Not So Yum

Today, in honor of Chinese New Year, our tea group met up at a Dim Sum restaurant down in Chinatown. This was my first venture into the world of Dim Sum, which seems to be all the rage here. I was under the impression that the meet up would be held in some cramped tiny place tucked away on some Chinatown side street. However, upon arrival, I discovered that one had to ascend an escalator to enter the premises. Any restaurant that requires an escalator ride to get to your meal is going to mean big business. Hiding behind the plain facade outside was a vast banquet hall fitted with tons of tables and chairs. If you do an image search on Yahoo of the place, a whole host of Flickr pages devoted to the interior and the delicacies offered on the food cart will pop up and you'll see what I mean.

The meet up was for a later time so that we would have a better chance of getting a table large enough for our party (they don't take reservations). This affected what was available on the menu as they were to close up a few hours after we arrived. Despite the dwindling amount of choices, the place was packed. The protocol is to order off the carts that frequently pass by. Thankfully, our table passed on the chicken feet or else I would have vomited right then and there. In looking at this experience, it really wasn't my cup of tea, at least the items that were being picked weren't. I'm not a fan of shrimp or pork. I'll eat these foods, but not in the way they were prepared here. I did scarf down the vegetarian spring rolls, and the sweets were okay. The steamed yellow sponge cake was divine! I would go back just for that alone. Since it was Chinese New Year, we were served pots of jasmine tea.

Would I do this again? Perhaps. Maybe. It all depends on the choices on offer. I'm glad for the chance to try different foods and learn a thing or two.

I've Made It In!

I have been formally accepted into my college of choice!

I'm not surprised really, just happy that the process is finally over. I can wipe my brow and begin to worry about a whole other host of problems. I am still waiting for one set of transcripts to be sent. Afterwards, the college will give me an evaluation so I can choose the proper curriculum path. Until then, I won't know what classes will transfer over into my intended program. That is one of the worries.

What I'm really fretting over is the fact that I will have to take out student loans. A first for me. Since I'm attempting status as a full time student, my bank account won't hold up against the tuition demands. Luckily, I paid the first half of college out-of-pocket, which will help tremendously towards expenses. At my age, this is worrying me the most. As much as I realize that this is an important investment, the idea of being in my thirties with brand spankin' new student loans is proving to be very hard to confront. Day by day, I'm slowly talking myself down.

While I'm also seeking out scholarships and grants, I realize that I'm up against what feels like millions of other students who are vying for the same money. Besides, there are only so many original essays one can submit about how you're saving the world or what you've learned about ferrets in sub-Sahara Africa who are suffering from tuberculosis.

I shouldn't complain considering how lucky I am to even have these problems at all. Especially when so many don't even have the opportunities to further their education.

February Shelter Duty 2008

In a word - cabin fever.

Last Friday, all day, it poured rain. Buckets. That left a night, full of guests, who were at each other's throats. It's hard enough being homeless. It's even harder when you're holed up with the same group of people day in and day out, sheltered from the inclement weather with nowhere to turn to for some quiet personal space. I can't fault a person for feeling like they're about to burst.

The guests arrived at our shelter from the drop-off center, bringing with them the minor squabbles and exhaustive nitpicking. A battlefield of emotions. I intervened many times until morning, trying not to take sides, hoping that given my limited understanding of the scope of their problems, I could help sooth the negative environment.

I only pray things got better for them.

Super Duper

Today was New York's turn to participate in Super Tuesday. To tell you the truth, as much as I care deeply about the country and who runs it, when it comes down to choosing between Clinton or Obama, I really don't care. We need change, and I firmly believe that it has to come from a Democrat.

In the eleventh hour, right there, in the voting booth, I pulled the lever for Clinton. I went with experience. However, should she not be the nominee, Obama is fine, if not a bit of a worry due to his lack of experience up against the current cesspool of Republican candidates.