Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Birthday Delights:

1. My dearest buddies Grace, Ellen and Christine came crashing through my door on Friday evening, to my great bewilderment and surprise!

2. A most excellent and impressive homemade breakfast by Chef Yip, complete with sausage & veggie (including avocado) egg scramble, pancakes, blueberries & mandarin oranges, toast, juice, and a view of the Space Needle!

3. A weekend full of Scrabble, Speed Scrabble, team and solo NURTS, and Jenga - in cafes, on the dining table, on the air mattress and (almost) in the shopping mall.

4. A lovely dinner with Jason at Palisade, this fancy-schmancy restaurant overlooking Lake Elliot on the Puget Sound. Even I enjoyed their famous crab cakes (heralded as the best in the city!)

5. A beautiful Victorian English wooden bench with beautiful spring green upholstery and tassels!

6. Eating, drinking, gaming and being merry.

7. No studying. :)

Whew. What more could a girl wish for?


3:41 AM - 1 eprop - 1 comment - email it


Friday, January 24, 2003

I'm beginning to feel great affection for my Group 6 members. They are all interesting, bright, witty and funny folks. Tonight we had a potluck and played Trivial Pursuit (which I'm horrible at... not only is it the 1981 version, but why pursue what is trivial?) and there's nothing like a group boardgame to get people together! Let's test your trivia-savvy...

What is the largest of the Japan islands?

Where is the White Nile?

What was the name of the scientific machine in "2001 Space Odyssey"?

Who painted "The Artist's Mother"?

Who was moviedom's "Mr Belvedere"?

Who was the magician in King Arthur's Court? (Ok, probably the only question I could answer!)

My main contribution was to be the die-roller for my team. They want to take me to Vegas, baby!


3:01 AM - add eprops - add comments - email it


Monday, January 20, 2003

Our church is in the Seattle Times! Check it out:

The Seattle Times: Local News: 'Emerging churches' drawing young flock

While you're at it, check out the Mars Hill Church website, listen to a few sermons or songs. Click on "Menu" and then "MP3/Audio". The menus float, so it can be a little hard to maneuver at times.


6:53 PM - add eprops - add comments - email it


It's the official holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and that's why I get the day off school. :) But seriously, I have been thinking a bit about race, ethnic and gender issues recently.

I attended a talk by this Harvard Law prof, an African-American man who spoke on reparations (basically, compensation via money or otherwise?) for slavery in the U.S. After my quarter+ of law studies, you'd think I would have seen it coming... it's obviously a continuing tort case! African-Americans have continued to suffer the ill effects in several areas including health care, housing, education, etc.

Secondly, last week I was competing in a competition (basically, it's like a law clinical experience.) My partner was male, the opposing team were both males, 2 of 3 judges were male. The last judge who also acted as mediator, was a female. So all of us are squished in this tiny classroom, and sometime during the round, the other team's attorney (role-played of course) asked, "Should we put all of this on the board or just take notes?"

I (acting as the attorney for our team) said, "That's fine, I'll just take notes." And we continued... At the end of the round, after the judges' comments, the one female judge pulled me aside and said "Can I talk to you for a moment?" in this serious tone and intense look on her face. She said, "NEVER do what you did back there." I was puzzled and had no idea what she was talking about. "What do you mean?" I asked. She then proceeded to explain that secretaries take notes, and that because I am this young female, I should not volunteer to do such things, esp. around older men, who will then treat me as a secretary. She said that I need to maintain my "edge" or else they will think of me as a "pretty GIRL" emphasized on the GIRL.

I was bewildered, because it had never occurred to me. After all, I am in a law school class comprised 2/3 of females! I don't think I've ever experienced gender discrimination. On the contrary, I've embraced the beauty of distinction between males and females that God has created! But then, I began to worry... will I get taken advantage of? I look young for my age, I'm short, I'm "sweet" (according to the female judge) and therefore, will the opposing side see green lights to trample over me and my clients?

Such a different world, this legal world. I don't blame the strident feminists for being angry. The female judge was speaking on her own experience... she had been treated like a secretary, not an attorney, because she was too soft, not tough enough perhaps. Now the questions scratch at the back of my mind. Do I need to toughen up in order to be a good attorney? And does that conflict with the gentleness and kindness that Christians are to manifest? Will my clients suffer as a result of my "sweet"ness? But Lord save me from becoming militant!


3:39 PM - add eprops - add comments - email it


Wednesday, January 15, 2003

Congratulations to Chris & Linda, the new quite-happily engaged couple! :)


6:54 PM - add eprops - add comments - email it