Very tall, very white, very farang

So, um, I'm going to Thailand. I can't remember if I've told you or not. Have I? I'm sorry if I repeat myself, but I feel like I haven't said anything about it yet...

I'll be in Thailand for a month, taking a quick stop in Hong Kong beforehand and one in Singapore afterwards to visit friends. The whole deal is a UCLA program studying the ecology of the coastal mangrove ecosystems and looking at how the gender dynamic in various local communities (Thai Buddhist, Thai Muslim, Burmese Immigrant, etc.) plays a role in how the different groups decide to manage their natural resources. It's a mouthful, but it sounds fascinating -- to me at least.

At any rate I leave, well, tomorrow. Tomorrow to LA, Thursday to Hong Kong, and from there Southeast Asia awaits to be conquered by my blondeness. Attack of the uber-farang! I expect to stand out no less than I already do around the science/engineering buildings at UCLA, and much more than a sore thumb.

I'd promise to blog daily while I'm there, but I don't want to get your hopes up. We're going to have 'regular, but not daily' access to a computer lab, so I shall write when I can. Also, I'm going to keep an old fashioned blog, a.k.a. diary, while I'm there, so I may just update you with choice passages from that when I return.




And, lastly, because the BBC is great: Thai puppets under threat

Well, see ya later.

Es-ca-pay L-A

Today is the longest day of the year, and I really feel like it's summer. I'm wearing cut-off jean shorts and my feet are dirty. I've been tromping around hills and eaten Cracker Jacks. Plus, it's bloody hot, which is unusual for the Bay Area. yes, I've made it away from Los Angeles at last, just in time to fry at home for a week. I actually escaped LA without much traffic hassle, even though I left at 4pm, which just goes to show how many more people want to get the F out for the weekend.

Bad times: a girl touched me on the subway today. I'm holding on to a pole on the Bart and she just comes up and leans her whole body on the pole, including my hand. Argh, what are the rules of the subway?! Do we need to review?!
Rule Number 1: Do not look at anyone!
Rule Number 2: Do not touch anyone!
Rule Number 3: Do not talk to anyone! (Unless you already know them.)
Amateur! Driving offers its share of woeful tales, but public transportation is whole 'nother barrel of beans -- I must admit it makes for some of the best people watching ever.

But on a more positive note about public transit, I'll share a (semi)bus story from Los Angeles: It's amazing the people you meet on the bus -- or rather, about the bus. I went to go see The Wombats at The Roxy (which is a lovely venue, btw) a couple of Fridays ago and afterwards ended up chatting to a couple of lads at the bar. As the venue closed they invited me to go to the bar next door, which I declined, saying I had a bus to catch. Cue much excitement as we all realized we'd ridden the bus there in the first place. They informed me that the night buses ran every hour and would be easy to take home, so to the bar I went. Fast forward a few hours and we're standing outside of Rainbow's on Sunset: I'm now 'sort of' joined a band; we've seen Dennis Rodman (not that I care or even recognized him); I've met a fellow Campbell who insists we must be related (yet didn't seem to pick up on my "Hm! We're related? WOW it must creepy flirting with me then!" vibes); and we're talking to the bassist and drummer from The Wombats. Great things happen when you use public transportation. Great? Well, entertaining to say the least.

And, furthermore on the topic of driving, well said.

The Political Climate

I really love this, from the lovely people at The Stranger:


However, I also think Hillary rocks.

And now, for something completely different:

(I <3 The Stranger.) Go, Sandra Day!

As you can tell, I've not got much to say as of late. That may change sometime after finals.