You Loved Brad

I haven’t been able to write about my trip to Israel recently because I was a victim in a high speed car accident on the freeway. I was driving home from UC Irvine (hopefully my future home) when I came to a hard stop behind a car. I breathed a sigh of relief that was followed by a loud crash and force behind me. A 7/11 truck hit me at nearly full speed in the fast lane of the freeway, totaling my 2002 Acura RL/Honda Legend. The collision has pulled me into many states of panic, depression, anxiety, pain, nostalgia, and euphoria. So I’d like to dedicate this to my old friend, the Blacura.

Israel Part 1: Taglit

Note: I understand that this blog post is shared to friends and family, but the content is not typically something I would share at Thanksgiving dinner. The following blog post contains profanity and adult themes. This is my informal take on the trip, and the views are not those of Israel Free Spirit, Taglit-Birthright Israel, or any other organization or person. The purpose of this post, and future blog posts relating to my time in Israel, is only to record my memories and serve as a guide of expectations for others who come across this post (which I don’t expect to be many). Also, I’m kind of an ass and didn’t ask anyone for permission to post their pictures or opinions, but I’m willing to edit if anyone wants to be retracted.

What More Do You Want, God?

I see God as the flow of nature and chance. Keep this in mind as you read.

Israel is supposed to be the holy land, the divine capital of the western world. Why do I feel all nature flowing against me?

I Got My Driver’s License

Dear Fall 2016 me, College Freshman me, High School Upperclassman me, and 10 year old me,

Remember when your older brother told you to look at dad and say “Dad, in 6 years I will be driving” even though you didn’t believe it? You were right, you wouldn’t be driving in 6 years.

Remember when you were 16 and everyone around you was growing up, getting cars, racing each other, and dipping their toes into independence? You knew you were a shy, scared teenager. You didn’t need to drive, but you couldn’t understand why the world expected you to do so. How could you see yourself ever behind a wheel?

Remember when you were a freshman in college and you had the freedom of choice but were still bound by the chains of transportation? You could take the bus, but time, schedules, and flat feet limited your options. Kids in high school were getting their license, having the freedom of driving, but you weren’t ready. And not to mention you knew access to a car mixed with your suicidal thoughts were a bad concoction. The freedom to go anywhere you like would also give you the freedom to kill yourself in an instant.

Remember when you got your second permit and were scared, but with the help of driving lessons and Prozac, you gained confidence and the courage to drive? You hated driving. Every time you sat in the seat, you felt the risk of hitting cars and other objects, the possibility of crashing, and the fear of losing control. You could barely change lanes without breathing heavily. Driving anywhere besides school and home felt life threatening.

We did it. We passed on the first try. Mom was so afraid you’d never be able to drive, but you proved her and yourself wrong. You only made 3 errors, one of which was something Mom nagged you about (not creeping forward enough at a stop sign). A week later (yesterday), you got your license in the mail, and you got to see yourself, with your freshly dyed, bright blue and green hair, scared of the unknown driving future that was ahead of you.

But you did it. And now you drive yourself to school, work, stores, and study sessions at Starbucks. You can be with your friends now. You can drive your little brother everywhere.

And to my future driving self, I hope the courage to drive the freeway by yourself comes soon, and the confidence to drive to far away places like Vegas and Little Saigon come sooner.

Welcome to adulthood.

Tech Review: HP Spectre x360 13-ac023dx

The following review is not sponsored not paid for by any company or other. I’m writing this out of the goodness of my heart and because I like reviewing things. I’ll be happy to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge in the comments section whenever posted, as soon as I see it.

Buying a New Laptop

I decided toward the second semester of my sophomore year in college that I want to integrate my school work with my computer. It started with writing notes in a OneNotebook rather than my composition book for Biology. I liked being able to copy-paste pictures, links, and files into the notebook. Additionally, I type much faster than I write, and I don’t finish class or study sessions with cramped hands. I was also impressed with my friends’ Surface Pros and Surface Books, which had touchscreens that worked with digitizer pens.

After a few months of contemplating and weighing pros and cons, I decided to go with the HP Spectre 13in over popular candidates, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the Microsoft Surface Book, and the HP Spectre x360 15in. My priorities, in order from most to least importance, were pen compatibility, RAM, weight, and processor. 

Re: Goals for Fall 2016

Just an update from the future.

1. You passed Biology with a B. It was so tough but you did it. 

2. You barely got the A, you homework avoiding shmuck. But you did that too. 

3. You got into physics 222 and passed that, 2% away from an A. You still got a B. Oh well

4. Yes, thanks to priority registration from work, you got the classes you wanted for spring. You got a great schedule. 

5. But no you didn’t get your license.