5k coming up!

Another 5k is coming up, and I have been training and able to do more than I have ever been able to do.  I am still not a fast runner, but coming from a place where I couldn't even run a lap, I am doing well.  I can now jog 2 miles without stopping, and theoretically 2.5/3.0 miles.

I went from jogging a very slow 15:22 min/mile, to 14:30 min/mile, to 13:55 min/mile, and  finally to 13:23 today.  Slowly going down.

Nervous and Excited!!!!!

The Newest Storm...

My newest storm and mountain to climb these days, is the uncertain future that lies ahead, and the fear that is constantly wanting to meet me.

Rainy Days on Wednesdays always lift me up :)

First, you are never too old to jump in puddles, although you do need the right gear to do it.

I guess the correct term is Pluviophile, but I truly love the rain, and feel the best when it is raining and storming outside.  I feel so at ease with the rain.  Love it!

And tea (coffee) time.

It is the little things in life that make it beautiful... that and nice teacups. They are pretty!

A Heart Beneath Stone

Ok, so I stole the title from a beautiful chapter in Les Miserables, but I think it applies wonderfully here.  I have met a lot of interesting people in my life, and some who were very harden people.  So many people have seen some rough stuff, and their hearts have hardened as a result of being left in the elements for far too long.  I've heard stories from victims, military, law enforcement, even perpetrators, that are impossible to forget or shake... that haunt you, and I've seen and experienced things myself.  But it never fails to amaze me how little wonders this world has to offer, like the innocence of children, a smile, love, compassion, affection, etc., can impose so much hope and light into a darkened world.

So much happened this year.  Some horrible things, and some pretty awesome ones, but the roller coaster ride, regardless, has been exhausting.  I have especially learned how much I guard my heart, and simply do not put my trust in the hands of really anyone.  I keep my hope and love guarded, although I share glimpses of it at times, and allow others to share theirs with me.... and they often do.  I spilled it to one person during year, and felt emotionally safe for the first time with person I just met.  I think mostly it was because they themselves had been through so much and were opening up at the same time.  

"...to love at all is to be vulnerable." - CS Lewis

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.  :)