:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Sunday, July 31, 2005 ::

Greetings from Oxford University! I am having a blast in England. I can't believe I've been here for a week already. Here's an update (Part 1).

I finished packing up all my stuff and wrapping up loose ends in Philadelphia last Friday. (My last story: Boy's medical battle gets boost from run.) It took a bit of scrambling, but I got all my stuff together and then took the overnight train from Philly to Boston.

Arriving in Boston in the morning, I dropped my stuff off at the airport and met up with some friends staying at Harvard for the summer. They showed me their apartment for the summer, and we chatted. I then walked to Porter Square to meet up with a couple of other friends, and we had lunch at Uno's. I was more thirsty than hungry, so I drank a lot. I had this wonderful mango iced tea, and it was so sweet and full of fruit flavor that it tasted just like bubble tea without the bubbles. After visiting the Gap clothing store, I went back to Harvard Square to meet up with another friend and her friend who was visiting. We shopped at the square, and then we found out that my friend's friend had never had bubble tea, so we went to the Boston T Stop and got bubble tea! Yay.

I then went to the Boston airport and flew to New York, where I made the short connection (although my luggage didn't) to London. The flight was nice. There was a weird and creepy man sitting next to me, but he was quiet and watched his movie, so it was OK. It was an overnight flight, but I was too excited about going to England for the first time ever to sleep. I watched the in-flight movies they played on the tiny screen they had on the back of the seat in front of me. I could select from several channels what I wanted to watch, from movies to TV programs to cartoons. I watched Miss Congeniality 2, which was hilarious, and parts of Spider-Man 2 and Guess Who, a romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher about an interracial couple. That was pretty amusing, too.

Arriving at the London airport on Sunday after the 6-hour flight, I passed through the passport check and got my dollars exchanged into pounds. That really hurt my wallet, since the dollar is so weak right now. While waiting for my luggage, which was delayed but ended up on the next flight to London, I ran into another Harvard student who's in the same program I'm in. I got my luggage, and we found our bus to get to Oxford. It was about an hour's bus ride, and we drove past these wonderful English countryside fields.

Just getting into Oxford we got a quick look at the city. It's beautiful with buildings hundreds of years old. The streets are so much prettier because they have little planters on the lampposts with blooming flowers and colors that enliven the surroundings, particularly in dreary, pouring weather like we had the day we arrived.

I checked in and started unpacking. We are staying at Jesus College (yes, we have made every joke possible about this... "Have you found Jesus?... College?" "We've found Jesus... College." "We live in Jesus." "Jesus gives us shelter." "Jesus is beautiful!" "I love Jesus!" etc etc... we've even turned Jesus College into an exclamation, like Jesus Christ! "Jesus College! That's a lot of work!"), and it's a magnificent college. We have come to find that some of the other colleges here are more beautiful and grand comparatively, but Jesus College is quite magnificent. Oh, Oxford University is a bit different from American colleges in that the "university" is actually a collection of colleges, so Oxford has 39 colleges, and Jesus College is one of them... others include Magdalen College, New College, Christ College, St. John's College, etc.

Pictures and more updates will come soon.

Quote of the Day: "Ahhh! There's 'tossed salad' in the newspaper!"

:: SL 6:46 PM [+] ::
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Wow, what a weekend.

The retreat in San Jose was wonderful, as always, and it was great to see fellow journalism scholars, catch up with them, and make new memories.

I arrived in San Jose before noon on Thursday, so I took a swim in the hotel pool. I haven't been swimming in over a year, so the dip in the pool was quite refreshing. Thursday evening, we went out to dinner in small groups and had interesting discussions with company leaders.

On Friday, after a day of meetings and seminars, we had burgers and shakes at a chain diner restaurant and then saw the movie Crash. I highly recommend this film to everyone; it has redeeming social commentary and has moments that make you happy, sad, and angry. I always enjoy movies that show "what if" scenarios and how we are all interconnected. Also, since "I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day," the movie was quite relevant.

Saturday, we had some sessions in the morning, including one about how to dress appropriately for the workplace (very interesting) and dining etiquette (also very interesting). In the afternoon, we went to San Francisco!!! It was a fun ride up to the bay. We then boarded boats to visit Alcatraz Island. The audio tour led us around the jail cells and pointed out some details of historical relevance. Afterwards, we had dinner at a seafood restaurant on oh-so-touristy Pier 39 - always a fun place to stop. For dessert, I had this wonderful chocolate souffle with a gooey chocolate center. It would have been better had it been served warmer, but paired with vanilla ice cream, it nicely concluded my salmon dinner. We had time after our meal, so some of us went to Ghirardelli Square to get some chocolate!

Sigh. I love the Bay Area. Just being in SF, seeing the TransAmerica pyramid and Coit Tower and soaking up the atmosphere was great. Random people on the street would talk to me; that never happens on the East Coast. The people in the Bay Area are so friendly. Well, most of them are... except for certain pissy Starbucks workers who might yell at you if you don't put money in their "tips" jar, even though tip is never required for such Starbucks workers when all they do is ring up your friggin' order... on a computer no less.

Speaking of which, how tacky is it for workers at Starbucks to put a tips jar out in front of the cashier? Starbucks drinks are already ridiculously expensive without having bitchy "baristas" complain about wanting extra money. It's not as if they're not being paid for the job, anyways, with cushy stock options, etc. once they've been working there for a bit.

But I digress...

When we returned to our hotel, we scholars said our goodbyes, and some of us spent time in the suite hanging out and chatting into the night like we do every year. I ended up staying up the whole night, and as the sun began to rise, I shared a taxi with fellow scholars to the airport to fly to Los Angeles, where I met up with my sister at Disneyland for its actual 50th birthday on July 17, 2005.

It was a magical day filled with touching and heartwarming moments to remind the parkgoers of that special day back in 1955 when Walt Disney invited everyone to his Magic Kingdom with the following speech:

"To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and the promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to the world."

There was a big ceremony in the morning (which sadly I missed because I was still on my way to the park) with the bigwigs of the Walt Disney Company, Art Linkletter, Walt Disney's daughter, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, they replayed the ceremony later in the day on giant Jumbotrons around the park. At exactly 4:45, the time Walt Disney made the dedication speech on July 17, 1955, the Jumbotrons played a video of that speech. My sister and I gathered at Town Square to experience the moment, and it was indeed an unforgettable one, one that will be remembered in the history of Disneyland.

Later in the day, I got to ride the reopened Space Mountain roller coaster! It closed more than two years ago for a complete refurbishment, and the track was completely rebuilt. The ride now has new special effects and is so much smoother. Because the ride is darker, as well as smoother thanks to the new track, you really feel like you're gliding through space. For some reason, the ride feels faster than ever, and the new soundtrack enhances the feeling of speed because it is timed to every small turn or drop in the track. Everyone go check out the new Space Mountain at Disneyland!

After the amazing fireworks show (which I've written about in the past - it's a whopping 17 minutes long with a new flight routine for Tinker Bell and more fireworks and special effects than ever), my sister drove me to the airport, and I took an overnight flight back to Philadelphia.

Oh, I forgot to mention that last week I got to see the musical The Fantasticks for free! I had wanted to see the production of West Side Story that was in town, and on the way to a park I passed by the theater it was playing at. I stopped to check out show times, and these three old ladies approached me and asked me if I needed tickets. Well, it turns out they were tickets for The Fantasticks, which I had heard about earlier in the month and had wanted to watch. I had forgotten that that day was the very last performance of the run, and the performance was sold out, so I was really really lucky. In the right place at the right time. The show was great. Sad at parts, but a nice nostalgic look at a simpler time with pretty romances and family time.

Ah, it's time to wrap up my experience here in Philadelphia... Friday night I will be taking the train overnight back to Boston, where I will (hopefully) visit some friends who are staying on campus for the summer. Saturday night, I will board a plane for my first trans-Atlantic flight for my first-ever trip to England! I'm really looking forward to the study abroad program, and I shall try to provide details once I'm there!

Quote of the Day: "I haven't been around any exploding vaginas lately..."

:: SL 10:53 PM [+] ::
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I was furious when this online pop-up ad sprung up on my computer after I loaded some news site. The pop-up ad leads to a U.S. Army recruitment site.

War and death are not "fun." Having to shoot someone at a moment's notice when you don't know whether they're innocent or an enemy, tensing up every time you hear a loud bang, fearing that any moment you could die are not "fun." Thousands of U.S. soldiers have died overseas in recent years, and even more innocent civilians have fallen victim to accidents caused by U.S. military presence overseas. Saying that our soldiers are just having "some fun" as they risk their lives daily - many soldiers becoming injured or paralyzed forever if they are not killed - is a major disservice and trivializes the difficult job they have to do.

Also, the part about seeing your name in headlines... it should be noted that yes, your name will be in headlines.... when you die in battle. Sad but true - as much as we support our soldiers, they really don't get a mention in the paper unless it's on obituary after dying while serving for their country.

I know that the Army is not meeting recruitment goals, what with the exhaustion of our military due to an ongoing war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. Things are so bad that they are even recruiting in high schools and using, according to some accounts, high pressure, psychological techniques to get more people to join right after graduation. This is tragic, and the misleading advertisement (on a pop-up, no less!) is no help to the cause.

Support our troops. Bring them home now.

:: SL 7:50 PM [+] ::
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In exactly two weeks, I'll be on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean for my first ever visit to England! I'm looking very forward to studying abroad at Oxford, and the subject matter - evolutionary biology - is becoming increasingly relevant, considering how some people as of late have been launching a coordinated attack on science in the name of unsubstantiated belief systems.

I just booked my ticket, and I've left some time for myself to explore a bit of Europe after classes end. It's going to be so amazing. I can't wait!

In other travel news, this Thursday I'm heading out to San Jose for the weekend for a journalism-related conference. A highlight is that we're going to visit San Francisco afterwards! I haven't been to SF in a while (well, that's a lie... I did make a stopover at the airport there on my way home for my sister's graduation, but that doesn't count), so this trip should be fun, especially since I'm going with my journalism buddies, whom I only see once a year. We're scheduled to take a tour of Alcatraz, too. I haven't been there since I was a little kid.

Oh, and Disneyland's 50th anniversary, July 17, is next Sunday, so since I'll be in California, I'll be making a stop at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom for the historic celebration. Space Mountain, which has been closed for more than two years, is finally reopening that weekend, so I look forward to seeing the new special effects on the roller coaster.

Finally, another story in the paper that I forgot to post the link to: Camp teaches youth fire safety

Quote of the Day: "Stop collecting guys on MySpace like Pokemon!"

:: SL 3:04 PM [+] ::
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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Yesterday was another great day. 'Twas the Fourth of July, so I went downtown to check out the fun. There was a big street fair, and late in the afternoon/early evening, there was a parade! I got there early, so I got to wait on the curb... so Disneyland-esque. It was great hearing the bands march down the street so enthusiastically. Some of the floats were nice, too.

Once it got dark, the free Elton John concert started. It was on the same stage in front of the art museum that the artists of Live 8 performed on (that's part of the reason why Philadelphia was selected for the event; it already had the stage and backup prepared for its July 4th events). The Philly Pops Orchestra performed some patriotic pieces. Then, Bryan Adams took the stage and sang some songs; I'm not too familiar with his songs, so I don't know what they were called, but I did enjoy them. The same with Rufus Wainwright, who took the stage next. I have a friend at school who's a big fan of his, but I felt bad that I didn't know any of his songs. He is a good piano player, though.

Philly native and legend Patti LaBelle was the next artist to perform in the free concert. She sang Lady Marmalade... a great song... it was wonderful to hear the original performer sing it live. Finally, Elton John took the stage, and he performed his classics as "The Bitch is Back," "Rocket Man," and "Tiny Dancer." The finale appropriately was "Philadelphia Freedom." He didn't perform my favorite song of his, "Your Song," but he did perform my second favorite song of his, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues." It was a great concert, and to see someone with as storied a career as Elton John live and for free really made my Fourth of July.

And to top it off, there was a spectacular fireworks show presented above the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They set the fireworks to music and used a bunch of great songs, including the Rocky theme! Very appropriate, with the iconic steps of the art museum just right there. They also lit up the columns on the front of the museum, and it was very pretty when matched with the fireworks. It was truly a blast. A spectacular ending to a wonderful Fourth of July. With all the events of this past weekend and the city's history as the birthplace of America (after all, this is the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed in Independence Hall), I couldn't imagine a better place to spend the 4th of July.

Oh, on Sunday night, I saw "War of the Worlds." It was a terrifying but thrilling movie. Truly Spielberg-ian. I enjoyed it very much, and I would recommend it to everyone. The ending does fizzle a bit, but the story's been around for over a hundred years now, so it's not a big surprise. But there are quite a few suspenseful moments; I haven't seen such a scary movie in a while.

Quote of the Day: "You make it sound like I'm training to be a slut."

:: SL 11:04 PM [+] ::
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My cell phone is officially about to die, and a replacement is in order.

Until then, I apologize if I do not answer when you call; the phone just isn't picking up reception all of the time anymore.

In other news...

I love my friends.

Friday I got a drunk dial message (I couldn't answer because the cell phone wasn't working) that consisted of someone mooing loudly, multiple people telling me they miss me and love me, and someone who got really confused that they could not speak to me and had to leave a message. Aww!

:: SL 1:12 AM [+] ::
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Live 8. Philadelphia. July 2, 2005. Part of the most-watched international event in history.

I was there.

I got to help cover this massive event, one of the largest ever in Philadelphia and the world. It was such an amazing experience to be part of a historic event like this. I'm still processing just how incredible the event was.

If you haven't heard, Live 8 was a series of 10 free concerts held today featuring popular bands and singers in major cities around the world to try to influence the G8 nations (which are meeting this coming week) to provide more assistance to Africa, where a person dies every three seconds from starvation or disease. The extreme poverty has been worsened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and many of the people in the continent's countries are desperate for help. Live 8 comes during the 20th anniversary of Live Aid, which featured concerts in London and Philadelphia and raised millions of dollars to help the poorest in Africa. This time, as their slogan goes, "We don't want your money; we want your voice." Live 8 organizers hope the the G8 leaders will be influenced by unity shown worldwide by those who watched the concerts, live, on TV, or online, and agreed with the message.

I got up at 5 a.m. after (foolishly) staying up a bit too late last night. I quickly got downtown and walked to the concert area to start my shift. I had been assigned to cover the morning events before the concert actually started at noon. I interviewed people who had stayed up the entire night to get a good viewing location and did some early reporting so the newspaper could get a story online for the newspaper's website.

I also covered a press conference for ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, which is an umbrella organization for groups working to help those in Africa. Among the speakers were actor Chris Tucker, as well as members from the band Jars of Clay (I had never heard of them, but apparently they're famous?).

I then covered a bit of the concert as it began. Actor Will Smith introduced the show with a dramatic demonstration of just how bad the situation in Africa is: He had the audience members snap their fingers every three seconds. That's how frequently there is a poverty-related death in Africa, where the poorest die from diseases that we've long had cures for because they cannot afford the medicine.

The Black Eyed Peas were the first group to perform. They sang "Where Is The Love?" and "Let's Get It Started," among a couple other songs. Then Bon Jovi sang "Livin' on a Prayer" (an 80s classic popular with my college residence, Leverett House) and "It's My Life." Soon to part ways Destiny's Child followed with "Survivor" and "Say My Name," and a couple more songs.

I then had to go back to the office to do a write-up of what went on so far in the day, so I missed Kanye West, Will Smith (who performed blast-from-the-past "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It"), the Dave Matthews Band (sad tear), and Toby Keith (yes, Bruce, I had a chance to see Toby Keith in concert here but missed it, and even though I could tell you that I profess no supreme love for country music or TK in general, I know you are still disappointed in me... you can go ahead and never speak to me again, ha!).

After finishing my writing, I was done with my 8-hour shift, so I went back to the concert. I caught the very end of Alicia Keys' set (she's a great performer; I had seen her in concert before, as I had Black Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child, and Bon Jovi). Then, Linkin Park came on and performed some of their hits. They were soon joined by Jay-Z, and they performed a few songs together, including Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'".

Def Leppard was next, and they seemed somewhat out of place with the rest of the lineup, but I did enjoy their performance of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," another classic cherished by my members of my college residence at our 80s dances.

Finishing the day were Sarah McLaughlan (with an appearance by Josh Groban, who joined McLaughlan during her song "Angel"), Jars of Clay (I didn't know any of their songs at all, and neither did most of the rest of the audience), Maroon 5 (my sister's seeing them in concert later this summer; I never realized that I actually like some of their songs until today), Keith Urban, Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas (he sang his solo album songs but then sang "3 a.m.," which is a Matchbox Twenty song), and finally the legendary Stevie Wonder closed the show. Throughout the concert, there were introductions by Richard Gere, Naomi Watts, and Kami, the HIV-positive character from South Africa's version of Sesame Street. Paula Abdul made a cameo appearance near the end, too, while Stevie Wonder was performing.

Ah, it was a great concert. They said a million people were there on the streets at the concert. It feels great to be a part of it. I still think London had the better lineup, with Mariah Carey, Elton John, Coldplay, Sting, Madonna, U2, Paul McCartney, and REM (come on, "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon"!), but it was great to see so many energetic acts today. Now, I've got to do my part to help those in Africa... angry diatribe on this subject to come later...

After the concert, I went back to the office to pick up some items, and then I went to Penn's Landing, where there was another event, this one part of the city's Fourth of July celebrations. There was a free Ruben Studdard (of American Idol fame) concert, but I only caught his last song, which was his single "Flying Without Wings," a cover of British singing group Westlife's popular single (I suspect many of Ruben's American fans don't know this).

The concert was followed by a fireworks show, and I just have to say it was one of the biggest fireworks shows I've ever seen... and this is just a pre-July 4th show... there's still the fireworks show after the free Elton John concert on the actual fourth. Tonight's show was set to rousing music played on the loudspeakers, and the fireworks were pretty well timed to the music. I kept expecting the show to end because it had gone on for a while, but it still kept on going... it must have been over 20 minutes long. The finale was breathtaking, and loud, too. They set the fireworks over the water on the waterfront, so it made for a nice view.

Now, I'm getting ready to go to sleep because it has been a long, but deeply satisfying and memorable, day.

Anecdote of the Day: I was at the supermarket when I passed this lady wearing the most hideous outfit (think: revealing muumuu). I thought to myself, "Wow, those clothes makes her look terrible." But then a moment later, the man behind me says to the lady, "You're looking mighty fine tonight, miss" (exact quote).

There seems to be a disconnect...

:: SL 11:14 PM [+] ::
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Fireworks law sparks new concern

:: SL 9:14 PM [+] ::
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