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No matter how many times I said it, I did not make many friends at work today with the following phrase:

"This time tomorrow, I'll be on a beach in Puerto Rico with a rum drink in my hand."

Yeah, Adrian and I are off to Puerto Rico for a long weekend. No computer or Blackberry is going with us. Back Monday. AMF!

Labels: Travel

I've been helping my friend Eric with his master's thesis the last couple weeks. He's from Japan and is working on his M.A. in International Affairs. Anyway, he learned English really well just a couple years ago, but learned to speak it more than to write it. He speaks it very well but his writing was a little shaky so two weeks ago he called in a bit of a panic because a draft was due to his professor but he knew the English was poor. I took a couple days to read it (it's about 40 pages long) then spent two evenings going through it word for word with him. After the second night we went to dinner with a friend of his and he called me "Sensei," which I thought was incredibly cool. Then again, I tend to be impressed by the smaller things in life more than the bigger things.

He went on and made all the changes and we got together last night for one more read-through, just to make all the final fixes before he turns in the completed version this week. he has thanked me profusely, and even brought back a couple cute little gifts from his job interview trip to San Francisco last week, but hey, if he keeps calling me Sensei he doesn't have to thank me at all, 'cuz for whatever reason I really liked that.

Speaking of students, a couple weeks ago I forgot to mention that I met up with a very nice University of Texas professor and his charming partner and about a dozen of his students he'd brought to DC for a trip. He likes for them to meet political science degree holders who do something besides teach or go to law school so they can see they have other options. It was a very fun evening, in part because I really like students, and in part because some of them knew Karl-Thomas, who was a political science major there until he graduated in December. Small world.

Labels: Friends, Life, Teaching

I haven't been this happy in forever.

Friday night a good time was had by all. My brother Chuck came into town for a Saturday conference and since we hadn't seen each other in something like 2 1/2 years we figured it might be a good idea to meet up, seeing as he was only about 7 miles away.

We headed out to Cafe Asia, my third time there in a week so yay for that. It occurred to me just how much Chuck looks like our dad. One difference, of course, is that Chuck eats a lot more sushi than our dad does, especially when it's happy hour at the restaurant and, frankly, it would be a crime not to. He's to be doing very well, he and his wife are both professors at a big university and it seems to be working out well for both of them. This is what they've wanted and they have a good idea how to manage the tenure track for the next few years. More importantly, I think, is the fact that they get to live together full-time now, which during the course of their marriage hasn't been the norm due to various career opportunities and requirements.

During dinner he told me that he'd realized the night before that Friday night there was a dinner for the conference speakers, but since we'd already made plans he e-mailed the organizer and bailed out. Anyway, after a couple hours at the restaurant we wanted to go hang out somewhere else to chat, and rather than drive back to the condo we just walked down the block to his hotel and hung out in the lounge. Of course, it turns out this was right outside the room where the dinner was being held, so about 45 minutes later his fellow speakers emerged to see him sitting in the lounge, having obviously blown off the dinner. Oops. Some of them decided to join us and before I knew it I was at a table with 4 economists, and even though I was an Econ major as an undergrad -- or, perhaps, BECAUSE I was an Econ major -- that was an excess supply of economists. Plus, I was going clubbing later. So off I went to get home and change. Good times, and I'm very glad Chuck popped into town.

Headed out to Apex later for the first time in a while. Picked up Justin and Richmond Michael and off we went. I needed to get out dancing with some friends so this was much fun. We all ran into people we know, Michael more so than Justin and I combined. At one point Michael came back onto the dance floor and I said, "Quick, pretend to be my boyfriend!," and he proceeded to dance up on me and generally look slutty. Then he asked, "so, who was hitting on you that you wanted to scare off?," and I said "no one, I just wanted you to pretend to be my boyfriend."

I'm bad.

Labels: Bars, Friends

Don't you hate it when you are in the elevator, and it's going down, and other people get on, and just as the doors open on the ground floor your cell phone, which is set to vibrate rather than ring, starts vibrating in your pocket and it sounds like you're farting, and you want to run after the people who were on your elevator and tell them, "hey, no, wait, it was just my phone!," but they've gone off in different directions so you can't?

Yeah.

Labels: Life

For the last two days I've been at a research workshop led by the institute in Colorado where I used to be the #2 guy. Yesterday morning as I looked at the 7 of us around the table in one session I realized that 5 of us have PhDs, which is a bit of a change since in my current job I'm usually the only one around.

It was nice to take a couple days to think about big issues as we set the research agenda for the institute for next year. Even though I am in a policy making job here in DC, I really don't get to think about "big picture" or "long term" stuff unless I do it on my own. I was brought in supposedly as a Southeast Asia analyst but that's not what they're using me for. And in fact, even the people who ARE supposed to be working with that region really don't do much. They really are just Washington bureaucrats, and sadly, that is what I have become as well. I spend my day writing regulations, thank you notes, and reports on other people's work. Oh, and putting together "talking points" and "readahead packages" for other people's meetings. And coordinating...don't forget how we have to "coordinate" our "staff packages" so every office can have their "input" regardless of whether it's any of their concern.

When I get down about the job I usually remind myself that the goal was to get to DC, and I was willing to take a less than fascinating job to get here. But with everything that's happened here at home since last fall, DC really hasn't been as fun as I'd hoped. So I'm in a job I don't like but not really having the benefits that were supposed to come from that. Well, OK, at least I'm not totally working my ass off, and I have the time to be planning for my next big job move in a couple years, and I do get to do some travel which hs helped me meet up with friends. But somewhere along the line, I'd like to think I'm contributing something worthwhile, whether at work or somewhere else.

Hmmm...maybe I should look into teaching part time. Or start doing some volunteer work where I can make a contribution.

Labels: Life, Work

When I was a student at the University of Virgnia, our biggest rival was Virginia Tech. But on a day like today, we are all Hokies.

Peace.

Labels: Life

Happy Songkran! This weekend is the Thai/Lao/Cambodian/Burmese celebration of the lunar new year. It's a big water festival, which is appropriate for DC this weekend because it's raining on us.

I had thought earlier this year about maybe being in Thailand during Songkran this year, but with the trip to Afghanistan coming up I figured I should stay around and spend time here rather than running to the other side of the world for a few days. But someday, someday I'll be there at this time of year. Today instead I went with Khamla to the Lao Buddhist temple about 30 miles away in Virginia for a big outdoor festival (of course, he didn't tell me it was outdoors, so I was a little overdressed). We were there to have our sins washed away before the new year started, and also to check out the cute Lao boys. Mission accomplished on both counts.

Labels: Friends, Life

Someone found my journal by Googling "Futurama orgies." The fact that I was #3 on the results list bothers me. The fact that someone searched for that bothers me even more.

Labels: Website

Not as bad as the strep throat in January (which the doctor never called to tell me about, I only found out after the fact that's what I had), but annoying nonetheless. All day Friday I felt a sore throat growing at work and once I got home I crashed for a couple hours (sorry to Justin, Yong Bee, and Eric for not going out). Got better over the weekend but the sinus stuff is still around and that gets on my nerves. I think maybe I'll call in sick Monday, because in addition to the fact I don't want to get anyone else sick, I also figure they owe me considering I've missed a couple days off I was promised PLUS I worked every night I was in Hawaii, and that's just criminal.

Even with the sniffles I got to see people this week, and it's always good to be with friends. Thursday was lunch with Justin, Friday was a waste, but Saturday evening Yong Bee came over to watch a movie with us. And that was nice.

Adrian and I are headed to Puerto Rico at the end of the month. We've turned his 3-day weekend into a 4-day event and I'm taking off from work, and we're headed to the beach for a break. My recent trip to Hawaii probably provided some impetus for that. Anyway, thanks to Ethan for suggesting Spirit Air, which had the lowest airfares by far. Ole!

Today Adrian and I ventured out, as i realized I could use a couple new shirts, so off we went to the mall. Imagine our surprise to discover the Christian takeover of the US is complete as all the stores were closed for Easter. I noticed a few years ago that Easter was starting to take on the importance of Christmas, to the point that stores are closed and schools provide a day off before or after the weekend to facilitate family get-togethers. As a non-Christian I don't get it...I realize that Christmas has expanded beyond a religious hoiliday to become a worldwide event, but I thought Easter could be reined in. Guess I was wrong.

I would try to demand the next equinox off, but I'll be in Afghanistan then and they behead people for asking about that sort of thing.

Labels: Friends, Life, Travel

Dinner last night with Ethan, whihc was much fun. We had a bit of catching up to do, so we monoplozed a table at a local Thai restaurant for almost 3 hours and only had a $31 bill. I felt a little bad about that but we tipped well, so it was OK. Ethan, incidentally, was the first of my friends to notice I've lost a little weight, so the night was a rousing success.

Labels: Friends

So it's taken me a few days to post but only because i was SO tired from the GREAT time in San Francisco. Yeah, that city is very cool. I needed a little but of "run around SF" time and I'm glad I was able to work it into the trip.

So anyway, I went out Friday night and had much fun. Taking the train down to the Castro I figure I had a choice of The Cafe or Badlands. Both have always been fun in the past, both have offerred fun people to meet, and both have good music and fun dance floors. This time around, The Cafe also had a line running down the block, so I was off to Badlands instead.

Important safety tips: 4 vodka drinks in 2 1/2 hours is not always a great idea. I was fine that night, but the next morning, with little sleep and more jet lag, I was a slightly hurtin' pup.

Anyway, Badlands was great. There was one cutie who seemed a little shy who was looking my way and I was hoping he'd follow me onto the dance floor and try smiling, but alas, no luck, and when I came off the dance floor he was gone. There were some fun people out there to dance with: groups of friends, couples, a few boys with their straight girls, it was all good fun. As I wandered back to the bar a guy caught my eye and I guess I caught his because he said, "oooh, nice ass," and proceeded to grab that part of my body, then said "wow" and proceeded to stick his hand in my pants and feel the real thing. I felt like maybe he was going to rape me right there and I really wasn't in the mood for that so I just tried to laugh it off, but honestly, I didn't know what to say. What, ME speechless? I realized at 2am that in SF it's not just last call, it's closing time. As I stood outside, not really believing they seriously expected us to all leave, i started chatting with a guy who had lost the friend he'd come with. We ended up walking down the street to a cafe and hanging out for a bit, then he dropped me back at the hotel which was great because in SF there are approximately 6.4 taxis in the entire city.

Got up around 9, and yeah, VERY tired. I spent Saturday kicking around town...Chinatown, Castro, Union Square. I just wanted to hang out, have some coffee, enjoy the sun, eavesdrop on people's conversations...and I did all that and more! I
found this bakery in Chinatown that I'd been to 2 years ago and still can't remember the name of the place or of the pastries I got, but they were yummy nonetheless. The weather was beautiful, I spent far more time outside than in, though of course I had to pop into a shop or 6...not buying, just browsing, figuring out which stores had the cutest salesmen, er, clothes.

Then Tracy, who moved to Santa Cruz from DC a month ago, drove up Saturday night. We hung out for a couple hours, then finally wandered across the street to an Italian place where i had the BEST ravioli I've ever had...no idea what was in it, but it was good! The plan was to wander out to some Castro clubs BUT it was 11 by the time we got back from dinner, and we were both pretty beat and actually, Tracy is more of a Folsom Street guy than Castro, so we decided to just hang out in the suite and continue catching up rather than competing with the thumpa thumpa of Badlands or Cafe. Our goal was more to spend time with each other than to cruise cute boys, so it all worked out.

Sunday morning after a nice breakfast where I spilled coffee all over the table Tracy drove me to the airport and I made my way home. The jet lag has been a bitch this week, with one sleepless night (well, 2 hours of sleep) that left me a beat up boy the next day. So yay for hawaii, and yay for SF and now yay for DC, even though the temperature here is now about 40 degrees below where it was in Honolulu.

Labels: Travel

The San Francisco report and updates from this week are coming soon. I've just been really busy. And tired. And hungry. But not especially thirsty.