Pinnacles National Park

I went to Pinnacles National Park on Labor Day, and meant to post these earlier, but life intervened. It was a beautiful, perfect, though scorching hot day. These pictures are rather feeble, but they are the best I have. Memories from this trip are holding me afloat right now.

Salt Water sandals | Review

After a lot of indecision, I purchased a pair of the Salt Water sandals from the Hoy Shoe Company at the end of June ($39.95 via Zappos). My shoe options were decidedly weather inappropriate -- Dr. Martens Chelsea boots, H&M ankle boots, or running shoes -- and simply didn't mesh well with high-temp attire. I've never really worn sandals or any sort of strongly 'summertime' shoe like espadrilles or slip-ons because I find light colors abhorrent and designs too kitschy.

Influenced by (copying from) the Dead Fleurette's coolness, I sought out the Salt Water sandals as my solution. They're fairly well-known in California, and I've noticed a few people wearing them around campus. These are non-obtrusive, quiet, plain shoes. They go with mostly all of my outfits, are damn comfortable, and quickly became an everyday, all-occasion shoe for me.

About the comfort: I'm a wide 6.5, which means I generally prefer 7 over 6.5, and always 7 over 6. Mine are black leather in women's 7 (and beware, the sizing is given in 'big kid' and 'women's') and were a bit narrow. According to the information in the box, the wearer is supposed to stretch and flex the shoe a bit before wearing, and that though they may feel snug, the leather will soften and mold easily to the foot. Because I found the front slightly narrow, my feet kept sliding back in the footbed, with my heel nearly slipping over the edge. I solved this problem by stretching the front of the sandals and consciously sliding my feet forward. Buckling at the tightest comfortable hole helps this process as well, and now, they fit wonderfully. If anything, they're a bit loose (as expected).

In spite of the 100% leather upper construction, these sandals are made to be submerged. While I didn't dip my feet in the slightly suspicious waters of Lake Merritt, I wore these kayaking with no fear of getting them wet. They wear well in casual walking around campus and town, even for extended periods of time. I thought that lack of arch support would be a problem, but the only discomfort was a bit in the ball of my foot, which has not bothered me. After about 1.5 months of near-daily wear, the soles don't show wearing and the buckles and straps, which were originally very stiff, are still sturdy.

These are not all-terrain and will do you little good in a hike or even extensive walking over moderately steep hills. Minimal tread, would not recommend anything more than a brisk, short jog in these.

All in all, these are great shoes. I've developed new tan lines on my feet, and they have filled a serious niche in my wardrobe. It's still summer in California, and I'll wear them until it gets unbearably cold to do so.

Fall 2015 course load forecasting

In about a week and a half, I'll be starting my senior year of college. Without a doubt, this final hurrah at UC Berkeley will differ from the previous three years, most obviously due to the (hopefully) tremendous influence of out-of-state interviews at medical schools, which did inform the way I selected my classes. I've also been afflicted with a sense of wistfulness, of lost opportunities for boundless intellectual expansion that high school painted my undergrad education to be. Perhaps this will be the year where I'll finally live out that dream.

Without further ado:

Cell Biology for Engineers (4 units, letter graded): to fulfill my bioengineering laboratory course requirement. It's been eons since I've been in wet lab, and while I am not thrilled, this class is reportedly fun and effective at building a practical skillset. However, the mandatory 4-hour lab block will be a sure obstacle in scheduling interviews (I hope not)

Biological Performance of Materials (4 units, letter graded): another bioengineering class. Though I semi-audited a  class about mechanical testing of materials and last semester's cell and tissue engineering class had a solid amount of materials science, I've been eager to jump back into a materials course. A pal from my research lab and possibly my grad student mentor from that same lab will be taking this class as well

American Environmental and Cultural History (4 units, P/NP): most people I know completed the university American Cultures requirement as freshmen, but I've been procrastinating. Though the prevailing opinion is to take a big, easy, introductory sociology or anthropology class for an easy A, I've been waiting to find an AC that strikes my interest and fits my schedule. Easiness be damned since I'm not taking it for a letter grade anyhow. Yes! Senioritis lives on, but for practical purposes, I'll have less time than ever this semester, and I certainly don’t want to have the burden of writing articulate, well-researched/reasoned papers!

Environmental Philosophy and Ethics (4 units, P/NP): bioengineering majors are required to take an ethics class. My boyfriend coerced me (successfully) into taking this class with him, though I cannot fathom why he wants to take it for a letter grade. This class is mildly interesting to me, and though I do like the prospects of having course material support when I have to miss class, the alternative seems much more appropriate for my scholastically lazy attitude

Seminar on Social, Political, and Ethical Issues in Health & Medicine (3 units, P/NP): now this is the alternative. It's a 3-hour seminar series with no assignments. It's meducational, very interesting and popular, and relevant to my future. What stopped me from enrolling in this class first (unit cap on enrolling in classes until Aug. 17) was a concern about the grading scheme. If it's by attendance, then I may be screwed over by interviews. Thus, I enrolled in the above class just to be safe, and will drop either this one or the class above when I decide which one I prefer

If I have time time, I'll audit a Spanish class.

I'm not sure what this course load will be like. With so many P/NP units, how heavy will this burden actually be? Will my dreams of a chill senior year be dashed by the hectic interview season? Am I overestimating my ability to net interviews? Time will tell. However, the stark difference between this schedule and its predecessors is its remarkable lack of technical classes. I've taken 4 techs in a semester several times, and even those with 3 have been tough to bear (Spring 2015, with 3 techs + 5 letter graded units of Español). I'm so used to going full throttle with my schedule that having something lightweight is putting me off-kilter before instruction even begins.

Of course, research, clinic stuff, and MD application cycle 2016 will have more opportunities to intervene this semester, so I'll need to stay alert and ready to put some serious work in. Diligence is the engineering major's virtue.

Sullen summer day

I fell hard for the skater/fit-and-flare trend, and this garment is but one of my troop of dark blue dresses. The fabric, as you may be able to tell, is yet another trendy trait: scuba (neoprene), love it or hate it. It gives this dress structure, and while ZZ and I disagree whether it looks old-fashioned or futuristic, it looks different.

My issue with this dress was simply how do I even wear this? None of my shoes looked right with it, the material retains heat while the cut leaves me with cold shoulders, and the print demands attention. I saw a girl walking about campus with some brown fabric boots and a leather jacket over this dress and I was perplexed.

Once I found the right shoes, though, things became simple. Why complicate things at all? Dress + shoes = outfit. I own no accessories or jewelry, and this dress is articulate on its own. What does it say? It flatters my figure, which is to say, it hides where my legs begin and accentuates the length of my arms and neck. The fabric is heavy and sturdy enough where a gust of wind wouldn't faze me in the least. It's long enough where I can sit down in any way I please. With the right shoes, dresses like this are the easiest thing to wear: crawl through it and go (though the high collar does have two annoying-to-do buttons at the back).

There's an aesthetic and a MAC collection titled 'Moody Blooms,' which always comes to mind when I look at this dress. Though I wish the flowers were bigger and less Forever 21, I like the color and print just fine. As I try to move towards a more beloved and consistent wardrobe, I will analyze outfits that I feel confident, attractive, and happy in. To me, I am in power and comfortable in this kind of a get-up. It's something that doesn't take much thought to put on, and though I hesitated to wear it in spring semester because I thought it looked a bit too dressy, screw that. I wear what I like.

Though I think it looks vaguely sci-fi and futuristic, I do feel like this when I walk slowly and purposefully in this outfit.

Stationery acquisitions

Except for the leftmost journal and postcard, all items pictured here were acquired within the past few weeks. This rare rainfall of paper goods is worthy of a blog post, I insist.

Clockwise from the far left:

1. William Morris 'Windrush' midi format journal, Paperblanks: Vol. X of my life, spanning Feb. 6 2015 to Aug. 4 2015. Behold that cover. The gold catches the light beautifully, but towards the end of its use, I did notice some wear at the corners and spine where the plastic film overlay was spalling. Overall, it's a gorgeous book, holding gorgeous memories. In summary: unplanned romance, over-planned MD app cycle

2. Cork pocket-sized notebook, Tiger: a gift from a friend who studied abroad in London in the spring. Unlined, small, and perfect for everyday carry. Once I finish my Moleskine, I'll use this as my commonplace book. Speaking of CPB, I need to utilize it better

3. Celestial journal, Peter Pauper Press: described as 'beatific' on the PPP website, this gem of a journal will serve as Vol. XI of my life. The heft is incredible, the binding durable and reliable. The paper is impeccable, edged with gold, and has slightly less 'bite' than Paperblanks, much heavier than Moleskin. It was out of stock until right before the death of Vol. X; it did go on sale right after I bought it, but ~ $13 is still more than reasonable for a notebook of this quality (so I say right now, time will tell)

4. Kitty cat sticky notes: a gift from my boyfriend's mother. Very cute and good for little lists and reminders

5. Watercolor UC Berkeley postcards: purchased from Avant Card from a sour cashier. I needed a postcard to send to my boyfriend's family but ended up buying four in total to make the $5 credit/debit card minimum

6. Old library photograph postcard: I got this from a Doe librarian a few months back and just now wrote on it. At the end of each diary, I write a postcard to myself n+7 diaries in the future, and keep the card in Vol. n until the time comes to retrieve it

This is a rare accumulation of stationery, which I find precious and worth writing all this for. Many of these were gifts, for which I am grateful. Blank pages, beautiful covers, elegant design -- stationery is the category of consumable good that I truly could dragon-hoard.

I.B.'s Hoagies: French fry adventure

Damn right the fries are my way.

When it comes to French fries, consider me a professional. Let this post be something to cleanse your Internet palate of the lovely foodie posts on other blogs. I know for a fact that Berkeley is crawling with good food for low prices, but this is my blawg and I want to talk about I.B.'s. Also, consider this a middle finger to the Golden Bear Café, which has recently decreed that they will no longer sell fried foods. I only got to eat their chili cheese fries twice. I loved their French fries and tater tots. I worshiped at the altar of their deep fat fryer.

Anyways, it seems kind of foolish that I've never been to I.B.'s. Smoke's Poutinerie across the street used to be my fry fix, but they're overpriced and le poutine does not appeal to me. Their fries are flaccid and overly salty. They also look withered. I.B.'s better hold their shape, are a more appetizing golden color, and have better crisp-crunch. Imagery.

I claim to be a red-blooded, fast-food-eating, salt-of-the-earth gal that doesn't care about pretty plating and food trends, but I did, in fact, cut up an avocado and mix it about with my fries. I did it in broad daylight on Durant Ave with my Swiss Army knife, so I did redeem some of my dignity. Cheese curds and gravy a la Smoke's does not appeal to me, as I would like to still have some brain function after a meal.

By far the coolest thing about I.B.'s is their condiment bar. Behold:

I put horseradish, kimchi aioli, ranch, sriracha, and a blizzard of Tajín over those fries. Fuck le poutinerie for only having malt vinegar and ketchup. Avocado on top. By the way, I got the small order of fries in a large container for better ingredient mixing.

In summary: fuck GBC for getting rid of fries, but I.B.'s condiments are far superior; cheaper and better-tasting than le poutinerie; $2.49 for a small order of naked fries, customize to your heart's content.

I've been writing secondaries all month so this here was a bit of a writing break. Another remark: the regular fries are far superior to the sweet potato fries, which come with a bizarre garlic sauce. I am told to be suspicious of the hoagies, which are very reasonably priced.

Burnout

This summer, it seems I've had a cataclysmic weekend at every turn. I'll face a few days of relative calm, and then BAM disaster. Usually, it has to do with the clinic.

Here's something to think about: this past Friday + weekend, I have spent 18 hours at the clinic. No rounding up: 18 hours over three days. I went to two parties over those three days, which were seriously fun, but 18 hours is ridiculous. As a note, though I am a coordinator (read: an administrator on good days, an autocrat on bad days), I am still a volunteer. If I'd been paid at my high school part-time wage, I'd be pushing $200, which is about two secondary applications for medical schools.

All that was furthered by personnel issues and the fact that I have taken on a behemoth project to implement (read: force) my section to use our electronic medical records system correctly. I'm not entirely sure how this happened, but sometime in the winter, our section (either I decreed it or somebody pushed it onto us) became the one to pioneer EMR. Of course, all this is good fodder secondaries because it shows leadership and struggle and this and that, but good God is it a headache.

I am told that this is usually the responsibility of an IT team. Though I am sure their timeline is much shorter, I carry the burden for an agonizing amount of time. But what about delegation? Don't make me laugh. Delegating in a volunteer organization with a collective structure is tough shit. People are lazier here. People don't need to care because they don't have accountability. Furthermore, the oversight and accountability administrator is me. More responsibilities, more headaches.

Why the hell do I do this to myself? God complex? Masochism? Not sure.

As this lovely picture shows, this weekend was a mess of clinic obligations, personal deadlines for secondaries, and social engagements. I didn't really sleep much, and towards the end of Saturday, it was already pretty clear that I was in foul weather again.

The Han Solo to my Luke Skywalker when I was a wee trainee (and he was a coordinator) always warned me about burnout. My parents and boyfriend do it all the time, but when it comes from my peers at the clinic who were in my same training cohort and have watched me grow into this responsibility say so, I feel it. All weekend, I was griping about not being able to finish my Duke secondary on time, not being happy with anything I wrote; I was really complaining about being overextended.

I think I burn out quite often, and just after I submitted my Duke app today (!!!), I felt rejuvenated. Fair enough, but I still have a marathon ahead. I want to really change the clinic, and what sort of change is truly good enough if someone didn't have to get tired over it?