Twitter

     As a generation who grew up with the internet at our sides, I've always wondered what type of technology it would take to "age" us. What new thing will our children rave about that we won't have any comprehension of? Today I got the first feeling of being "aged," and I realized that just one seemingly insignificant internet "phenomena" can do the trick. I speak, of course, of Twitter.

     In the last few weeks, Twitter kept showing up in the most random times in my life. Now, I've been aware of Twitter for a very long time, and for the most part didn't feel the need to make an account solely for the purpose of updating my status. At that time, of course, I had a Facebook and it served that purpose (plus many more) just fine. 

     The alarming part wasn't simply how often Twitter was being mentioned, it was more about the legitimacy of the source. Here are some of the more notable mentions:

Strike 1: April 8th, 2009, Interview for a Technology Consulting firm

     Interviewer: Do you Twitter?

     Me: (blindsided) No, sorry, I don't.

     Interviewer: It's okay, I don't either, the company made me put that question in there.

Strike 2a: Mid-April, 2009

     Online I came across an interview of a notable politician (male, I can't remember the name) who mentions Twitter as one of his main news sources. Also, President Obama's use of Twitter in his campaign, though much earlier, was also surprising.

Strike 2b: April 26, 2009

     Xkcd.com makes a comic about Twitter. Now this may sound trivial, but I love xkcd.com, and feel a little put down every time I don't understand something they post. I know it's silly, bite me.

Strike 3: April 27, 2009 (today), Starbucks 

     I was enjoying a mid-morning tea and scone at Starbucks, playing Solitaire on my phone and minding my own business. A 50-something lady sitting next to me says something about "I should get to my car, I don't want to get a parking ticket." I wasn't sure why she was telling me this, but I smiled politely at her. A minute later, she looks directly at me, says "I'd rather be talking to myself than be on Twitter," and guffaws loudly. What? Either she thought I was Twittering and ignoring her, or this 50-something lady had a Twitter and I didn't. Either way, I had had enough. 

    So today I joined Twitter. I might not need it or want it, but I shall give it a try. So Twitter me! www.twitter.com/ksekhon

My Not-so-Brewed Awakening

     Don't let the title mislead you, this post has nothing to do with coffee or Brewed Awakening, which has recently entered the Top 5 of my favorite Berkeley cafes (see Yelp for why). The awakening of which I speak is my social consciousness.

     Today I participated in National Rebuilding Day to satisfy the community service requirement for BioEHS. The goal of the former organization is to improve living conditions of hard-pressed communities. So up I got at 7:10 am on a Saturday morning, and sans coffee, headed over to clean up the yard of a free clinic in West Berkeley, Lifelong Medical. While leading our landscaping team (Go Blistering Green Thumbs!) through two truck beds of wood chips and ground cover to provide a low-maintenance, water-conserving front yard, I began talking to the site leader, a Professor Emeritus from UCSF, about the clinic. In response to his gratitude for our work, I said "I'm happy to be here," and I realized that I really meant it. I honestly couldn't think of anything better to be doing on a Saturday morning than shoveling dirt around the yard of a free clinic. He went on to tell me how the proposed budget cuts by the state were going to force them to shut down some of these clinics, and it moved me so much I am actually writing a letter to the state assemblyman to contest these cuts. Wow, who would have thought, that in the countdown of my departure from Berkeley, my political apathy would finally succumb to Berkeley's activist spirits?

     I joined BioEHS solely for the honors cord at graduation, and have always grumbled about completing their requirements for membership, but for the first time today, I felt like I understood why the requirements existed. I can't say I would have done either Berkeley Project (last semester) or National Rebuilding Day if they weren't required, but I definitely took away something positive from both. Even if the effect lasted only a day, I became a selfless, socially-conscious citizen while volunteering, which aren't words I would normally use to describe myself. I will no longer complain about BioEHS, or any other social organization for that matter, as I am finally realizing the importance of a well-rounded individual. 

An Apple a Day... Keeps the PC Doctor Away

     While reading Lifehacker's interview with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, I came across a comment of his that made me double take:  "When we first started with Apple computers, it was my dream that everyone would learn to program, and that was how they'd use their computer." 

     Being a recent PC --> Mac convert myself (note the one-sided arrow), if there is one major shortcoming I have noticed, it is that Mac's don't allow much user input. Apple's philosophy seems to be "well our way is just so damn good, you won't need to modify anything." With millions of users and a large emphasis on design, most of their flaws and inconveniences have already been ironed out, but needless to say millions of users have millions of different needs, so having a fixed user interface isn't perfect for everyone. What type of fixed functions am I speaking of? The most annoying example is how the function for closing your computer screen cannot be changed. With my Dell (may it rest in peace), I had it programmed (okay, wrong word in this context), I had it set to "do nothing" when closed, so I could close my screen when moving my laptop around or simply playing music. This is not an option with my Macbook. There are many such frustrations I came across almost daily when I first converted, but have now grown accustomed to.

     Going back to the original quote, I find it surprising that Apple's software has trended towards minimal user input, especially when it was made by and for hackers. However, I am no programmer, so maybe I am just completely oblivious to this hackable, modifiable Mac. If that is the case, I would like to know! It might be time to hire me an unemployed EECS graduate to make some changes for me!

Reunited and it feels so good...

     After only 3 weeks without TDH, this post may seem unwarranted and overdramatic, but the joy that came with my recent bike ride begs to differ. It was a cloudy afternoon, and wanting to exercise, I hopped on my bike and within minutes I was out of the cloud range (clouds were hovering over just the campus, surprise surprise) and riding along the sunny bay, blissful as can be. The excitement and tingling sensation in my lower body (some not so metaphorical) from hopping on after so long wasn't even hampered by the pain in my quads from the lovely trek back home.

     I didn't realize how integral having a bike had become to my life until I was in Berkeley without one. Suddenly simply getting to class and work was a 20 minute trek. I felt helpless and yearned for TDH every time it was sunny and I wanted to be active. Be it as a means for exercise or transportation, having a bike has become a part of my lifestyle. I am always hesitant to use the word "biker" when referring to myself because it alludes to competitive biking, but I feel I have now earned the title.

To the Parentals

          Today, as I walked home from my undemanding (and overpaying, in my opinion) job, wearing shorts and enjoying a Cookies n' Cream frozen yogurt on this rare sunny day in Berkeley, I couldn't help but think "wow, I love my life". It now hit me, what a friend meant, when months ago he said I lead a "cushy" life.

          And who do I have to thank for this? Cliche as it may be, my parents. Despite the countless parenting errors they've made throughout the years (most of them, thankfully, with respect to my older siblings), they must have done something right along the way. Here I am, graduating from Cal and going on to an institute for higher education. Seriously, parents, good job. I can't imagine what it must be like, raising your children in a country and culture you are completely unfamiliar with, yet somehow they managed.

          As graduation gets nearer, I'm increasingly tempted to do a reminiscent post about how much I've grown since I came to Cal, but more noteworthy is how much my parents have grown since I came to Cal. From the oppressive, overbearing control-freaks I left at home in August 2005, I now go home to relaxed, lenient parents who actually understand the concept of a two-way discussion about my future, trust my decisions and *dare I say it* acknowledge my independence. It's amazing how much they've adapted their parenting to my lifestyle. Whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks obviously hasn't seen the turnaround empty-nesting parents can do in four years. Not to give them more credit than they deserve, since relinquishing control over my life wasn't necessarily their choice, but still, they handled the power transfer gracefully, and to that I am grateful.

          I'm grateful? What? Had I told the rebellious, 17-year-old me "you'll appreciate them four years from now," I would have laughed in my own face.