Obnoxious Herds

I typically like to study in the 12th floor lounge... its quiet in here. All 11 of us in here are quietly reading or typing (and often napping between pages)... So here I am, enjoying my fascinating con law reading (sarcasm) when in come 3 girls. Not sure where they came from but they came to use the vending machines. Of course, only ONE of them wanted a soda - the other two were apparently there for moral support. Its like the "lets go to the bathroom in a group" epidemic is spreading to vending machine outings.

Seriously, ladies, you can walk to the bathroom by yourself... unless you need to ask someone if your ass looks too big in your jeans. Even that should be resolved BEFORE you leave the house because by the time you're out - even if someone does say your ass looks too big - you are stuck in what you are wearing.

Similarly, do not walk into a quiet study lounge and giggle and chat with your ladies while people are studying. Granted, we sometimes talk in here - but quiet whispers (level 1?) - not "outside" or even "classroom" voices.

The ladies thankfully left (I'm still trying to figure out why there were three girls here to get one soda from the machine) and a few minutes later 3 more people come - this time 2 of them got something and the 3rd watched. Seriously.... stop with the vending machine field trips!

The worst but most amusing distraction is when someone tries to get snacks from the machine and the item gets stuck. Classic example: yesterday some guy walks in - neatly dressed with his laptop case slung over his shoulder. He tried to get some skittles but alas the skittles were too comfy on their little vending machine ring. So he very calmy and quietly walked to the nearest table and took the bag off his shoulder and then walked back to the machine. As he took his last step toward the machine, he suddenly charged at it like a pissed off football player, literally slamming into the machine and lifting it off the ground a bit. The Skittles fell. He instantly regained his composure, quietly picked up his Skittles, grabbed his bag and exited the room.

Others aren't so fortunate. I've seen people ram themselves into the machine time after time. Some solicit the help of others... getting three people to help rattle the machine. I myself had a problem once but didn't want to get in a David and Goliath battle with a machine twice my size so I just figured I'd get a second bag and both would fall. Well, that failed. But i'm stubborn. Lets just say, I ended up with four bags of chips. Did you know the flavors in the back aren't always the same as the flavors in the front?

forgotten scenario

Oh yes, and then there's days like today! (cont from yesterday)

(click here to see picture)

So... the side with the yellow pole - thats the outbound train. In order to get to the inbound train you must cross the track and wait on the other side.

Today, as I walked across the bridge and looked down at the stop - not a lot of people (T must have just left) and no T in sight - okay. I didn't feel the need to run so I just continued walking at a fast pace. Right then I saw the outbound train pulling in. As I reached the bottom of the hill, the inbound train started to pull in. Problem is - the outbound blocks the tracks so you can't get across to the inbound. The second the outbound started pulling out, I ran across the track (in front of the inbound train) and walked up to the door right as it closed. (Three people were behind me).

But, the other fun little fact about the T is - THEY NEVER OPEN THE DOORS. So... after a few seconds of making sure everyone was settled inside - the train just pulled away. :(

When the next train arrived it was one of those sardine situations but after yesterday I wasn't prepared to be late again today so... I managed to squeeze in. Of course, the driver yelled at me because she tried to close the doors three times and they wouldn't close (I was in the doorway!) Eventually I managed to shove myself in another inch...

(And yes, I made it to class on time!)

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROCKS

*Disclaimer: This is really long - the "tenses" (past, present etc) switch often and the "person" changes often (first person vs. third person etc)... hope its understandable! (maybe i should split it into "parts")

A day in the life of the T-Rider.

I'd like to walk you through a typical morning… and my adventures getting to school.

It's Wednesday morning… my alarm goes off at 6:45 am… I snooze… 6:53…. Snooze…7:17 am – SHIT! Does this mean I'll have to miss breakfast? Oh NO!

I rush to get ready, scramble to pick out something to wear, brush my teeth – occasionally dab on some make-up, and dash downstairs for a bowl of oatmeal! By 7:58 am my lunch is packed, my shoelaces are tied and my jacket is zipped up – ready to go! (Except this is about the time I usually realize I don't know where my "T" pass – aka Charlie Card – is and/or I have no idea where I put my house keys – so I dash back up the stairs and tear my room apart only to realize it was in my pocket all along – oops! Back downstairs I go!)

The "T" stop is .3 miles from my house – mostly downhill. Though my 30 lb "book bag" slows me down a bit, I typically manage to get to the station pretty quickly… as I cross the bridge and walk down the last little hill to the stop, I usually notice one of three things.

1. The train is on the platform – people are getting on. This situation can bring tears of joy or pain depending on the exact number of people waiting to get on. If there are a great number of people trying to get on, I can make a mad dash for the train, run across the tracks in front of the other train (going the opposite direction) and step onto the train right before the doors close. But, if there aren't a lot of people waiting to get on… I will most likely fail. Sometimes I make a mad dash only to watch the driver smirk as he pulls out of the station – other times I just accept defeat and stroll down the hill – knowing, with near certainty, that today will be an all around bad day!
2. There is NO ONE waiting at the stop. This can only mean one thing… I just missed a train. This isn't as heart breaking as seeing the train ACTUALLY pull away – but let me tell you, its pretty darn heart breaking. I try to convince myself that the cup is half full – a train is *supposed* to come every 6-8 minutes (I will address this later) so, if the train left and I didn't see it lately – I probably only have 5-7 more minutes to wait before the next train… I hope? Maybe? Ugh… I'll just pick up the paper and distract myself… no point in stressing now.
3. Of course, the most uncertain situation is when there are people waiting at the station. This could mean:
1. The train left recently but there are so many people taking the train today that there's already a herd waiting.
2. People have been waiting forever and the train will be here soon.
3. People have been waiting forever and the train will take forever
   

For the purposes of this story, I will only explore the third possibility (c)… which does occur QUITE frequently.

I walk down the hill, grab a copy of the Metro, cross the tracks and sit down on the freezing cold bench…. Due to my youthful optimism, I'm usually confident that the train will be there… "any minute."

Any is a vague term. Any could mean the 8^th minute of the 12^th hour of the 3^rd day of December. And, really, with the T – that's a possibility.

A flip through the paper, read a few articles, glance at my watch… 8:09. It's okay – I can still make it to class (class starts at 8:40 am though the prof is usually about 2 minutes late – and yes, we start the second he walks in and puts his stuff down – so around 8:43 am). I keep reading the paper – at this point, I've read all about Boston and the Iraq war… I know about the poisoned spy, the Big Dig, the T rider fee hikes… speaking of which… hm, its 8:11… the T is officially late (assuming the previous one arrived several minutes before I go to the station) and I have class in 29 minutes!

Flip, flip, flip… its now 8:14 am and I am reading about Britney Spears' divorce in the "gossip/entertainment" section. I'm trying very hard to hide the panicked look on my face. (Of course, in the course of the last 12 minutes, 4 trains have passed in the opposite direction…)

8:16 am… ding ding ding… omg? COULD IT BE? I think, I think I see a T coming. Everyone gets on their feet and starts lining up across the yellow line. The train starts pulling in. My heart sinks. It is packed like sardines (that's an understatement). I can see people's faces smashed up against the windows… people have their noses in strangers' armpits as everyone struggles to hold onto something… there is a little girl somewhere in there with her head stuck in an old man's rear end. This isn't a good sign. (Of course it could be worse – sometimes the train doesn't even stop and our hearts immediately sink to our feet!)

Since we are an above ground station, it is likely that only the front doors of the train will open in which case only 3 people will get on each train car (there are two cars total). There are 40 of us waiting to get on. Today we get lucky (or so we think) and the driver opens all doors. Not smart – people are so smashed in the train that when the doors open they practically fall out – clawing each other to hold on. I see one brave individual dare to enter – I see his head level with a sea of butts as he shoves his way onto the first step – soon he disappears. I am tempted to follow but fear damage to my internal organs – or perhaps suffocation. So, I figure I'll sit this one out – and as if hearing my thoughts, the driver announces, "there is another train RIGHT behind us!"

So, I sit back down, the train pulls out. 8:19. So much for making it to class. I unfold the paper and continue reading…

8:21 (right behind my ass!) – another train approaches. This one is relatively empty (compared to the previous cattle car)! Hallelujah… I MIGHT be able to breathe! I jump on board, find a spot (standing of course – its only relatively empty remember) and I grab onto someone's seat (trying not to pull their hair). As the train jerks to a start, my body swings forward – putting my crotch at eye level with an old man sitting with his wife ("eye level" isn't completely accurate – it was more like, he was practically performing cunnilingus on me…) – I apologize and try to brace myself but once your body moves, its difficult to move back because more often than not, someone has already claimed the space in which your body used to be. I resign myself to the fact that I will ride for the next ten minutes with my privates in some random man's face (I don't think his wife is too happy). *sigh*

A few torturous minutes go by… we stop at one stop, then another… each time more people squeeze on board. At this point I usually consider doing a thesis on "Human Rights Violations on the Boston T" – because honestly, this has to be some sort of invasion of my fundamental rights… right?

"Fenway, next stop." Uh oh… it's the time of truce. I could get off here and walk to campus – if I walk/run (that is where you walk so fast that you break into a job but then realize you are very out of shape and switch back to walking again…and of course you feel very silly), I can make it to campus in 10 minutes. It's 8:29. Decisions!

But, its cold outside. And, I left my book in my locker which means even if I power walk the entire way, I'll have to stop off at my locker and will be late to class… And, if I stay on the T, I could be at Kenmore station in 2-3 minutes and then take the B line to campus which would take an additional 4-5 minutes! This calculation depends completely on my hope that the B line will arrive as soon as I get to the station – which is of course wishful thinking but miracles have occurred before! (Murphy's law – when I am 20 minutes early, the B line arrives the second I get to the station. When I am running late…. Well…)

I take the chance. I'm lazy. We pull away from Fenway and start going underground towards Kenmore. Suddenly we stop. You can see nothing but walls outside the train windows… I begin to get claustrophobic… is it just me or is there no air in here? Maybe its because I never took my jacket off and its about 85 degrees in here. We wait and wait. The train starts again… my heart starts beating faster… could it be? Of course not! We stop. We go another 3 feet… we stop again. I should have gotten off at Fenway. 6 minutes later, we get to Fenway. 8:35 am. Well, I might only be a minute late!

I sprint up the steps, across the station down to the outbound trains. There are many people waiting (the train must not have been here recently) Fingers crossed, I wait for the B line… it'll be here any minute now right?

8:40 am… still no train. 8:42… here it comes… yes! YES!!! It stops… "This train is express to Packards Corner!"

WHAT? That's a 15+ minute walk from campus! Plus it takes 7 or so minutes to get there. This is so unfair. "Another train is right behind us" (right, I've heard that before!)

8:46 am… The B LINE! I am the first one on (as if they'll leave the second I board). 8:49 (faster than usual) dropped off on campus- run to my locker… grab my book… up the stairs… CLASS! I made it! (sorta)

Of course, its important to note that days vary. I once was at the Kenmore station at 8:20 am and waited 17 minutes for a train. Today, for example, the train stopped two stops before Kenmore and the driver announced, "There is a train stuck ahead of us – we are waiting for the officials… we'll be moving shortly" – hah! Shortly?

Needless to say, I walked into class 20 minutes late.

(as a sidenote – I walked into class 20 minutes late – the door is BEHIND the professor – IN FRONT of the entire class. I open the door and the entire class looks at me – I pause – probably turned four shades of red and smiled. The professor who usually ignores latecomers stopped his lecture and turned and smiled at me… said hi and gestured towards my seat… as if to say, "oh, by all means, don't let us distract you… come right on in and sit down." Of course, I wanted to die but the class just found it classic… guess you'd have to have seen it through their eyes.)

The Audacity of some people...

I recently received an email from someone.... whats important to note is that he is an investment banker.

Hi Alina,

I recently heard that you are at BU for law school. I just wanted to congratulate you. I really hope that you are not going to law school to become some corporate lawyer to make money like my other friends - it would be nice to have an Armenian prosecutor, environmental lawyer or judge that actually makes lawyers look good. I know this is random, but good luck with everything and let me know if you ever need anything.

Sincerely,
XXX

Hi XXX,

Thanks for the note. I'm not particularly sure what I want to do post law school but I find it amusing that someone involved in investment banking frowns upon the idea of corporate law J. I'm proud of my extensive involvement in the communities I've lived in and I'm sure that regardless of what my day job requires of me, I will continue to be involved in more "noble endeavors" throughout my life. Lawyers will never look good but Armenian lawyers can leave a good impression by doing good in their community (both Armenian and non) – and that applies to people in all fields and professions J.

How's life treating you?

Best,

Alina

Aging with grace

Each morning, I leave my house, walk down the street, around the corner and down the little hill to wait for the T (equivalent of the subway). Right on the corner there is an old vintage store and as I pass it, I always admire the very cute outfits it has – very classy dresses that remind me of something Jackie O might wear – or any classy first lady I guess.

This morning, I had an imaginary conversation in my head with a certain someone (male) – the convo went something like:
Me: "Don't you love that dress?"
Him: "Eh. I prefer them short and tight"
Me: "Silly, it's not for a club – its like a business/work outfit – or brunch with the family… It's what you'd want your wife to wear in her late 30's and 40's"
Him: "I'd want my wife to dress hot, even when she's 40. I want my wife to be a MILF"


Okay, so you all want your wives to be sexy – and we ladies all want to be that 40 year old woman that can still strut her stuff in a two piece bikini but, whatever happened to class? What happened to women aging gracefully and wearing things that are age appropriate?

I always express contempt for today's superficial society in which image and beauty supersede most other qualities in an individual. Of course, I believe this is more of a phenomenon in LA than other places. But it's very sad. A woman used to age gracefully – in your 20's it's the mini-skirts and itty bitty tops, in your 30's (and 40's) it's a little more conservative yet still trendy – slacks, longer skits, classy yet sexy dresses (a bit revealing but not too much)…. And then the 40's and 50's would be the classy clothes – the Jackie O type dresses – not always short and tight – sometimes curvy sometimes "poofy" (for lack of a better word - but I'm not referring to like 80's style poofy).

I think there are still plenty of women out there who will age with grace – accept that certain age groups are appropriate for certain behavior and attire (personally, I think I'll be the 30 year old lush so maybe I shouldn't talk about appropriate behavior!) but unfortunately, so many women are so eager to be 21 forever, they forget that being a grandma has its perks too…

Can anyone say... procrastination?

Today was probably the most beautiful day in Boston since I got here... not that I got to see it or anything.

I'm determined to conquer this law school stuff but first and foremost I must learn to conquer my study habits! I spent all day indoors today doing readings etc that I've had since Wednesday... and (to make it worse) I spent about 2 hours purging my outlook inbox, another 30 or 40 min on myspace, a few hours looking up recipes, reading the news, yada yada yada. Had I really stuck to just reading, I would have been done in a few short hours!

I'm proud of myself for reading and studying - i wasn't sure I really knew how to study (I've never done it). Its sorta new and exciting :) But, now I gotta learn to focus and do it on time! (I guess this means I must go to the library and forbid myself from using the internet).

Anyway, wish me luck.... tomorrow is day one! I hope we get to have lots of discussions in class because the reading thus far hasnt been too boring! Yay!

Boston Weekend.... here I come

Tuesday was a pretty miserable day. I left my coat - ya, my one and only "warm" thing... in the taxi on the way to my new home. I got "home" and realized I didn't have a key, didn't remember where the girl had said she'd put the key and didn't think to put her number in my phone so i could have it handy...

Eventually I got in and took a nap on the couch but was woken up several times by the loud banging noises (from the girl who was moving out that same day). Woke up and walked around in, what seems to be, the most complicated city in the world, and became increasingly more convinced that I'd never get used to this place. Went home and found that all my roomies sleep at 9pm - or atleast they lock themselves in their rooms after 8/9pm.

I was bummed! And ready to come home...

Until...

WEDNESDAY!

Orientation was great... met lots of people - some cool, some dorks... whatever! I'm a dork too so this should work right? Hung out all day - got my ID card (and for once I don't look horrible in it!) Went home... went out... bought a few things I need (really I need EVERYTHING but I'm tooooooo broke to afford anything so really, I'll just wait on the furniture. Beer is more important than a mattress... or pillows for that matter).

Wed night was my first night out in Boston... went to some pub (oldest bar in town i guess) got a nice beer buzz... danced! (woohoo) then...

GOT LOST IN BOSTON. While everyone was snuggled in bed by 2 am... me and two 2L's (second year last students) were wandering the streets of brookline trying to find my house. I managed to sleep around 3:30/4 am and had to be up at 8.... second day of orientation was a nightmare (i was dozing through all of it) but the teachers were funny and awesome. Had some good laughs... met more people... headed home and then of course I had to...

Meet the ARMENIANS. I went to the Armenian center, had an armo dinner, met some armenians hung out with some parska hyes (had some tea)... yada yada (armenians are always good people to have around).

And today... did a little walking tour of boston (not the freedom trail)... had some clam chowder finally... and now? now i'm off to read my assignments for day 1... ya for law school.

Anyway, thats it... consider yourselves updated. This weekend includes a beer social tonight (free beer courtesy of the school... at school... getting drunk at school! how great is that???) then an armo bday party (yay!) and maybe a vegan bbq and a red sox game as well (saturday and sunday).

Three cheers for boston!

This is when $ matters

Current mood: cynical

For a large part of my college and post college career, I have worked with various non-profit organizations. For those who haven't ever left the corporate world, theres one major things all non-profits have in common... they ALWAYS need more money and theyre always at the mercy of large donors and rich folk. As a campaign manager, I learned to restate the phrase "DONATE MONEY DAMNIT" in a million and three eloquent ways... constantly giving passionate speeches about how far their dollar would go in "helping the cause." In my current job, its the same thing again - constantly trying to determine how we can get donors, how we can recognize them... blah blah blah.

last night i went to a kick-off event for the Glendale-Ghapan sister city organization's Ghapan Hospital Revitalization project. Granted I'm an emotional sap... but i think everyone watching that video clip on the condition of the hospital was a little overcome. The surgery room was a cot with a blanket and a lamp... the delivery room was similar. The ob-gyn and maternity areas were so old. I'd rather give birth in the back of a car than in that old, dreary hospital. So now, this organization needs...of course... $$$, to renovate/rebuild and modernize this hospital. This is where the numerous doctors, lawyers and businessmen in the room come into play...

One man stepped forward and announced that in addition to the Glendale Rotary clubs pledge to donate over $10,000, he would pledge an additional $10,000 (this money goes to the 14 pre-schools in the city).

Then, the organizations chair (Artin Manoukian) announced that two gentlemen (real estate investors) who were neither Armenian nor from Glendale, would each be donating $50,000!!!

My jaw dropped. Here i am, crying over a hospital in ghapan and the most I can do is walk around and beg people for money... OR... help organize events where all the hot shots show up and donate money. am i helping? sure. am i helping as much as the guy who just signed off a check for $50,000? hell no!

the truth is, you might want to change the world and you might have the best intentions in mind but theres one of two ways to change it... dedicate your mind, body and soul to a cause... or donate your $. The first option is taxing, exhausting and frustrating.... Artin manoukian works just like everyone else. After work he serves on a billion and three committees and has been the driving force behind the sister-city organization. You bet your butt this guy has put his heart and soul into this. The second option...well, in some ways, is far more effective. This guy sits at home, writes a check, and bam! the hospital is redone. His wife spends her days donating time (and im sure $) to various organizations that do good including some diabetes organization and i think the red cross. how nice it must be.....

and ya, to everyone out there dreaming of making the big bucks... remember to not be so selfish. its not all about how many ferraris you own... us non-profit organizers need you!!!