5 posts tagged “ucla”

Soooo's, it's been a long time since I have written here.

Things have  been overwhelming over the last few months and for a while there I was suffering from what they lovingly deem Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on account of all that fun I had in the military.

Right now, I'm living with a friend of my mom's over in Santa Monica and having a good time riding my blue bicycle to school.  It's only a six-mile ride and the hard part is getting there.  I'm in Week 3 of a 10-Week quarter system at UCLA and so far I'm already suprised as to how much they expect me to read... Seriously.  I'm a reading machine.

Oh, and lately I've been obsessed with this song.  It's called "Oh Be One" by Oh No! Oh My! and it sounds like he's making an allusion to Obiwan from Star Wars.

I HAVE RETURNED!  Well, sort of.  I started school at UCLA this week.  I'm taking a class titled "Coalition and Conflict: Urban Poverty, Migration, and Race in the U.S."  It's intense to say the least.  So far, we've addressed the issues of the social construction of race in the interest of a group to maintain supremacy over other groups. 

On Monday, we're addressing the social construction of sexuality and how many of the same methods were used to suppress more groups of people as were used on race.  It's crazy!  I feel like there was so much history about the U.S. that they never taught me in school.  How did I miss this???

In the next few weeks, we're also reading Black, Brown, Yellow & Left: Racial Activism in Los Angeles which I'm really excited about.  I've heard a lot about it.

However, to be completely honest, I also feel terribly guilty about getting out of the military.  Everytime I see something about it on the television my heart goes out to those guys.  I'm going to be part of a seminar called "Action Conversations" which includes UCLA students who are war veterans and/or artists.  I'm hoping something great will come out of this but at least it will give me an opportunity to share my experiences.  :/

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Seattle watching Interview with the Vampire, eating chocolate covered strawberries and looking up places to visit in Portland.

 

I AM IN AMERICA!

 

The flight from Kuwait was over 30 hours including the quick stops in Germany, New Jersey and Texas before finally reaching Washington.  It was an uncomfortable voyage sitting in coach for that long.  On one side of me, I had an older gentlemen who reeked of moth balls and chewing tobacco.  On the other, was a young woman chewing gum with a high pitch giggle.

As soon as we touched ground my allergies kicked in and made this a bittersweet homecoming.  I woke up in the morning with red, itchy eyes that my mother thought was conjuctivitis.  I couldn't figure out where I'd picked up pink eye but I went to the doctor to get treated right away.  The doctor, an elderly man with red eyes of his own, prescribed a slew of expensive allergy pills and we chatted about his visit to Los Angeles to see the Dalai Lama lecture near UCLA so many years ago.  Old people are fun.

 

I've got two weeks to outprocess the military to make it home in time for summerschool.  Can I make it?  I'm not really sure.  Usually people get an entire year to start outprocessing and a few months to really concentrate on it.  However, all the people in my unit are helping me out and I already have my orders cut (HALLELUJAH) so I figure it won't be too terrible.  I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.

Ok, I'm going to go put on a cup of coffee and start reading all the exciting updates I've missed for so long.  Isn't that the best part of being away?  There's so much to catch up on.  

 

Since Ryan has tagged me and he's so persuasive, here's a summary of books 'n' me:

 

Total number of books I own:  I gave a lot away because we had a room inspection and my shelves were 'cluttered with books' so right now I have about 20.

 

Last book bought:   Seli's favorite author.

 

Last book read: Gives you all you'll ever need to know about a school--how hot the guys/gals are, where to get the booze, how to find out which classes/teachers to avoid, et al.

 

Five books that mean a lot to me:

Timequake: It converted me to whatever-religion-makes-you-love-everyone.

Q:  I love the way this book is written through the characters' perseptives.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye: I was told to read this at the end of a relationship with a very religious fellow.  I like it just because I think it's silly.  Just my opinion, clearly.

The 42nd Parallel: Volume One of the U.S.A. Trilogy: All the reasons I love America.

The Feminine Mystique: I hate the homophobia of the book, but other than that it's a good read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for some flare, two books I've recently gifted to a friend:

I had a great little hiatus during which I found out that I will be going to UCLA in the fall. 

 

I was very worried about getting accepted because I applied as an out-of-state transfer as opposed to the easier method as an in-state transfer. 

 

I've started focusing my energy on the soldier to student transition.  I'm attempting to remove phrases like roger, wilco, lima charlie and hooah as to not immediately alienate myself from other students.  I'm also considering removing my tattoo of the Sergeant's Creed.  I'm kidding.

 

So, I've got two more months in the Middle East, another two months in the Army.  Everything seems to be working itself out.  Phew!