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The Greek excursion has concluded! I'm back in the United States with actual field experience under my belt, and a much better (and more tanned) person. I want to meditate at length on the entire experience but hesitate because of time constraints. Perhaps later in isochronal installments, because I feel that one should commemorate life-changing experiences like these, properly doing them justice. Suffice to say I had the time of my life.

Anyway in other news, like last year my parents are visiting my brother Jeremy up in Berkeley and have invited me to come along. So, I will be in the Bay Area from August 17th to the 27th. The first weekend will be spent with my family but after my parents leave I'll have no obligations. So, let us "chillax, son" as Tyler would so eloquently put it. Give my mobile a ring.

In addition from August 27th to September 2nd I will be in Los Angeles to attend my newborn niece's Christening. I will make it one of my life's missions to be the antipodal dissentient figure to the church in that little girl's life. If I can plant a seed of doubt, or, in the least, prevent her from assimilating some Catholic dogma I will consider myself a success. So I will also be in Los Angeles for a brief period of time. Again, call if you wish to "chillax".

Ok, back to trying to readjust to Eastern Standard Time.

After getting messages from both him and his parents, I learned last week that Jared is engaged. OMGWTFBBQ!!! DUDE. Congratulations!

After hearing this news, I've been nostalgic all week. This was the guy I played chess with during recess and shared school uniforms. Weekends we stayed up late to play video games and during summer went to camp at Camp Cottontail in Malibu. I still remember very clearly going to his Bar Mitzvah. And now he's getting married?! Its almost impossible to process.

The wedding is tenatively set for next summer after he graduates law school, which I'm very grateful for because it allows a lot of time to plan ahead. Cutest thing: they both met as undergrads at Princeton and both chose Stanford for grad school to be together. Isn't that freaking adorable? Red and I joke that we switched coasts both times for undergrad and grad because we can't stand each other. Regrettably, however, this means that I really haven't had the chance to spend that much time with Candice. She is a very wonderful person though, and I commend Red for lucking out.

Anyway, I just felt the need to share this news because I'm so happy for the both of them. Looks like next summer will be abound with weddings.

Salutations from Greece! The dig, after a hectic start, has been going along swimmingly. Apart from missing a few comforts from home, things have been immensely enjoyable.

Also, I've had a chance to check my voicemail. Chris M- I got your message, sorry I couldn't return it, it was a few days too late and I was already gone. I hope you're doing well. Jonathan V- I wrote you an e-mail, check your inbox. Random tele-marketers who actually left a voice message- diaf.

So, an observation: Being away in a foreign country really draws into stark contrast the extent of one's neurosis. Or, to be more specific, how maniacally obsessive compulsive you are. Not having having your world dictated by the contents of a Palm Pilot, while refreshing, simultaneously feels disquieting. I imagine a similar experience would be being disconnected from the Matrix. The astringent organization of one's time provides an anesthetic calm that comes with complete certainty. This is probably unhealthy. I recognize this and am glad that I'm no longer dreaming naked in a pod of slime, er, I mean taking a break from it all.

The only aspect that I regret is that being away from my schedule and home has really hurt tri training. All I can really do here is run and some limited forms of strength exercises; no swimming and no cycling. Not having access to a gym has preoccupied my thought more than it should have. Bah, I really need to learn how to deal with such trivialities better.

Anyway, the boy is coming over Friday to visit for a week. He thinks that all he's doing is observing the dig - which he will for the first few days, but I've also planned an extended weekend trip to Mykonos for us. I hope he enjoys it.

Finally, I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all!

It is currently two in the morning and if the term was still in session I would be in purgatory lab, poking at dirt analyzing soil samples, organizing random crap cataloguing important artifacts, and redoing admiring the work of the undergrad research assistants. But it is not, and due to an inchoate sleeping schedule I am wide-awake despite all efforts to be so otherwise.

In other news I was able to touch base with the brothers, who’ve been missed. Jeremy’s finishing up his first year at Berkeley and joined a fraternity (Tau Kappa something) so if you see a 6’4 tall asian guy with glasses at a frat party (there can’t be that many) say hi. And Josh is going to start UC Irvine in the fall. Looks like the parentals are going to have that big house in Brentwood all to themselves. Witnessing the beginnings of empty nest syndrome while visiting last weekend was unsettling.

I mention my brothers because they often are the touchstone I refer to when judging the passage of time. I assume my family will remain a fixture in life, so I depend a lot on the accuracy of that measure. Thus the conclusion: Holy crap my little brothers are in college! Me = Old fart.

It’s amazing how fast the world can spin sometimes, right? With changes so fast and so all encompassing that all you can do is be malleable and accepting without processing. It's exhilarating.

Not so anonymous confession: I’ve never posted an Anonymous confession on the UCB AnonCon. But I do read them and try to give as many supportive comments as I can. Anyway...

Being in a long distance relationship and being the only one who has a car means that you are the one obligated to haul your ass over to where they are. It makes one realize just how much trouble, hours of driving , and state lines one is willing to go through in order to have sex.

Also, who else is willing to meet you in New York and sit on the cold pavement for hours, looking ridiculous with our books and notebooks spread out in front of us, just for a miniscule chance of getting a seat for SNL in order to watch Bjork perform live? We did end up getting seats by the way. SNL does a full dress rehearsal with the audience before the actual live show. Some left after the rehearsal, which is much longer than the actual taping with more sketches, and we took their spots. Bjork was AMAZING… but that’s not the point of this story. The point is that I love my boyfriend. He is worth the drive.

Awww… puke.

Also, I'm going to be in Los Angeles as of two hours from now visiting my family so if you need to get in touch, call my cell phone!

DONE. Oh the sweet, sweet ecstasy.

I slept for 18 hours straight and awoke with a killer headache. (Don’t you hate that?) And now I have absolutely nothing to do for two weeks until I head out to Greece, which will be the very first in hopefully a lifetime of excavating excursions. Free trips to Europe every summer? Best…job… EVAR.

I also have time to return the hundred or so phone calls that have been accumulating since January. My most sincere apologies- but my cell phone is not the best way to get in touch as I always ignore it for more pressing priorities. As of now, however, if you call me I will actually answer or, in the least, return your call. I promise.

So let’s see… it has been a while hasn’t it? Hmmm… what’s been going on since my last entry? Oh! I saw 300 like 300 times. Well… not really, more like 3. THIS IS SPARTAAA!1!1!!eleven! I liked it, even though some criticize the “inaccuracy.” (Like the Ancient Sources were even that accurate to begin with…) Best part is that the movie has sparked undergrad interest in Herodotus- which I never thought would ever see happen. The department even organized a screening for the undergrads with Q&A afterwards. It was the most fun I had and became the highlight of the term.

Also, speaking of which, I’m in charge of the undergraduate volunteers at the dig! It’ll be like being an RA all over again… awww. Part of this entails heading trips around the Mediterranean; I’ll be taking them to Pompeii/Herculaneum, Rome, the Berkeley led dig in Nemea (yay connections!), and, due to popular demand, Thermopylae! I’ve actually been there before and it’s not that impressive. The battleground is next to a freeway and you can see the burial mound if you know what you’re looking for (it has no distinguishing features) and a little modern plaque with the famous Epitaph of Simonides on it. And apart from the little carts selling tourist memorabilia, that’s it. But nevertheless, if you know the history, one can’t help but be moved. I know I almost cried when I first visited… but then again I’m a pansy and I cried when I first climbed the steps to the Acropolis, so… yeah.

Ok, I think I’ll go back to playing World of Warcrackcraft now. Yeah, I renewed my addiction subscription when the Burning Crusade expansion came out. First thing I did was get my little Undead Warlock to 70, the new level cap. My guild was really surprised to see me online. And now I’ve rolled a new little Blood Elf Paladin to level. Whee!

Cheers!

Hey everyone! I’m still alive. School has been almost overwhelming and I almost had a little breakdown. Sleeping 3 hours a night and working almost every single waking moment can really wear a guy down. Also having your advisor more or less telling you that your prospective research topics are impossible and/or crap is no fun. But started seeing someone for stress and chugging along as best I can.

Also I know it’s a little late but, New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Try to return phone calls and e-mails.
2. Go to the gym less. Seriously man, once a day is enough.
3. Spend more time with the boy.
4. Pace yourself. Know when to say enough is enough work and go to bed.
5. Stop trying to be and do everything. Stop being so insecure and constantly trying to prove yourself.

Finally, I hope everyone’s been doing well and sorry for not keeping in touch. I’m still trying to find the right rhythm and my time is not my own anymore. Oh well. More to say, but is essentially will all be: whine, whine, whine, bitch, bitch, bitch. And I’ll have none of that.

I hope everyone’s been well and happy belated Holidays/New Years.

School is beginning to wind down and this is the last week of classes. One of the rather strange academic traditions of Princeton, Harvard, and Yale is that we take our final exams after winter break. This results in winter break not really being a break and encouraging a large amount of lethargy the last week of school. It is nice though, to be able to sleep for five hours rather than the usual three. I have one final and two papers due in January which means when I go to visit my parents one suitcase will be wholly devoted to books. :o(

I am looking forward to 2007 though, mainly(and sadly) because two movies I’m excited about are premiering: “300” and “The Golden Compass”. 300 is about the Persian Wars and the Battle of Thermopylae a’la Sin City style. Finally, a movie about the Greeks because sRsLy the last one (Troy) sucked and the Romans are freaking boring (Greece > Rome). The Golden Compass is part of the “His Dark Materials” trilogy; I raved about it before on here. It has a strong literary cult following and I think is one of the best contemporary works of fiction. Its Harry Potter +903890283.

Finally to end on a completely random note; I think phenomenology is going to be the new philosophical revolution. Existentialism had its heyday in the 90’s with Nietzsche, Sartre, and Foucault but I think it’s going to be soon supplanted. The movement is beginning to take root, and I’m very excited to read the upcoming debates. Specifically because existentialism has become so ingrained into contemporary philosophy that so many precepts and entire branches of philosophy (i.e. Linguistic, Moral, Epistemology) depend on it. And even the substructures of entire disciplines are based in existentialist principles (i.e. Gender and Queer Theory) Anyway, if you want to be ahead of the curve I think its time to revise methodologies and read up on Merleau Ponty.


Weeeeeee!

Hey everyone- long time no update, no?

I’ve been surviving life as a graduate student – barely. Kitchen knowledge goes that in every graduate student’s career, one experiences a period of burnout. When your body and mind are relentlessly strained and you develop emotional and physical fatigue. It usually happens by the end of the first term, and all agree that it eventually happens sometime during your first year.

With the end of the term looming in the distance, I can start to feel the wall closing in. It’s not the difficulty of the work; it’s the quantity that’s a bit overwhelming. I don’t know when they expect us to sleep.

Anyway, this best summarizes my feelings.

( Burnout Prevention and Recovery )