Personal space

My ethnographic researcher side coming out again....

While in NYC, and Boston, I noticed that the concept of personal space, in comparison to that of LA, or the whole of California, was so much smaller.  Strangers shared tables at coffee shops, squeezed into corners, and actually sat next to each other on the public transportation. In Cali, I was taught to keep a much wider radius around me, and find whole tables that were free, and rows in buses and such that were completely empty.  I am not sure why people insist on keeping so separate here... 

So I do my homework in Starbucks often, and while I am sitting at a table, I often notice that other students come in looking for a spot, only to have to turn around and go home.  Many times that has been me.  I am a bit more persistent, though,  and will wait for an opening... and at times I have been tempted to ask for a spot at a table.  So I thought to myself, that if I ever get the opportunity to offer a spot at my table to someone, I would do.

Today, I got my chance.  It is a Sunday afternoon, and the tables are full of students, workers, and laptops.  One man came in with a laptop in his hand, and some books... There were no seats, and so I offered him a seat at my table (its actually Starbucks' table really), and he took it.  So I scooted my stuff over, he sat down... and that's it really.  Not a big deal, for me, but he got a spot, in the AC, and with a coffee.  

Maybe I am starting a sharing revolution here in Cali, one coffee shop seat at a time... probably not. 

Global Economics

I am currently in my third week of a Global Economics class, and I think I have begun to develop a further focus in my life.

A quick background on myself-  I graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors in Sociology, and went on to pursue a Masters in Business Administration.  I chose this field, instead of going into Social Work, because the practical aspects of helping communities is sustained on an administrative level... and I wanted to learn this.

The previous semester, I took a class called Business As Missions (BAM), which discussed practical business models used to further development efforts in developing nations.  Until this point, I did not have a clear direction, but this class fascinated me, and described my deepest interests. BAM is more of a christian term, as Missions is a field in which Christians seek to bring hope, through the gospel and addressing physical/spiritual needs.  The model, however, is not limited to Christianity, but is utilized in many government and non-profit initiatives worldwide.

As I dive further into the issues of global economics, I am finding a clearer field that I may want to pursue.  It is the political, legal, and regulatory side to the issues that BAMs deal directly with.  Perhaps this is why I feel so drawn to work in South Korea?  Who knows.

Dream: to make it the the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting one day.

Los Angeles....

I spent the entire summer, explaining to people I was from Los Angeles, and in doing so, trying to explain Los Angeles to them.  In comparison, New York City is denser and more populated than the City of Los Angeles (not Los Angeles City), but LA is much more than the city...  People from the cities that make up East LA, or the Greater Los Angeles area, all consider themselves as a part of LA.  So, taking that into consideration, LA, including LA County, is significantly larger than NYC... and a bit more complicated.

This article was an interesting comparison of Los Angeles and New York City...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/iang18/10-things-to-get-over-about-los-angeles-and-10-thi-eg04?fb_comment_id=fbc_573223459400663_5329597_573741299348879#f2b45d674c

One quote from the article:
"L.A. intimidates people because they're afraid to admit it's better than where they're from. In L.A., we order bagels from people that don't yell at us. We don't care if your pizza is better. We like ours, but we like yours, too. We legally smoke weed, we surf, we go to work in flip-flops and we drive Priuses. We work hard, we're laid back, we eat avocados and we do yoga. We respect N.Y., and don't even expect it back. That's how we roll."

New York has a great amount of history and mystique to it, and you will never be bored there. The thing people don't seem to know about Los Angeles though, is how rich the history and culture is there as well.  The city was founded in 1812, and is planted in rich Spanish, Mexican, and Indigenous soil.  It was apart of Mexico, along with all of California, before bought by the United States. 

One of my favorite places to take people when visiting the City of Los Angeles, is Olvera Street, which is situated right across from the Union Station, and before Chinatown.  It is the oldest part of Los Angeles, and distinctly Mexican.  It is the one place you can count on Mexican traditions to be alive and well.  

Old Olvera Street

 2011 Dia de Los Muertos

There are a lot of hidden clubs, theaters, and attractions, making Los Angeles a definite place to explore.  In addition to the fact that we have so many cultures, and different kinds of people.  This cultural mix, though, has traditionally caused LAC a lot of problems... there are a lot of gangs here, and between those gangs, there is a lot of ethnic tension.

I have seen riots and fights between Latinos and African Americans, where race was the main issue...  I've seen whites discriminated against... I was actually in a Mexican restaurant once, with a white family member, and experience blatant discrimination for the first time... and we weren't alone.   I have heard and seen racism perpetrated by all races, to tell you the truth. In the 1990's my family had to relocate during the Rodney King Riots.  My dad has photos of stores near Korean owned stores, with "black owned" spray painted on the walls...

New York, however, I absolutely loved.  It is rich in history and culture, and New Yorkers have a strength of a different caliber.  There were a few things that I loved the most about New York though, and that I think LA could learn something from...

First, New Yorkers are proud to be from New York and from the USA.  I mean, they are extremely proud... same with Bostonians.  Angelinos, from what I have seen, seem to be more proud of their neighborhoods, than they are of their entire city... or state, or country, for that matter.

Second, New Yorkers aren't rude, they are focused, and they do interact with one another, in their own way.  Angelinos tend to keep as separated as possible. (Crash anyone?)



New York City vs. Los Angeles?

I prefer both.  LA is my home, but New York is exciting.  Like one of the interviewees stated that, "NYC is home for me, but L.A. is my secret lover..."  For me, it might just become the opposite.... I love LA, but I might be ready to leave it for a while... fly the nest, and then come home.  :)

Camp: This summer

One of the hardest part of leaving summers like this, is coming back to a steady moving, and unchanged environment... especially when so much of you has changed.  I've been on enough of these kind of summer trips to deal with the flood of emotions so much more efficiently this time around.  The problem I am having with this summer, however, is leaving behind possibilities and moving forward to find new ones.  It shall be done though.  It has to be.  There is hope and there are still so many adventures to come, time and experience have shown this, time and time again.

Camp and New England: The people I met this summer

This was an amazing summer, and I met a ton of amazing people, and saw a large part of the country.  I will never forget my time with them, and I am confident we will see each other again.

The thing reinforced to me, was the fact that everyone has a story, and no one is all that they seem to be.  I saw American Ivy League students, pass judgement on those who did not speak fluent English, and stupidly assuming that they were less intelligent. In fact, they were probably the smartest ones at the camp.  A medical student, environmental engineer, Viola player (not sure what you call them), internal business student, ping pong champion, etc. Actually many East European students, who were hired as the "help" in USA camps for the summer, as reflected the same experiences...  The counselors, especially American counselors, kept away from them. Its a pity for them really.

I know this is common everywhere, but it never fails to astound me.

The stories of the locals that worked with and for the camp also captivated me.  No one talked much to them either, but they could care less really.  

I met people from all around Europe, and the East Coast... I was one of the only West Coast folk there.  There were some working at a school in Cali, but they are not natives.  It amazes me how different the East Coast is from the West Coast, and how the general culture can vary from town to town.  Even the accents change.

Also, and I say this with no intention to offend, but I have honestly never been around so many high upper-middle class, and upper class people in my life.  Ivy League Schools are such a far thought for those in my area, and boarding schools were some mythical place that kings and heirs to financial dynasties are sent away to.

Above all, I realized, that for living in such a large and diverse part of the USA, I really knew nothing of the world.  Small town mindset is not limited to small towns apparently.  There are people out there who honestly never struggled financially a day in their life... and there are a lot of them. Some people think eating Taco Bell, and making 'burritos' at home signifies that they embrace the Latino culture (they even asked me if I spoke Mexican).  There is also a whole other culture and way of living, that I haven't a clue about.  I still don't know what Squash is (not the food, but apparently a sport?).  I just found out what Lacrosse is... Rowing is not a big sport out here, etc. etc.

The 2013 Staff

Best people to travel with.  Ever.