Not Sure Where To Go From Here

I made a visit to Cal State L.A. on Monday to meet with my grad school academic advisor. During the meeting, I selected specific courses I planned on taking for my master's degree.

My advisor seemed a little detached about the whole process. I asked her about career opportunities after I finish my degree and she told me to contact the career center.

When I was at UC Irvine I made a few visits to its career center and it was not helpful. When I asked about jobs for English majors, the counselors would just tell me to browse through some of the books they had to find out more information.

I don't plan on making a visit to Cal State L.A.'s career center. I doubt they will be of any particular help.

A side note: during my academic advisement, a woman came into the room and said my name wasn't in their computer. There was no record of me.

Later on I found out, when I visited the admissions office, that the school had just started using a new registrar system and that every student's name had not yet been added to the records.

Today, I was reading through the syllabus for one of the classes I'll be taking in the summer (graduate research and methodology) and I learned that we'll be studying Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Pope's "The Rape Of The Lock" and Shakespeare's King Lear.

What kind of mess have I gotten myself into? I don't see the point in studying obscure poetry and centuries-old literature that has little connection with the modern world or my personal life. I've done that one too many times as an undegrad.

Since my visit to CSLA, I've been frantically searching for literary-related work on monsterjobs.com. If I can get hired somewhere using my writing/editing/proof-reading skills, I will revoke my statement of intent for graduate study.

By the way, some of my favorite writers are: Anton Chekov, Elizabeth Kaye and Raymond Carver.

Personality Type

Every person on this planet has a personality type. I was at Barnes and Nobles today (Torrance) reading a magazine article about the variety of personality types that have been created and developed over the past half-century.

Invariably, I identified with the introvert. The person who has a deep awareness of his interior world: dreams, ideas, feelings; Shies away from group activities; Keeps a diary or has semisecret hobbies;

This type of human being is considered cerebral, studious, focused, creative, has original ideas. May be prone to self-absorption or self-preoccupation; Has a few, quite select set of friends; Recharges batteries by being alone.

My First Bodyboard

I bought my first bodyboard today (at Sportmart). $39.99. I was at Seal Beach earlier (to fish) and, while walking to the end of the pier, stopped and watched a few adolescent males bodyboarding. It looked like they were having fun.

I also saw surfers riding waves. I felt like I was missing out.

The other day, I was watching Step Into Liquid and I remember a guy in the film said, "once you catch your first wave, that's it. You're in. You've caught the surfing bug. It's like the mafia. You can't get out." I haven't had the chance to experience something like that.

But I might this Saturday when I go surfing with a friend from small group.

By the way, I didn't catch any fish.

If I'm going to go to the ocean, I might as well spend my time there doing something more gratifying.

So what compelled me to try bodyboarding for the next six weeks? (1) Hot weather. I want to go to the beach and get wet. Boogie boarding gives me an excuse to be in the water for long periods of time. (2) When I was in junior high, I was bodyboarding at Huntington Beach and caught my first wave. I want to experience that again. (3) The teenage boys I saw today at Seal Beach opened my eyes to the possibility of excelling at a new sport that is connected to the ocean, something I find appealing.

Gangster Hoopers

There are a handful of players in professional basketball I admire. They are:

Desmond Mason for his dunking ability and the intense energy he brings to a game.
Rashard Lewis for his cool-spirited demeanor and versatile offensive skills.
Mike Bibby for his sweet-looking, clutch jumpshot.
And
Ronald Murray for his one-on-one I-know-I-can-score-at-will mentality.

In my own fantasy world, these players would comprise my dream team.

Initiating A Conversation

After church service last Sunday, I was sitting next to a friend in the hall, waiting to go to the beach picinic later on that day. I saw a young woman sitting near me, by herself.

I asked her: Are you new?
She said: No.
I said: I'm Pye-young.
She said: I'm Sally.

[We shook hands.]

I said: Are you going to the beach picnic?
She said: Yeah. Are you?
I said: Yeah, I'll be there.

Not sensing a whole lot of enthusiasm on her part, I didn't continue the conversation.