When the Almond Tree Blooms

This weekend, we've had a rain storm, so I've taken the opportunity to rest up after another long week. Unfortunately, that means there will be no chance to take pictures, though. I was lucky last week to have my friend Chris visit from Boston. About three years ago, Chris, Anthony and I did some exploring in Oakland. I had just moved here from the Peninsula, and didn't know the city well. For some reason, we ended up heading east on International Blvd. looking for a place to eat. The only one open at that time in the evening (it wasn't really late, maybe around 7:30 PM) was a restaurant called "7 Courses of Beef", which was the only English phrase on the sign, at least. Not the most fortunate finding, since the three of us were nominal beef eaters and each ended up ordering the only item not containing beef on the menu, which if I remember right, was Pho with chicken. The food was fine, the restaurant was an experience of decor, plants and fish tank...

The fatigue of moving and too much going on at work has worn me down. Luckily, it's a three-day weekend, and I have tomorrow off. During the last three-day weekend, our school garden was badly vandalized; it was especially painful that a few of the fruit trees we planted in November were destroyed or very badly damaged. This--combined with getting used to a new living situation--made last week the most challenging of my working life. Fortunately, some of the staff members and many of the students provided needed support, and by Friday, I felt better than I had in weeks. The new living situation has had its' ups and downs, but seems like it will work out. I've had respiratory problems--already bad because of the cat at my old place--probably from the new carpet. The 'off-gassing' I have learned from internet searches, is the release of nasty chemicals from a new carpet. How wonderful. Luckily, the smell fades, I've put in a lot of work cleaning the house,...

This may be my last post for a few days. Since moving to my current house, I've been plagued with allergy symptoms from the resident cat(s). Treatment has been ineffective, so I've chosen to move to a new locale. I found a room in a house on 27th Avenue, not far from the Fruitvale District of Oakland. One of the features of the new place is its' fine backyard garden, which includes a trellis covered with now withered chayote vines. This has provided the inspiration for the title of this blog: Under the Chayote Vines. I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to write about in the new neighborhood...as soon as I get the internet hooked up.

Due to a lack of sleep as well as many other factors, I took a sick day today and am not at Park School today, which gives me the chance to do a little writing while I rest. After a suspenseful Tuesday evening, I've managed to gather some thoughts about the election, especially in regards to immigration, an issue I care deeply about. I'm pleased that Barack Obama did well, but disappointed that he wasn't as successful as I'd hoped in my 'home' state of California. It seems strange that Latinos--who heavily supported Clinton--voted for her, given that Obama's stance on immigration is more progressive (he supports driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants--a position I agree with). Immigration is one of the issues that matters to me most this election year, though my position differs greatly from the supposedly all powerful 'deport the illegals' camp. I work in Hayward, a community with many immigrants--some of whom certainly are undocumen...

February 4, 2008: Nervous about Super Tuesday, but hopeful that Obama can pull it off and eventually get the nomination. Slightly pleased that the somewhat more respectable McCain is leading over the deplorable Romney (even though I don't have much love for Republicans). Current Book: "China Road", Rob Gifford Current Song: "SF Anthem" Traxamillion and San Quinn First in an installment. I hope to explore East Bay neighborhoods and take pictures. I'm not attempting to interview people to get the pulse of an area, but rather capture the images that strike me and hopefully create a visual sense of the community. I plan to do this a couple times of month. Let me know what you think. This being one of the few sunny, rainless days we've had of late, I decided to spend part of my day off walking through some Oakland neighborhoods instead of doing housework or studying. I live near High Street and 580, in Maxwell Park. I headed west, along Brookdal...