close call

I wish I could go outside without feeling like my life is in danger. It hasn't even been a year since my bike accident. I have successfully overcome much of the fear and trauma associated with that experience, but lucky for me my life is always interesting.

I stopped at a crosswalk after leaving my research yesterday. I noticed a group of kids that pulled up to the light in a beat up sedan. I had a thought that they might be trouble, but I figured that was me being over dramatic and I should just mind my own business. What was I afraid of, a drive-by? Maybe I should have been, sorta. The light turns green, and as I start walking when something pelts by bag. Lucky for me this was the first time I had worn a backpack in months, or else I would have been in some pain.

Looking back, I realize that they were just kids. I guess I should be glad they didn't hit me in the neck or face, and that I didn't do something irrational. What bothers me the most is that this was done intentionally. A bunch of punkass kids doing something stupid. Cowards.

Marine Biology Quarter - YouTube Playlist

Goodbye Coach

I'm so sad to hear of John Wooden's passing. He is one of the people I truly admired, and he will be missed dearly. He achieved so much in sports, but also displayed unparalleled wisdom. If everyone pursued the same level of compassion, integrity, and humility in their own lives, this world would be a better place.

I remember before the home basketball game against USC my freshmen year, Coach was signing autographs in the bookstore. I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet a living legend of UCLA. When it was my turned I handed him my things to be signed. The rule was that Coach wouldn't address the signature to anyone, he would only sign his name. But when I got up there he looked at me and asked for my name. I am not sure why he did that for me, but I was touched and I hope he knew that.

How do I remember to remember?

My recent bicycle accident has left me wondering if any permanent damage had been done physically, mentally, or emotionally. Most of the pain from the crash has subsided. All that's left are some scars on my knees. What I am concerned of most is how my brain was affected. It appeared that I had suffered a minor concussion, and since that time I have been having issues with my memory. It has been most notable in my short term memory. It has become all too easy for me to forget even the most recent of thoughts, only seconds after thinking them. Facial recognition has gotten better over time, but it was scary not being able to remember the name of someone who I had seen every week last year. The Neurologist I have been seeing suggested a book to help me improve my memory, which was appropriately named, The Memory Book. It has shown me some techniques that make sense, and have helped me remember some things, and I will try to be more proactive in applying it in my everyday life. I am hopeful to make a full recover soon. Only time will tell how seriously I have been affected.

The Accident

UCLA Cycling: My First Race

My ability to ride is dictated by the amount of time I have available, and whatever me motivates me to get my lazy ass into a kit and out onto the road.

To be honest it was a little bit of both, ever since I brought my to UCLA, and eventually joined the cycling team. With each passing quarter I was losing time, so at the end of Winter quarter 2009 I slapped on the spandex and hit the road. I put in hard hours of training towards the end of that quarter, and rode everyday of spring break. the first few weeks of spring, when I got back to UCLA, I finally trained with the cycling team before taking the next step to racing. A couple weeks later I fufilled a goal to competitively race with the UCLA cycling team.

My first race was hosted by Stanford, at a site south of Hollister, CA. I started out in the bottom category, D's, for my road race and criterium. I was humbled after being dropped by the front group about a third of the way into the road race. The dynamics of racing are very diplomatic. I needed to work with these guys to stay competitive in the race. But somewhere down the line, I had to pull the trigger and place as high as I possibly could. Me and one other guy from UCSD chased down a couple more guys, and the four of us battled it out to the finish. I ended up placing in the middle of the field in my race, 14th out of 30 or so. I could not believe how fast some of these other collegiate racers were. In the upper categories, they raced a distance twice as far as I was and at incredible speeds.

During this road race, I was pushing myself to the limit. I was using a heart rate monitor, but using it as a guide was no use, it spiked up and down as I continued to grind out every mile. I found a pleasant surprise after I passed the halfway point. A grey Lexus sedan pulled up next to me and some of the other riders. At this point in my life I guess I was not too surprised, but my mother stuck her head out the passenger window to say hi. She had flown up to San Jose to watch me race. I was in touch with her by cell phone, but I started my race before she got there. She decided to drive through the course until she found me. The best part was that she was trying to get a good picture of me. After the first time I saw her she sped away, and I thought I would not see her until I crossed the finish line. I must not know my mother as well as I thought, but I never underestimate her ability to embarrass me. Later on I saw the same Lexus pulled over to the side of the road. My mom and her friend had gotten out of the car, and my mom attempted to be in a picture with me passing by in the background. I must have counted at least 4 other times she repeated this maneuver. I could not help but smile under all the pain.

The criterium did not go so well. Being in the bottom group, my race went on first. This meant having to warm up and start while it was pretty darn cold. All I can say is that I did my best and I did not get last (but not far from it).

I'm addicted now and ride every chance I get. I will continue to train hard, and maybe get to the Tour de France someday. Until then, I'll keep dreaming ;)

Suffering over the rolling hills.


A few minutes after crossing the finish line.

Too close for comfort

Using my new Flip camera, but got a little too close to the action. This is also when I came to the realization that I have a pretty annoying laugh. eh.

Tap vs Bottled

I have heard many sides to the argument that we should drink one source of water over the other. On the one hand, tap water is free so why not use it to refill which save you some money and does not create more waste. On the other, some claim that water in a bottle is more convenient and tastes better.

It seems like the trend to avoid taking in harmful elements has lead us to explore different avenues, some trendier than others, in the hunt to find the perfect solution. But each have their pros and cons.

Why is tap water good? It comes from water regulated by the governement, which may not be the case in bottled waters. You must trust that the manufatucrers of the bottled water has regulation in place to produce safe water. Some bottled water companies even repackage tap water and sell it back to the consumer.

I was alarmed when I read a recent article about the in the New York Times with regards to unsafe regulations of tap water, that was legal in accordance to Clean Water Act, 1972, but was found to contain contaminants which cause serious health risks in small concentrations.

Not done yet...

Fortune cookies never lie, right?

Pastry 101

Fruit Tart


Chef & Apprentice

MCAT Struggles

I have been studying for this test for the longest time, and cannot wait for it to end. Not sure if I can see a finish line yet, but for now the date is set for April 23rd. This time I am taking a different approach. Princeton Review was a good place to start, and I have certainly seen even more improvement after taking Swartwood, but now plan on studying on my own along with taking more practice tests. At this point I shouldn't be learning anything new, just committing it to memory so that it becomes second nature.

When I look back at the countless hours spent studying for the SATs, it all seemed to be for nothing. I probably could have scored 100 points lower and still gotten in to the same places. Not to say that that will be the case this time, because I am barely pushing mediocrity at this point. All I hope to do is improve. That's all. Am not asking too much of myself?