quelquefois

In thirty-three days, I will be boarding a flight back to California, and I don’t know when I will be back. Though I have endless memories, both happy and sad, I still feel as if I hadn’t written down as much as I’ve wanted, I hadn’t taken enough photographs, I hadn’t seen enough things, made enough friends. Between finishing up my Fulbright grant, studying for the GRE, applying for graduate school, and starting full-time work, the past few months have melted away without a chance for reflection or relaxation.

While I am ready and excited to start the next chapter of my life, a part of me is sad to leave China. Luckily, once I get home I’ll have more time for myself (and graduate school applications!!), for photography, for fast and uncensored internet, for all the other things I enjoy in life.

One thing I’ll miss about China: women in pajamas and hair curlers on a
public street playing with dogs (and naturally with 10+ people
crowded around taking pictures and gossiping)

I got this in a message today:

i miss you too amy. u know i used to kinda like you back in the day.

Kinda? Why would you even tell me that?

There is an interesting WSJ article profiling certain personality traits across states. Pretty interesting, and makes me wonder whether students who live in many different states are affected by their environments. And, how much of what that region’s environment sticks with them. Personally, I have definitely been affected by the cynicism and neuroticism of New England and New York, though I am still undoubtedly a Californian. My personality sporadically jumps from one to another: sometimes I am enraged by the amount of people on the streets and on public transportation, but at other times am completely unbothered and people watch. I micromanage, but I also just go with whatever comes my way. Whether or not this attests to different regional temperaments, I do not know. But the article is still worth a glance.

Here are some very, very overdue photos of a big meal I cooked the Sunday before leaving the country! It was incredibly stressful, as I did 90% of preparation and cooking. I found that making corn chowder, preheating the oven, reducing beet juice, washing and cutting vegetables, and thawing butter at the same time is pretty difficult.

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Stuffed portobello mushrooms

Pink vanilla cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting

More can be found on my Flickr.

When I first arrived on the east coast for college, I wrote, “I live on the east coast, but I left my heart in San Francisco.” Now, after spending over four years in the northeast, I feel oddly attached to the deadly hot and humid summers, the deadly cold and frigid winters, the congregation of several states in close geographical proximity, and the prominence of artistic culture and influence.

I came back to California yesterday and I felt like I was in a strange, foreign land. If anything, it seemed like the countryside compared to walking-friendly Providence and New York City. Granted, not much has changed, but the minute changes made it seem like this wasn’t exactly home. In addition to that, it was on the east coast that I discovered the most about myself, thus creating some sort of attachment to the region that has defined my interests, shaped my views, and roughened me up for “real life.”

Still coming to terms with the fact that  I’ll be gone from the east coast for a long time. In fact, in a few weeks, I’ll be gone from America for a long time.

I will never get sick of that euphemism. Today I went to AsiaSF for an early birthday celebration. I recommend this place for the sheer uniqueness of the experience, but it will surely burn a hole in your pockets.

Set off on the three- to four-hour-long journey to the slopes around 6:30 a.m. As we were one mile away from the Kirkwood resort, I broke to a dead stop. That is because a “dynamite spill” occurred.* What does that even mean? How could you do this to us?! Disappointed, we drove an hour back towards the closest resort, Northstar.

The three of us, Ellen, Norris, and myself, hit the first slope. We were separated near the end but I recall hearing a, “Let’s meet at the bottom of the hill.” I stood there for fifteen minutes. Nothing. Perhaps they already went back up? I ride the lifts back up and wait for ten minutes. Long story short, it took me an hour, a long waddle to the car,  and five hundred phone calls to reunite.

The day ended well, though. Though I endured some monumental falls, including one where I got clipped by a skiier, and one where I caught an edge with my snowboard and flipped, knocking the wind out of myself, screaming, “Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuufffffffhhhhhhhhhhhhhhchhhh!!!!”

Oh, the day also ended with the miraculously speedy 3-hour car ride back home (I may or may not have been speeding) *and* delicious La Bamba.

*Upon hearing this, I thought of the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode when the weather man predicts thunderstorms and torrential rain to keep other golfers from going to the golf course.

My New Year’s was wonderful, as I spent it taking photograph after photograph many different parts of in San Francisco. First, it was fireworks at Treasure Island, followed by a windy shoot at Twin Peaks of the entire city down below. Afterwards, we went to Coit Tower, and finally (at around 5:00 am) at the Palace of Fine Arts.

I leave for Europe on Sunday–there’s still so much to do between now and then!

BlackBerry 8320, I know it’s a little soon but….I think I love you.

I still cannot believe that I will be home in four days. Ahh, but there is still so much to do here! People to see, things to do, theses (which I have so lovingly nicknamed “feces”) to write. I’ve been holed up in one library or another for the majority of my last two weeks here. It’s not so bad, really. The bright side? I get to see the sunrise every morning. Despite the strands of reds and greens that speckle the white blanket that has covered Providence, I feel pretty isolated from the holiday spirit. My ears have been mute to holiday music (although this is half intentional). I suppose having done no Christmas shopping–let alone even given it a thought–has contributed to this sentiment.

As surprising as it sounds, I have actually grown an affinity for Providence, and I am reluctant to leave it for a month. The reasoning behind this may lie in the fact that whenever I am home, it is only for a maximum of two weeks, and those two weeks are filled with blood-tests-doctor’s-visits-dentist-appointments- haircuts-hectic-hectic-hectic-no-time-for-myself-no-time-for-sleep. Or perhaps I just like modest little Providence.

Not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I am going back to Europe on January 6! SFO to CDG to BCN to LYS to MIL to FLR to ROM to PVD? Of course it will not all be via aéroplane, and there will be some ground transportation infused in there. I pride myself in being jetset (on a budget, of course). The parents are a little pissed they can never keep me home for longer than fourteen days at a time. While I feel bad for never being home, for now they can just hope that one day, I will settle down.