iChef Journal [01.09.2002 Wednesday] It's been more than a month since i've lasted posted. And that includes the past entry that's just been sitting on my computer for more than a month. Well, a lot's happened, I guess in the past month or so. First off, I passed the Java class that I was I was taking down here, so that means I'm pretty much graduated from UCSD. Just have to finish up the paperwork and wait for the quarter to end, and I'll have my diploma. That's good news. I was a little iffy on how well I did, and it turns out that I did more than well enough to pass. Currently, I am in San Diego, working at night at Domino's Pizza and during the day, I will be taking some art classes in a couple weeks. I'm looking forward to school again, and I think the classes I'm going to take will be fun and interesting. Other news: I have a new roomate, and things are going pretty well. I don't know, I have to thank God for this because I honestly wasn't looking forward to getting used to someone, especially someone I didn't know at all. But, my roomate's cool, and things are well. Today wasn't too interesting at all. I just basically ran errands, cleaned up my computer (it takes a long time) and then I went to work. Work was interesting. I got yesterday off, so I wasn't really looking forward to going in. When I got in, there was a time order for 100 pizzas. Dude, it was crazy. So, me and two other guys were just going crazy, making all of these pizzas. Dude, the oven was double decker, and they usually don't turn on the bottom conveyer belt, but today they did. So, after about 30 minutes, we finally got all the pizzas done. It was pretty crazy. The cool thing is that the drivers who delivered the pizzas got a 100 dollar tip. They ended up giving each of the inside dudes 20 bucks, so I got my first my tip. Awesome. I'm greatful that I'm able to work, and that (hopefully) I'll be able to make ends meet by myself. It's really humbling though, to be working at Domino's sometimes. It took a while for me to just accept it, and take it for what it is: a job. There are times when I just don't feel all that great about it. Like, dang, I just graduated, and now I'm working at a place that I could've worked at in high school. Yeah, I don't want to feel sorry for myself at all, because, in all honesty, there's nothing wrong with supporting yourself. It's also hard for me to explain myself to others. I don't know of what to expect when people ask my what I'm doing down here, and what I'm up to. Yeah, I don't know. I've already had some moments where people were pretty shocked that I worked at the pizza place. I know they want the best for me, but I dunno, it's just kind of hard when stuff like that happens. One thing that helps me to put things in perspective is this break. My family went on a cruise from LA to Mexico after Christmas. We docked at Ensenada, Mexico, and it was there that I got my first taste of real poverty. It was just really run down: the streets were dirty, the buildings were run down, and there were vendors all over the place. There were these little kids that would walk up to you and ask you for money. There was this one girl that followed us, and I just really felt for her and her family. Here I was, this dude, that lives in the richest country in the world, and I'm going to her home town because I'm on vacation. These people are just getting by, and I'm here just to have fun. It was a real strange feeling. The contrast between my upbringing and my state of being compared to hers. I realized that I have a lot to be thankful for. This is not to say that I am any better than anyone there, but I just realized that God's placed me in a very cushy place. I could be living in Ensenada, begging for money or selling fake sunglasses to tourists. Yet I am here, and I have much to be thankful for. ___________________________________________ | previous | journal (i need a good name) | next |