third's a charm

Summer is officially over and I had my first day of classes today . . . my last first day to be precise.

The end of my summer was pretty amazing; I spent a little more than two weeks in Brooklyn, getting acquainted with the neighborhoods, running errands, and feeling what it would be like to live there. The prospect of moving out to New York after graduation is daunting, but exciting at the same time because it would come with so many jumps in my life. I was able to have lots of great quality time with Hayes, which was so so great after spending the summer apart.

My birthday was relaxing as I spent it wandering around Brooklyn, relaxing at Prospect Park, watching the sunset on a Park Slope rooftop, and having a nice dinner in Manhattan. It reminded me that simple days can be absolutely wonderful if you strip away any time stresses, worries, or expectations.

This semester will be interesting as my largest class has less then twenty-five people and my smallest class has only nine. I will be interning two days a week at the U.S. Attorney's Office and further honing my research and writing skills. I am excited to keep staying busy with work and being productive.

In exciting news, my student note was selected for publication for Public Interest Law Journal's fall edition. This means that I will be a published author, which is both exciting and a little nerve wracking. It is gratifying though to have a piece that I labored over for months be used as a source of knowledge to the academic world.

Life is a bit scary and uncertain now, but it's also extremely extremely blessed.

fog rolling in.

My summer legal internship has ended and it was such a wonderful experience. From substantive research to drafting motions and briefs to assisting in witness preparation, I have really seen what it takes to be a litigator. More importantly though, I have seen that I am up for the challenge. I love the thrill of creating an argument, learning the existing case law, and finding themes. Everything about litigation excites me. The ability to continuously learn about new innovations in the law, form your lawyering techniques, and keep honing your skills really enchants my sense of drive and passion for progress.

Summer in San Francisco was wonderful. The fog rolls in every morning and the sun burns it away (sometimes) to reveal the absolute beauty of the city, its architecture, and the scenery. I have heard that famous oft-quoted Mark Twain phrase many many times and it does ring true to some degree. Still, I love this city. Being able to explore the different neighborhoods, rather than just visit the touristy areas that I was used to growing up, has been so much fun. I have gotten to partake in numerous outdoor fairs, listen to some great live shows, visit a number of museums, see many of my friends from various stages of my life, and of course, try out lots of delicious food. San Francisco's huge trend of cute ice cream shops with long lines and unique flavors really appealed to me. Dessert is always a nice end to a meal or a nice snack and the meticulousness put into the creamery creations was pretty amazing. This is definitely something I have not really seen on the East Coast.

After a week with my parents and Benny, I will be back to Boston (and New York). Though my summer on the West will be over, the sun still rises on the East and I will have a few weeks before 3L commences to enjoy my time. I feel pretty reenergized for my last year of school. I am ready for new challenges, more learning, and to take the next steps toward my professional career.

the moment

I am a sucker for commercials. I take that back. I am the exact audience that companies are gearing towards with their 18-49 year old primarily female demographic in mind. I undoubtedly have wanted 90% of "as seen on TV" products for at least a second. Commercials nowadays, however, have definitely decreased in quality of content and focused more on lights, colors, and loud noises to attract the attention of the casual channel flipper. Consequently, when I see a well-crafted thoughtful commercial, it definitely stays in my head for a while.

Two examples come to mind: the Amazon Kindle ad and the AT&T commercial flipping back on a man's lifetime to becoming President.

Amazon Kindle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj5Jr0QWNMA

This stop-motion clip has everything in it: a protagonist, props, and semblance of a storyline.

AT&T:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiCq1ZMOa-w

This commercial basically plays upon the concept of the butterfly effect in which every action has a large impact on the future. Here, it's essentially a story about love and about taking that risk to capture it where "any second could be the second."

These two clips resonate with me so well. The first has a huge air of whimsy played upon a backdrop of the fantastical and notes of imagination, which we sometimes fail to recognize in everyday life. It takes you back to the stories we grew up with and the ones we have yet to read, evoking a sense of reminiscence and wonder. Set to a very sweet melody, it is hard for this commercial to not remind us of how it feels to discover and rediscover the things we love. Each time I see this on television (which used to be often, but not anymore because it has been replaced with a second stop-motion version), I smile and think of the strong effect books have on bringing me to tears or endless laughter. The Kindle tries to meld the worlds of reading and high-tech convenience together to create a large return to leisurely reading. I, personally, love flipping through the pages of paperback books and being able to exchange my books for new old ones when I am vacationing so I do not see Kindle or Nook or any other permutation becoming a part of my life. Nonetheless, I do hope to make more time for reading in the future when my head is not stuck in law books all the time. (Question to self: Will that ever happen?)

The latter is utterly hopelessly romantic. It premises that the new President can be traced back to his parents meeting which was due purely to his father's having an AT&T smart phone and being able to change his train ticket. It posits that having a smart phone allows you to make split second decisions, decisions that could completely alter the course of our lives. Although it is a little far-fetched, it is true at the same time. When I look back at the way my life has panned out, it is interesting tracking how "this" decision or "that" action was necessary for things to play out the specific way they did. Now, in an age of instant gratification and also instant communication, making those spontaneous decisions really does spur the moment. It reminds me how blessed I am to have done everything I have, leading me to law school, love, and of course, lots of laughter. I happen to think I have done pretty well in capturing those pivotal moments and making the best out of them.

All in all, we are constantly barraged by images of what we should be buying, eating, and watching. Sometimes the product being hawked at us is completely unnecessary and superfluous to what we require in everyday life. Other times, it is something that really could improve the quality of life. In any case, once in a while, you come across a representation of something that tugs at a heartstring, evokes strong sentimentality, and reminds us what happiness really is about. And isn't that the best feeling ever?

Unforgettable and undeniable

Every summer has a "song," a melody that the teenagers to early thirty-somethings remember the season with. These songs tend to be upbeat, have a catchy hook, and make you feel good. One of the heavy contenders for this year's summer ditty is Katy Perry's "California Gurls." This song characterizes the Golden State as being a beautiful place with equally beautiful girls. I have to say that, being a Californian, I like to believe that the lyrics carry much truth.

Being in California this summer has been wonderful so far. I have gotten acquainted with living in beautiful San Francisco and am slowly figuring out the bus system. I have hit the ground running at work, taking a lot of responsibility and doing a lot of interesting substantive work too. It has been a great learning experience thus far and I am excited to add more to my repertoire of legal work I have done first hand.

I have gotten to spend time at Dolores Park, visit the Union Street Festival, see great Impressionist art at De Young, walk by the water and through the Presidio, eat great food, and do it all with my friends and my boyfriend. We have been lucky to have some great sunny weather lately that has not been marred too often by clouds and gloom.

My summer has its own song of growth, happiness, and love. I love my California summer and hope to make the best of it.

back to the bay

I have made my way back to the Bay Area for the summer and it is so so cold. I always expect it to feel warmer than it actually ends up being, which is a letdown. I always feel excited to "come home" though I have grown more attached to the East Coast because of the people and places I love.

This summer will be a great one, busy but good. I start my internship on Monday; I definitely did not give myself a ton of time before starting, but I did spend my fair share of relaxing time in New York beforehand. I will be chopping off eight inches of my hair tomorrow to donate to women with cancer. I really do not prefer having short hair, however, I have been so blessed to have healthy thick hair and it would be selfish not to share it with women who are going through tough times. I hope to spend time with my friends and also have the chance to do light bits of traveling here and there. I am also lucky that my boyfriend will be in town for a brief stint and we can explore the city we know and love together.

Life after finals seems a little slow. The days kind of fold into each other such that it doesn't matter whether it's Monday or Wednesday, you're still doing the same thing. I am excited to get things started, feel productive again, and fall in love with San Francisco life.

P.S. Some websites that I have been featured on:
http://taiwaneseamerican.org/100people/shannon-liu, http://tinyurl.com/buapalsanews, and http://www.bu.edu/law/communications/apalsa2010.html

summer is here.

Another year of law school has gone by and I cannot believe how quickly time has passed.

This year was great, lots of work, but also very satisfying. I finally got to put practical skills and writing/editing skills to use, which reminded me what I am in law school for. I definitely do not think I am here to be in love with classes and long-winded exams, but rather honing the skills to be an effective litigator and researcher. Having experiences where I can excel with these skill sets acts as an essential affirmation that the law is what I should be pursuing.

Being done with finals is a surreal feeling because this huge load is lifted off such that it is almost inconceivable what to do next. I found myself occupying my time with running errands and cleaning up the apartment, which has become a huge mess. I had a couple days to unwind, shop, have good meals, and see friends before heading to New York to see my boyfriend. New York has become a second home to me the past few months. Getting to see a New York that is not full of tourists, flashing lights, and chaos has been so refreshing and has given me a new perspective on the culture, vibrancy, and beauty of the city. I could definitely see myself living here for a few years.

Soon I will be back in San Francisco for a couple of months. I am excited to live there instead of commuting and really explore the neighborhoods. I think this summer will be a good one for many many reasons.

predicament.

Today, at lunch with two buddies at this great little Barbecue place, the song, "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd came on.

Life has been so busy lately from my first hearing (which I won!), to a mock trial, to tons of school work and journal note edits. It has also been pretty amazing from my spring break trip to Costa Rica, a fair amount of wonderful time in New York, and having fun with friends when I have the time. Things have all been based on progress and pleasure.

So really, my question to myself is, am I comfortably numb or just comfortably comfortable?

What a strange situation I currently find myself in.