successful inaugural bike commute

Today, instead of driving, I rode my new Dahon Helios SL folding bicycle to the BART station. The entire commute (bicycle + BART ride) took about 1.5 hours this morning, which included a couple of short stretch breaks in the park. Driving to BART and then riding BART takes an hour. Although the bike commute increases my travel time by 50%, it also builds in two hours of exercise into my day -- not to mention the $9 savings in parking , gas, and wear and tear on the car.

The ride home took about 1.5 hours. I had to walk my bike up the big hill near Alamo Square, but I think I'll be able to ride up this hill after a few months. My goal is to commute by bike once a week for starters. I was a little nervous about today's first ride, but now all I feel is a great sense of accomplishment... and fatigue (the good kind).

going down south

I'm off to Irvine tomorrow for an information literacy meeting. I've never been to an information literacy event, so this should be interesting. In running focus groups and user interface tests at various UC campuses, I've come to appreciate the creative ways in which students are meeting their information needs. This is not to say that they're all doing good things, but some of them are impressive.

splat!... almost.

Stupid teenage girl in a giant black SUV almost ran over me in the crosswalk today. I had a "Walk" signal, and she was turning left from the oncoming direction. I saw her as I waited for the signal to turn my way, but then I took my eyes off her and focused on where I was going. My mistake. Next thing I knew, I was staring at the grill of that SUV as its driver, the stupid teenage girl, jerked the wheel to the side to avoid hitting me. The guy in the car behind her yelled something about being a witness had she mown me down. Yikes.

I'm disturbed by how close I came to being run over. I consider myself a pretty careful person. I guess this was a good lesson for me. Hopefully, that girl will be more careful, too.

from the archives: high school graduation address

I was going through files and folders this evening and discovered the commencement address I gave at my high school graduation. The paper was a bit discolored, but the text - composed on my Apple IIc and printed by my Imagewriter II - evoked vivid memories of that day.

***

Ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests. On behalf of my classmates, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the commencement exercises for the Robert Louis Stevenson School's Class of 1993. This joyous occasion marks the end of four years that we have spent in this special community. Four years that have been filled with as many trials as triumphs. Four years in which we have matured from insecure adolescents into confident young adults. However, I ask youto think of this graduation ceremony not so much as an ending, but as a beginning.

Stevenson has left a lasting impression on us, and it is now time to move on. While it is difficult to leave the comfort and safety of a place which has become an integral part of our lives, each one of us feels the desire - the need - to meet new people and explore new horizons. How ironic that we leave RLS with the same emotions we entered with four years ago as little freshmen... feelings of apprehension and fear as well as anticipation and excitement.

Next fall, most of us will go on to college, where our beliefs and values will be challenged by our peers and by our professors. Some will find this experience overwhelming and a bit frightening. Others will welcome the opportunity to defend and, in many cases, reevaluate their ideas and opinions. One thing is for certain: it is through this process of reflective and active analysis that each of us will develop into the person he or she want to be. And if we are able to accomplish this, it is because we have established a solid foundation here at Stevenson. It is our responsibility now to build on it. Therefore, let us celebrate this event acknowledging how far we have come... knowing that our task has only begun.

another fish massacre :_(

Within 30 minutes of introducing my five new pretty tetras to their new home, they died. I don't know if I can take this anymore. After the Christmas Day Massacre of 2002, it took a long time for me to get more fish. After those died of disease, I disinfected my tank and started over. For the past two years, I've maintained aquatic plants, but no fish. Finally, today I decided to go to my favorite fish store and get some fish. That was at 2:00pm. It is now 5:30pm. My tank sits empty as I wonder what went wrong.

wake up call

I woke up to the sound of my friend Maya's voice this morning. She works for the State Department as a foreign service officer. My clock radio had turned on, and I was lying in bed trying to ignore it for just five more minutes. Then I realized that it was Maya on the radio describing what mortar rounds sound and feel like. Yikes. Not what I want to hear my dear friend talking about. Still, it was comforting to hear her voice. I can't wait until her tour over there is over.

rest in peace, Ketzl

My friends' beloved Bernese Ketzl died yesterday. I am very sad, but I know that there was not a more loving nor loved dog in the world. Rest in peace, Ketzl. We'll all miss you.

too many hobbies...

I don't know if it's bad that I have so many interests, but it certainly makes it difficult to spend enough time on any one of them. Music, gardening, home improvement, hiking, bicycling, climbing.... These are my current obsessions. Waiting in the wings are writing, Lego Mindstorms, programming, Spanish, aquascaping, and woodworking. Sometimes I think that I should just choose a few to focus on, but I'm too much of a activity magpie.

another month has gone by

and I haven't written anything in my blog. sad.

I will do better in July.

pretty purple flowers

purple ground cover
Originally uploaded by Jane Lee.

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Monterey with Eric. These purple flowers were in full bloom along Ocean View Blvd in Pacific Grove. Eric saw his very first sea otter near Hopkins Marine Station.

Typhoid Jane hits New England. Two reported casualties.

I had a wonderful vacation on the East Coast despite a bad chest cold. My friends welcomed me into their homes and did their best to make me feel better. Unfortunately, my cold germs attacked at least two other people. (Sorry, Dave and Paul.... Bad Jane!) It was wonderful spending time with good friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in six years.

break in the rain

I just came back from a walk on the beach. The rain had dimpled the sand, creating a textured look broken by the footprints of dogs, plovers, and people. Waves added a smooth, scalloped edge along the shore.

mothers and daughters

I read this New York Times article when it first came out, but I revisited it today. Good communication is so important, yet so difficult to practice. I am trying to improve the way my family talks to each other, but it's going to take a long time. I am heartened by the story of Lee Hee-Sook, which I heard on NPR's StoryCorps segment last Friday.

good advice

My friend Ellen reminded me that when you're happy, you need to enjoy and appreciate being happy for as long as possible. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's something that I forget to do. Or rather, I don't take full advantage of my happy state, even though I know it won't last forever. Life moves in cycles of joy and sadness, so it makes sense to be as present as possible for the good times.

strange dream

I dreamt last night that I lost strength in my legs. I had control over them, but they wouldn't support my weight. I was playing field hockey. For some reason, just before each game I had to rinse off in the shower. Then, as I waited to run onto the field with my team, my legs began to get weak. I finished the game last night, but I had to be helped off the field by my teammates. My legs were buckling any time I tried to stand up.

I've had this dream many times before. It doesn't feel like a nightmare, although my paranoid side wonders if it's a premonition of some kind. I do not seem to be very alarmed in my dreams -- just annoyed. Usually, I am asking someone to help me up a flight of stairs and explaining that my legs had just given out on me. Weird.

riding on the BART train

The sun makes me squint. I think about the wrinkles that will show up later, but there is nothing to be done. I am surprised that I am not nodding off. Perhaps the extra sleep I got two days ago is fueling my consciousness now. The sounds of the train -- the screeching, the computerized voice -- are muffled by my earplugs. I love my earplugs. They are fluorescent green soft foam and come in their own orange case.

We enter the Transbay Tube. I have not noticed a sign or anything. The lights in the tunnel zoom by. Occasionally, there are gaps. I don't think about what's outside the tunnel usually. Sea monsters, old tires, perhaps a dead body.

Most people are reading, sleeping, or listening to their headphones. I wonder what worlds they've created for themselves. I imagine that many are enjoying their own private concert. Maybe someone is listening to a story or a sermon. I picture a translucent sphere around each of them and think of what images and sounds would fill them.

My bubble would be filled with z's if I weren't writing. It's a half-sleep where part of me stays awake to hear station announcements. On one occasion, that part deserted its post and I wound up three stations north of my stop.

Another tunnel. More lights. More screeching. Now I am getting sleepy. At least I made it to 16th Street.

it's official

Woohoo! As of today, I am a career UC employee. I was initially hired on a two-year contract, which would have expired in September. I don't want to jinx it, but I have to say that I have really enjoyed working for CDL. A quintessential team player, I need to feel like I'm a valued member of the organization I'm working for and I need to believe in its mission. CDL has been very supportive of me and my work, and I am happy that I will be able to continue my career there.

neighborly serenade

My next door neighbors occasionally subject me to really bad (and loud) Chinese (possibly Vietnamese) karaoke. Even with the walls muffling the sound, I can hear every off-key note. It's really bad. It makes my face scrunch up involuntarily.

bad jane

Yikes. I have been delinquent in my blogging duties. The first month of 2006 is a blur. I wish that I could report that this is because I was having too much fun for my own good, but alas, my life is not that exciting. But, I am happy to announce that I am emerging from a haze that has enveloped my life for over a year. Many thanks to all my friends who put up with me.

In the next weeks, I will try to organize my thoughts into coherent posts. I feel like I have a lot to say, but it will take me some time to put my ideas into any sort of readable form. I appreciate your patience.

happy new year!

I spent New Year's Day surrounded by my extended family: 4 grandmas, 1 grandpa, mom, dad, my second cousin, her husband, and their two adorable kids. We ate a superb brunch prepared by my second cousin, and then the bowing commenced. There was much laughter as everyone wished one another good fortune in the new year.