Exam time

With less than a week to go before all my exams are over, you may think I've been hunched over my books burning the late night oil trying to cram as much information in my brain as possible... but you'd be mistaken. I strategically planned my semester so that I'd only have two exams at the end of this semester so that I would still have energy left for the bar review course that will be exam review for 2 1/2 months! While I haven't been out late on the town I have been having lots of fun. This weekend's fun included cooking, 2 soccer games (to offset the cooking), and catching up with my good friend Alicia who just got back from Thailand and Japan.

Pad Thai - Yum!

My co-chef and dinner companion

Teddy Bear pancakes!

Twenty-Four

Twenty-four is the number of days left until graduation! I really couldn't be happier not to be a student anymore. But I am savoring the last round of exams. As counterintuitive as that may sound, I only have two so I get to study interesting things every day and still have time for runs, seeing friends, playing soccer and enjoying the spring weather - oh and sleeping in!

And as long as I'm counting down... there are fewer than 24 days until Derek comes home! And that's much bigger news. I can't wait to hear his voice and maybe even see him with my own eyes.

Good luck to everyone else taking exams or with big projects coming together this month (Anahita, that's you)!

School's over!!!

I mean it... school's over... forever! Yesterday was my last day of class for life!* What a relief. For now I don't miss it one bit (though I still have 2 exams and the bar ahead of me; maybe I'll get nostalgic after that). So here's the quick run down of the high points of law & grad school.

Attending he Elliott School of International Affairs - where it all started...

Having amazing professors like Mary Cheh

Watching Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Roberts judge our student moot court competition

Seeing Al Gore speak about his documentary

The law school - where everything ended (well, where it will end after the bar class)

*Note, last time I said this I was wrong and maybe I am again...

Spring has arrived!

Despite the fact that April always signals the arrival of final exams, I love the spring in DC because of the cherry blossoms. On Saturday, the weather was great so I decided to run down to the Jefferson Memorial to see the trees and they were incredible! I've lived here four years but I'm still amazed by how beautiful those trees are - like thick snow in the middle of spring. But as I was running I kept jumping over barriers to avoid the crowds of people there taking pictures and I inadvertently ended up running behind a stage where Japanese dancers were performing!!! I'm not sure I added much to the performance but at least I thought it was funny... and probably at least a few of the thousands of people on the other side got a laugh out of it.

In other good news, I just finished a presentation that was the last thing I have to do for my master's degree.... ever!

Easter in NY!

For Easter weekend, my Maman came up to DC and we took the bus to NY. The bus was much more luxurious and efficient than the greyhound in SC - and cheaper too! First I got to see my Maman relive her 20s with a friend she hadn't seen since she was in them. We also spent lots of time hanging out with my cousin who's doing an internship in NY. It's rare to have family from France on this side of the Atlantic so I really savored the moments. Fortunately he'll be here for a while still. We also had Easter brunch with a friend my mom made in Guatemala. We were both charmed by the city (as usual).

Maman & Anne - It was amazing to see how much happened in both of their lives since the last time they'd seen each other.

August: Osage County - an amazing play we went to see on Broadway

Paul & Maman in Times Square

Central Park

Maman at the MET

On display at the MET - Derek, this is why I'm scared about learning to scuba dive... my head is definitely smaller than that mouth!

This was much less scary!

St. Patrick's cathedral

Break dancers. These guys were incredible!

We didn't go ice skating here because right next door was a Brookstone where we could get our legs massaged for free!

Maman's friend Anna who she met in Guatemala

Bubble tea in Chinatown! I love this stuff.

Random stuff in Chinatown I don't think I'd love nearly as much as bubble tea.

The statue of liberty

Paul, me, and Maman in front of the Brooklyn bridge

The inside of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in DC. We saw a great exhibit of Paula Rego's works here that I highly recommend.

Maryland!

Aside from playing soccer on Saturday morning I spent most of last weekend with Sohail's family. Saturday was their 33rd wedding anniversary so we went out for an amazing dinner at a Persian restaurant to celebrate. I had fesanjoon (stew made with walnuts and pomegranate sauce). Then on Sunday they had a big brunch at their house and lots of family stopped by. Here are the pictures:

Sohail's sister was in town with her roommate and his cousin
Azalea and her husband came for brunch. Look at the spread!

Azalea got Sohail's parents and her parents these birds for Christmas and the yellow bird (Charlie) came to brunch as well so he could hang out with the gray one (Dudee). They were really funny together - fairly distrusting at first and then Dudee started chasing Charlie around.

Sometimes they perched on people's shoulders or even heads...

People enjoying breakfast

More spring break excitment

Here are some pictures of the last weekend of spring break that I spent with some of my closest friends from USC in Athens, Georgia. Why Georgia? Because Shirin's only two months away from having a "mini-me" so we all got together for her baby shower. Although the conversation of giving birth has deterred me for even thinking about getting pregnant for a few more decades, I hope someone else will do so soon so we can have a good excuse for another reunion.

Back in DC it was hard to get back into the swing of school.... so I didn't... yet... I'll have to do that soon but I've been having a great time catching up with friends from here who I didn't see in more than 7 days and my internship has been really fascinating. The other great thing is that the cherry blossoms are starting to bloom which means spring is finally here!

My dad graciously agreed to take me to the greyhound station where I started my trip to Athens and where we did some of the best people watching ever. Fortunately I only took the bus to Columbia, SC which took almost twice what it takes in a car but I wasn't bored for a second!

In Columbia with Sarah

I also got to see Sarah's boyfriend, Barney and Walker, another friend from USC

Shirin & Cyrus on their (possibly) first hike together by a really nice river near Shirin's house.

The baby shower girls (minus Shirin who took the picture)

Beth and Sarah's creations made from play dough actually intended for Cyrus... I'm not sure if stealing from unborn children is legal but I do some research and keep you posted.

Anahita and Sarah (and Gabriel in the background) at dinner Saturday.

Spring Break.... still!

Here's the continuation of what I've been up to over spring break. Aside from what's in the pictures I've been spending lots of time with family and friends and as much time as possible in the sun. I may have even gone from having skin as white as snow to skin as tan as milk! At least I wasn't cold...

On a walk at Charlestowne Landing with Maman and Max. I love the spanish moss and live oaks that are all over Charleston.

A peacock at Magnolia Plantation where I went with Joanne and Melissa.

Melissa feeding a goat. When my Bonne Maman came from France we went here and one of the goats ate her flowered skirt!!!

Another peacock - beautiful!
Me with bambi. The deer were really shy but they got less and less shy the more grain I had to feed them.
Joanne and Melissa at the plantation.

Yesterday I spend the day with my friend Terri and her daughter Emily who were in town for one last visit before they move to Hawaii.

Emily wasn't so sure abuot the water... but we thought it was funny when she put her hand in.

Lunch with Betsy, Terri, and Emily.

In Charleston with Alicia

Hello! I'm in Charleston for the last spring break of my life... until I decide it's time for more school. My friend Alicia also drove down from DC for the weekend to discover Charleston after hearing about it for the last 4 years from me. Luckily the weather was beautiful yesterday so we were able to go sailing in a race and then visit most of the city afterwards. Here's what we saw and did:

At the College of Charleston

There was a food and wine festival on Marion Square and as we walked through after it had ended a men blessed us with southern hospitality and called us over to help him finish off a bottle. He then told us stories about Charleston and it's heroes (John C. Calhoun, Francis Marion (aka the Swamp Fox), how "we" beat the Brits in the Revolutionary war, and how "we" won some battles in the civil war...). It was a great way for Alicia to discover the pride Charlestoneons have in their city and perfect timing for our (first) aperitif!
A bunch of salt and pepper shakers we saw at the southern restaurant where we had dinner. Benjamin, this picture is for you!

Yes, that is a Clemson spinnaker in the water ---- typical!

Maman on the main sail

Alicia at the helm!

Maman and Alicia at the Charleston market.

This is probably the only moment we weren't laughing!