Old College Notebooks

While continuing the process of removing excess possessions from my life, I came across five of my old college notebooks. Having not used them a single time since graduation, I knew they were destined for the recycle bin, but before throwing them out I took an hour to reread much of my old writings. Each notebook contained notes and other things I had jotted down from at least two different college courses, with half of them being classes I took in the business school and the other half from miscellaneous other subjects. The vast majority of my notes were on things I’ve never used outside of college, like calculating single liability immunization and creating Value at Risk models, and as I was reading through them I started wondering how much of the information within the notebooks is now outdated, incorrect, or no longer viewed as acceptable by the current regimes in academia and student bodies. Some of my astronomy notes might have been overtaken by scientific advances in the last decade and who knows what is being taught these days in ethics courses. In two of my classes I was clearly bored out of my mind, as can be seen in the remarks I’d write on the pages, such as “Why do I bother showing up to this?” and “Maybe I’ll take some notes today.” One day I showed up ten minutes late for a class. The reason: Metroid Prime 3. There were also many amusing quotes and nuggets of wisdom that I wrote in the margins, which you can read below. Anything in quotes is a direct quotation from a professor of mine.

* Never commit a felony on tape
* If you make an error, you should try to catch it
* Always thoroughly inspect the terms of the mortgage provided by your broker
* Bermuda is a good place to hide wealth
* “Screaming hordes of Canadians”
* God invented wars to defend property rights
* “If you kids voted, then pot would be legal”
* Bank presidents wear suits and sail around in their yachts
* Q: What’s the difference between a bond and a snowboarder? A: The bond will eventually mature and earn money.
* Q: Tell me your weaknesses. A: I don’t respond to stupid interview questions.
* “Do you need to study the articles as opposed to read the articles? I don’t know what that means.”
* “Did you set your calculator to euros?”
* You can break the law and get away with it
* “Because I said so.”
* (Student) “How are you going to grade the projects?” (Professor) “Completely unfairly.”
* If you want to grow a bunch of weed, wear golf shirts
* You can only prevent conflict between two people if one of them is dead, and even then it might not be possible
* “This is something you were shown in 8th grade - millions and millions of beers and tubes ago.”

Memorable Places, Part 6

A year ago I was in Europe and lately I’ve been thinking over some of the places that were the most memorable from that trip. If you read my travelogue posts from back then you already know the details of each place I visited, but I thought I’d do a series of short writing pieces over the next three or so weeks where I give my thoughts on particular cities or regions as a whole. I’m not going to talk about every location; just the ones that have been on my mind. The order that I write about them will be in the approximate chronological order of when I visited and each writing piece will feature two locations with a photo from the trip to accompany each of them. As a bonus, at the end of each writing piece I’ll note where I was, one year ago that day.

Dubrovnik

Already popular with tourists before Game of Thrones brought in even more of them, Dubrovnik is the Venice of Croatia in that it’s the most expensive city in the country. Unlike Venice, however, there’s no point spending extra money to stay within the old city walls, as you can easily walk into the old city at any time. When I think of Dubrovnik, I think of stairs, toasty walls, and roof tiles. I think of stairs because the steep terrain means lots climbing. I think of toasty walls because the stone walls of Dubrovnik have almost no cover and can be like an oven in warm weather (bring water!). I think of roof tiles because if you look at the city from up on the walls you’ll notice the different color tiles, which are a result of the city being under siege in the early 1990s. The brighter, newer tiles mean that a roof took a hit from the shelling and duller, older tiles mean the roof escaped the worst of it. With the small size of the old city, there’s no escaping the tourist horde, which shows up each morning by the busload and surges onto the main thoroughfare before fanning out in every direction. It’s quite a sight to observe from up on the walls, but also means you can’t really find a spot of your own in the city. Still, there’s an undeniable beauty and charm to Dubrovnik, and if you ride the gondola up the hill next to the city at close to sunset you can get some spectacular views.

Kotor

Montenegro seems to be next in line to get thoroughly redeveloped for and invaded by tourism, and Kotor will be one the country’s star attractions when that happens. Kotor lies in the Bay of Kotor, which is a lot like a fjord you would find in Norway, but without any glaciers. I only got a few hours in and around Kotor, so I can’t say too much about it, but Kotor has earned a spot on my list of places that I really want to come back to. This is partly because of how scenic the area is and partly because I didn’t get any good photos due to really bad weather. The walls of Kotor run up the mountain behind the old city and remind me of the Great Wall of China, but on a much smaller scale. Had I not been in Kotor during a torrential downpour, I would have climbed them. Hopefully I can one day return to Kotor and get a better feel for it, and hopefully I’ll walk away thankful that I did.

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On this day, one year ago, I took a day trip from Dubrovnik down to Montenegro and while there I visited Kotor. Seriously, I didn’t realize when I was planning out these writing pieces that the timing for certain ones would align such that I’m publishing on the exact anniversary of being there. Anyways, it rained nonstop from sunrise to sunset that day, so I got pretty wet, but it was still a worthwhile trip.

Late to the Party - Infamous: Second Son

I love video games, but it's rare for me to play them right when they are first released. Normally it takes me a somewhere from a few months to a few years to get around to playing to a game. I've got a considerable backlog of games that I've been meaning to play and it hasn't been until recently that I've been able to start chipping away at the list. With that in mind, I've created a series of posts called Late to the Party, wherein I discuss the games that came out in the preceding years that I'm finally getting around to experiencing. Today's entry in the series is Infamous: Second Son, referred to hereafter as just Second Son.

Memorable Places, Part 5

A year ago I was in Europe and lately I’ve been thinking over some of the places that were the most memorable from that trip. If you read my travelogue posts from back then you already know the details of each place I visited, but I thought I’d do a series of short writing pieces over the next three or so weeks where I give my thoughts on particular cities or regions as a whole. I’m not going to talk about every location; just the ones that have been on my mind. The order that I write about them will be in the approximate chronological order of when I visited and each writing piece will feature two locations with a photo from the trip to accompany each of them. As a bonus, at the end of each writing piece I’ll note where I was, one year ago that day.

Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and one of the country’s three major cities (the others being Split and Dubrovnik). It is the most modern looking city of the three and I remember it also having the largest population of young people of all the places I visited in Croatia. Zagreb seems to be for Croatia sort of like what New York City is for America—the place where young people go to find jobs and keep up with all the latest trends. Even in the old town that youthful spirit pervades, with new, trendy shops and businesses popping up. I don’t normally eat fast food too often, but in Zagreb I found myself trying out some new places that I had never heard of before, like an establishment that specialized in pairing french fries with other foods. There’s also an outdoor market near Zagreb’s tallest church that I like to visit, though I’ve never actually bought anything. When you’re done sightseeing in Zagreb, and to be honest, there’s not too much sightseeing to do in Zagreb, you can make use of the city’s transportation hub to visit other places, like Plitvice Lakes National Park (which I highly recommend).

Split

Split just might be the most appropriately named city in Europe. I don’t know what the name Split means in Croat, but it is quite fitting for a city that can’t seem to figure out what sort of town it is. A coastal resort town? A historic site? A modern city? An industrial port? Split is all of these things and more, but no single aspect dominates the city. This split personality (pun intended) does have the benefit, though, of allowing a visitor to easily do lots of different things in a single day. You can visit some old buildings in the morning, then have lunch by the sea, explore the modern part of Split in the afternoon before going for a swim, and after dinner you can hit the town for some nightlife. When I think of Split I also think of traditions, namely the ones that have developed from my two visits there. I always climb the hill west of the old town, I always grab a meal from a particular seaside restaurant, I always stay at the same hostel, and I always go for a swim at the beach near that hostel. Oh, and since this is Croatia, that meal by the sea costs a fraction of what it would have in Western Europe. I would never do such a thing in France.

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On this day, one year ago, I was in Split, so how about that for a coincidence? I visited Diocletian’s Palace, hiked up to the top of the hill directly west of the old town, and even took a dip in the sea.

Memorable Places, Part 4

A year ago I was in Europe and lately I’ve been thinking over some of the places that were the most memorable from that trip. If you read my travelogue posts from back then you already know the details of each place I visited, but I thought I’d do a series of short writing pieces over the next three or so weeks where I give my thoughts on particular cities or regions as a whole. I’m not going to talk about every location; just the ones that have been on my mind. The order that I write about them will be in the approximate chronological order of when I visited and each writing piece will feature two locations with a photo from the trip to accompany each of them. As a bonus, at the end of each writing piece I’ll note where I was, one year ago that day.

Florence

Florence is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, and for good reason. Michelangelo’s David, the Florence cathedral, and the old city hall are just a few of the many attractions people visit Florence to see. All of those things are great and I make sure to set aside time for them, but my first priority in Florence is just one thing: gelato. Florence is the holy land of gelato and when I come to Florence I’m guaranteed to eat a few thousand calories worth of it before leaving. You can hardly walk 100 feet in any direction without passing a gelato shop, but not all gelato is made equal. The best gelato in Florence, in my opinion, is on the south side of the Arno River, which can take a little while to walk to from the city center but is completely worthwhile. My personal pick for the best gelato shop in town is an establishment called La Carraia, but with such a large selection of shops I would encourage people to try lots of places and find their own favorites. Also when you’re on the south side of the Arno be sure to walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, where you’ll find a large parking lot with probably the best view in the city.

Venice

The city of dreams. Venice is my favorite city in Italy, which doesn’t make much sense considering how expensive and inconvenient it is. Everything costs more there, you really need a detailed map to find anything other than the most prominent of landmarks, the only public transit options are the expensive waterbuses, and during the day sections of the city are completely overrun with tourists. And yet in spite of all that, Venice has this almost magic quality to it. The canals, the architecture, the beauty of the city both during the day and the night; it’s not like me to get mesmerized, but Venice does it. Most people, however, only see a small part of Venice, since most people day trip into the city from the mainland or they arrive on a cruise ship. Staying on the main islands is very expensive, but it is one of the few cases in travel where splurging gets you something significantly better than the cheaper option. You get to see Venice when most of the tourist horde is gone, and if you stay several days you can get out beyond the tourist zones to really appreciate the entire city. Walk out east to the tail end of Venice (the main islands are shaped similar to a fish) and see the quiet residential zones, or take the waterbus out to the more distant island clusters. There is so much more to Venice than San Marco Square and the Grand Canal, and the more effort you put into exploring the city, the more it rewards you for your efforts.

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On this day, one year ago, I arrived in Split, Croatia. I was staying at the same hostel I had stayed at back in 2012, and when I knocked on the door I found that the same lady was still running it. “I have returned.” I said. “So you have.” she replied.

Memorable Places, Part 3

A year ago I was in Europe and lately I’ve been thinking over some of the places that were the most memorable from that trip. If you read my travelogue posts from back then you already know the details of each place I visited, but I thought I’d do a series of short writing pieces over the next three or so weeks where I give my thoughts on particular cities or regions as a whole. I’m not going to talk about every location; just the ones that have been on my mind. The order that I write about them will be in the approximate chronological order of when I visited and each writing piece will feature two locations with a photo from the trip to accompany each of them. As a bonus, at the end of each writing piece I’ll note where I was, one year ago that day.

Cinque Terre 

Thanks to Rick Steves and other travel guides, the five small villages on the Cinque Terre have been thoroughly discovered by the tourist horde. Most visitors are day-tripping from other cities in Italy, so if you spend the night there you’ll find the place a lot emptier at night. Then again, there’s not much to do after nightfall. Hiking the scenic trails and exploring the quaint little towns is the name of the game in that part of Italy. When I was in the Cinque Terre I stayed in Vernazza, and it was the most expensive accommodations of the entire 2015 trip. My room costed $50 per night, but it was an absolute steal compared to all the other listings I investigated, which averaged $75 to $80 per night. My room was on the fourth floor of a hotel at the top of a ridge that slopes down into the sea, so every day I got some intensive stair climbing action, but on the plus side it had a small balcony with an epic view. My days in the Cinque Terre were spent visiting the five towns and hiking the trails between them, and each day ended with a dinner I’d prepare for myself in an open-air part of the hotel overlooking the sea. Fruit, bread, cheese, meat - the most basic of meals, but when you’re feeling that sea breeze and watching the sun go down, any type of food will suffice.

Siena & Nearby

I’ve described Siena to some people as something of an alternative to Florence. Both are major cities in Tuscany, but Siena is smaller, has fewer sightseeing attractions, and doesn’t get quite as many tourists (to be sure, it still gets a lot). The historic core of Siena feels much more stuck in the past (in a good way) than Florence does, and apparently we can thank the Bubonic Plague for that. Siena’s main square is one of the few in Europe where you can just take a seat on the ground and no one bats an eye. It’s almost like a beach, but made of brick and you’re expected to keep your clothes on. For me Siena also functioned as a launchpad for day trips to other towns in Tuscany, namely Volterra and San Gimignano, but if you read my travelogue post titled The Battle of Tuscany, you know I had some issues with the local bus system. San Gimignano is the famous town with all the towers that’s would die overnight if tourists stopped coming and Volterra is the lesser known town that hasn’t completely sold out to tourism because it doesn’t get enough tourists to be able to do such a thing. I don’t mean that as a disparaging statement about either town, and if you were in Tuscany I wouldn’t feel any regret in suggesting you visit either of them, but just know what you’re getting into.

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On this day, one year ago, I was in Croatia and took a day trip from Zagreb, the capital, down to the land of lakes and waterfalls, aka Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Last Monday’s Debate

One week ago the United States had its first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. I really didn’t want to watch it, but feeling some level of civic responsibility, I fired up my laptop and tuned in to the one of livestreams being broadcasted online, and watched two people who have no business being president try to convince the nation that they’re not as bad as their opponent. I confess that did not get through the whole thing. After some time I couldn’t take it anymore and closed my web browser, saddened at the thought that one of these two candidates will be our next president. Since I didn’t watch the whole debate, and given the fact that I’m not a skilled political analyst, rather than dissect the debate itself I wanted to write about what I saw in its immediate aftermath.

I knew what time the debate was scheduled to end, and about thirty minutes after that time I decided to go online and see what people were saying about it. As expected, social media was abuzz with friends of mine in both camps furiously liking and sharing articles that spun the night’s events in favor of their particular candidate. Clinton supporters emphasized some of her talking points and savagely dismissed anything Trump said. Trump supporters did much the same to Clinton. The only thing everyone could seem to agree on is that everyone hated the moderator, Lester Holt. This social media blitz continued into the next day, and if you only listed to social media you might have walked away confused about how the night played out. Thankfully I don’t rely on social media for news, and the day after the debate I made sure to read and listen to a few cooler heads to get some perspective. From their analysis, I get the impression that neither Trump of Clinton can claim a major victory from Monday’s debate, and I don’t think anyone who was undecided prior to the debate got much of a push in either direction. Trump supporters are still voting for Trump, Clinton supporters are still voting for Clinton, undecided voters are still scratching their heads, and people like myself who cannot stomach voting for either Trump or Clinton are still throwing away our votes with third party candidates. Much like the trench warfare of World War I, the debate on Monday and the ensuing online rhetoric saw a lot of sound and fury, but the line didn’t move very much.

It is now October, so we are less than two months away from the election. There are still two more presidential debates to go before then. I really don’t know if I’ll watch either of them, but I might check out the vice presidential debate scheduled for tomorrow. If so I may have something to say about it next week.

Late to the Party - Ratchet and Clank

I love video games, but it's rare for me to play them right when they are first released. Normally it takes me a somewhere from a few months to a few years to get around to playing to a game. I've got a considerable backlog of games that I've been meaning to play and it hasn't been until recently that I've been able to start chipping away at the list. With that in mind, I've created a series of posts called Late to the Party, wherein I discuss the games that came out in the preceding years that I'm finally getting around to experiencing. Today's entry in the series is Ratchet and Clank.

Memorable Places, Part 2

A year ago I was in Europe and lately I’ve been thinking over some of the places that were the most memorable from that trip. If you read my travelogue posts from back then you already know the details of each place I visited, but I thought I’d do a series of short writing pieces over the next three or so weeks where I give my thoughts on particular cities or regions as a whole. I’m not going to talk about every location - just the ones that have been on my mind. The order that I write about them will be in the approximate chronological order of when I visited and each writing piece will feature two locations with a photo from the trip to accompany each of them. As a bonus, at the end of each writing piece I’ll note where I was, one year ago that day.

Lyon 

Lyon is urban France. Paris may be bigger and more populous, but Lyon does not have Paris’ building restrictions, so it feels more modern and crowded. When I think of Lyon I think of tall apartment buildings, shopping malls, busy streets, and masses of people with places to go. But with all its modernity, Lyon is still a city with a long history, and past and present are oftentimes not far from one another, as in the case of the remains of the second oldest church in Western Europe being right across the street from a courthouse. This merging of antiquity with modernity is probably best symbolized by the confluence of the two rivers that divide the city. I walked down to the point where the rivers come together and found it sort of mesmerizing to watch the faster, clearer Rhone merge with the slower, murkier Saone. Also there are mysterious tram tracks down there that go directly into the water. That’s probably symbolic of something but I don’t know what.

Cote d’Azure

The waters of the French Riviera are so beautiful that it’s a shame they don’t have good sand beaches to go with them. Growing up in Southern California, I thought all beaches were as nice as that ones I knew from back then, but that is not the case. In all honesty, the pebble beaches in and around Nice are fine, and I can understand why this part of France has been a resort for the rest of Europe for the last 200 or so years. Warm, sunny days. Leisurely strolling by the beach. Stunning blue waters. Look around and you’ll see Belgians, Germans, Russians, and other visitors who escaped colder lands in order to soak up the sun. Nearby in Monaco you can stand outside the famous casino and see an unending train of expensive cars rolling in to pickup and offload people with too much money on their hands. I don’t have that kind of money, so instead I took a swim in the Mediterranean during the day and satisfied myself with a gelato or ice cream at night. The French Riviera might not be as good as SoCal, but it’ll do.

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On this day, one year ago, I bought a 24-hour water bus pass and maxed it out exploring the Venice lagoon. In doing so I found one my favorite places in Venice, a small park with a vineyard on the Mazzorbo island cluster.

Worldly Possessions Update

Clearing out excess stuff you own is one of those things that is easy in theory and strangely difficult in practice. In July of this year I did a writing piece about how I was going to try to offload some of my unneeded possessions and since then it’s been a slow process of evaluating things and then decided what to do with them. Last week I had something of a breakthrough when I gave away several items to friends of mine and donated a few pieces of old clothing to charity. The garbage and recycle bins also claimed their own prizes. I still have three full boxes of stuff that I’m trying to figure out what to do with, but I can say that I’ve made some level of progress on decluttering my life.