. 40,000 people come to Savannah to celebrate St. Patrick's day and they love drinking in the city. We saw tshirt souvenir stores convert into bars just for the weekend.
   
4. Every building has historic significance.
   
5. People from South Carolina are especially full of state pride. Tons of people had South Carolina flags--no, not Confederate flags, we only saw one of those.