love is to rose and limerance is to...

I'm writing up my paper for human sexuality class and in trying to find accurate definitions I ran across this word: limerance. Click on the link to its definition in wikipedia under my new words list and tell me what you think. Is there such a psychological state that is something more than a crush? Maybe infatuation isn't the right word for lingering desire for someone? Do you think you've experienced limerance? Comment and tell me what you think.

give thanks for black friday

Chinese Theater in Hollywood, cultural competence anyone?

Downtown public library. The quote on the building says, "Books alone are liberal and free. They give to all who ask. They emancipate all who serve them faithfully."

Metro! The subway.

Happy Black Friday from LA! Well, let me start from the top, eh? All alone in Berkeley for Thanksgiving--my sis took off for home--and looking forward to a bleak few days all by my lonesome...and my roommate was nice enough to invite me home with him southward to spend time with his family. So, I finally got to explore the southern end of Cali with a warm, welcoming family. It was quite a mess up to that point, trying to slug out a research proposal draft in 2 days then returning home to try to scramble together a acorn squash pie from scratch (which came out smashingly by the way; lots of fun boiling and scrapping squash; but just a tad heavy on the cloves). We didn't set off until quite late; this six-hour vehicular travel adventure, which was made possible through the magic of cd recorded music. Got in at 12:30. Met the family dog, a puggle, which even now greets me with high energy leaping and pant biting.

The next day enjoyed the sun and scrubby mountains on the way to my roommate's aunt's house where she prepared a very gourmet Thanksgiving meal. Never had a homecooked meal where I sat around a table with three different glasses and three different plates, and all kinds of silverware. Very fancy! The family was also very nice and had a pleasant conversation with a grandma. Absolutely stuffed on food and pie, we tripped away to see a movie at a mall, classic aLA I take it. We saw Happy Feet, a weird animated movie about penguins that was kinda all over the place, though very cute. Then wandered the empty mall and played on the plushy indoor playscape. I think malls are way more enjoyable when they are empty. Came back, watched some Jaws, and had a weird dream about my family fleeing an earthquake from our rainforesty/wooden stilt house in a Buick.

Today, Black Friday. Ads galore advertising all the amazing deals on electronics for which ppl lined up all night to take advantage of. Avoided the madness with a late start. But set off for a driving adventure. Santa Monica, Malibu, Highway 1o1, Pepperdine U., UCLA, Sunset Blvd., MacArthur Park, La Placita, and Hollywood. Most enjoyed from the window of the car, but much to be enjoyed also by subway. Wee! Then another movie, but of course, the Departed, a the Chinese Theater (not very culturally competent, I might add, but whatever). Movie much the drama, very Hollywood with intense acting. Then exit theater to a mall. Ahh. A mall with enourmous statue elephants. Too much! I feel like I need to read a book. Hee.

sweet potatoes, persimmons, and papayas

all orange.

feel caught and split between school and field placement. this the second-year students had warned us of. where does the psychic energy go? finish up two days of classes to throw myself into three days of child welfare. so far the child welfare portion is what dogs my thoughts and dreams. incompetence and mistakes and immaturity. my self-esteem gets very small when i think about my internship. the feelings of, "christ, what am i doing?" then feeling like an aweful student because i get so little done during the week and on the weekends. eee, this is a depressing post, eh?

hmm...let's find something more light hearted.

oh, had a wonderful experience interviewing my sister's coworker in Sac. she's someone who at the age of 65 found the liberation and independence that she never had living always as someone's dependent. First with men, then with women, and now finally on her own, making it on her own. It was an interview for my human sexuality class so you can imagine there were other things that I asked, but the message she left me with was a exuberance for life and a gratitude for how good things are. Ai, it was beautiful.

I'm Ten, Have Lots of Friends and Don't Care

a poem by Marilyn Chin

The old fat man who lived nearer to the neon clock
came down the fire escape only once a year.
He was ugly like Mr. Wang Wei and even worse,
One day he opened up his red baggy pants and said,
"for you, my children, for you."
And sister and me got to milk his bull.
Five years later, we giggled and knew it was wrong.
He was dead now and we shouldn't "blacken a dead man's eye with rocks and lies."
Grandma cursed us for having no heart.
I looked down at my chest and surely she was right.

Sister turns beautiful and moves to the country suddenly.
I'n still ten, have lots of friends and don't care.
Some say the old man died with loneliness and no furniture.
Hie life certainly didn't fit his name which was "Lucky."
God, everybody's name is "Lucky," "Healthy," "Joy," or "Money."
Chinese names are all like that.
Except for sister who moved to the country.
She changed it to Rose and Ma hasn't talked to her since.
Grandma spews four-character phrases and I know
I'll never see my sister again.