SVong-Along

TL,DR; UCD was efficient, and getting the vaccine was a breeze. I even wore my special UCD appreciation shirt: I got my first shot of a COVID19 vaccine yesterday morning, about 12 hours after signing up around 8:30 pm (2 hours after UC Davis health tweeted that anyone aged 16+ would be eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment.)  Scheduling online was simple and fast (although I have heard you can call now to schedule through the end of April.) After filling out some personal info online, I got an email confirmation for my appointment the next morning. There were lots of slots available since the news hadn't spread as much- and slots were in 10 minute increments. I also tweeted UC Davis Health's Director of Media relations to confirm that everything was legit.  The next morning, I arrived at the Sacramento Scottish Rite Masonic Center. There was plenty of parking, and even a golf cart offering to drive folks who parked further away. Upon entrance, greeters asked people...

TLDR: The gym was sanitized, but still seems risky for air transmission of COVID and I would not recommend going if you are uncomfortable being around people not wearing masks. I have been a 24 Hour Fitness member since 2012, and I've bought the Costco member 2 year super sport pass for $599 3 times. My main gym is the Downtown Sacramento Super Sport. It reopened today- but 24 has been pretty good at sending updates, i.e. when it closed in March, and how they were planning on reopening: I reserved a workout time on the 24GO app the day before: I arrived around 6:05, and could not get in because the club was closed for cleaning. The club manager informed me that they start cleaning at 6 and it takes 25 minutes. That reassured me re: sanitation as 20 or so people walked out without wearing masks. I also saw the manager cleaning the door. (screenshot of 24's safety video) People were crowding around the entrance, and not lining up according to blue tape outside whi...

TLDR: it was quick and pretty easy, I just gave up all my privacy rights (and agreed to be contact traced), but at least it gave me peace of mind I did not have COVID. ALSO: I did not have any symptoms, have been working from home and social distancing, and took the test to have peace of mind before visiting home.  I heard about the drive thru testing in Sacramento through the SacBee , and after seeing someone post about their experience - I thought I would sign up. Verily research conducts the test, which is meant for people in CA who do not need immediate attention. You can sign up here:  https://www.projectbaseline.com/study/covid-19/eligibility/ . Here is a timeline of the process: Friday, May 29 - sign up for 10:30 AM appointment on Monday, June 1  June 1 - 10:15 AM- arrive at Cal Expo  Drive to the old Disneyland California letters, to realize that is the wrong entrance 10:18-20 - drive around to other entrance and to check-in area Confirm my a...

The Great American Lie (GAL), is a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, First Partner of California (thus, wife of Governor Gavin Newsom). I attended a screening in Sacramento through my yelp friend Gregg R., where Jen introduced the movie and afterwards had a quick Q & A with the infamous Pam Wu (yay UC Davis connections). The documentary opens with a scene in Oakland of a child from a poorer neighborhood talking about what they perceive the "American dream" to be. The film is more of a sociological examination of American's problems with some political commentary, as experts (professors, lawyers, economists, and Gavin Newsom) explain how "a majority of Americans have been failed by the myth of social mobility." The film follows various American's struggles: from a Oakland principal to an Ohio steelworker to a white lady in Louisiana with a racist mother and other people in the "majority." This touches on many themes: education, inco...

Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, Crazy Rich Asians) stopped by Sacramento as part of his "Tone Issues" tour, and I got "VIP tickets" to see him last night [literally front and center and my foot could kick the stage]. (From his instagram.)  I don't know how to move my mouth, like Henry Golding in CRA. The show was great, and I'd recommend seeing him not only because he'll make you laugh, but you can also learn a lot about America, race, and why everything in life is meaningless. (Also this blog is totally dumb and ironic because he might have mentioned that bloggers are a-holes who have nothing better to do- which is basically true of my life as a Sacramento resident). Below are more detailed reasons why you should get tickets to his show: 1. You'll see other funny accompanying acts such as Emily Catalano and Chris Martin (yes from the UK, no not in Coldplay). I loved how Emily covered topics such as Costco and relationships, and she ...

As the year comes to an end, I like to reflect on my favorite moments and hope to make the next year better. Last year, I posted my top 3 accomplishments of 2017 , and as long as I blog I hope to continue posting my top 3 accomplishments each year. 2018 Honorable mentions: Riding 90% of the rides in Disneyland on a Saturday and coming in 13th place in Gumball Rally with college roomie Andrew Quan  - Staying awake for an entire Avengers movie in theaters [Infinity Wars with Danna], I fell asleep in the other two  Shaking hands with Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the American Constitution Society convention Thanks Rei Onishi for encouraging me to apply for the public interest scholarship for the ACS convention!  Finally beating an "escape room" with Gregg R. (It took over 3 years for this, but all the SF ones I've tried had low escape rates)  Getting a selfie with La Jaconde/Mona Lisa Sitting for almost 3 hours straight (well, a few standing breaks ...

Why did I do a DXA Scan?  I consider myself a physically healthy person- I try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, watch what I eat, and have at least 3 Lululemon items in my wardrobe. [Since I am a crazy person,] I also weigh myself constantly, and use an app linked to my  1byonewellness  scale to keep track of my body fat %. The app constantly tells me I am overweight (based on my BMI), so I wanted to do a truly accurate body composition test to see if my $20 scale is worth it and as a general diagnostic of my health. My sister suggested I try a DXA Scan. What is a DXA Scan? A DXA Scan (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) is "the gold standard test for body composition," and uses an extremely small [less than 1/10 of a standard x-ray] radiation to determine bone density, fat, and muscle mass. (http://www.radiologyinfo.org) How did I book the Scan? I decided to do my scan with the UC Davis Sports Medicine Center in Sacramento, called the office, and sch...

In one word: Grateful. About a month ago, I received an invitation to UC Davis APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Student Association)'s annual banquet, and as a previous Co-chair I felt compelled to attend [I did consult a previous Co-Chair whether I should attend and it was a 14 minute walk from my office so I really didn't have an excuse.] For me banquet was a stressful (and expensive) event to coordinate, but it truly is a celebration of APALSA's accomplishments and a nice way to end the law school semester. This year's banquet was at Sterling Hotel, which featured a nice ballroom and a convenient location for Sacramento practitioners and judges (which this APALSA board did a very nice job of recruiting). I was impressed not only at the amount of judges and professionals that came in comparison to previous years, but at the awesome gift baskets donated and the open bar and food [steak and salmon] that definitely made the ticket price more bang for its buck. ...

Government work is by no means glamorous, but I do try to make the most of the few perks I have being a state worker. One of the best perks is getting early access to "Ag Day." Ag (short for agriculture) Day, is a day sponsored by the California Department of Food and Agriculture  where the agriculture community showcases the "bounty of crops and commodities produced in our state" (aka free crap galore!) It was literally my favorite day of work last year, where my coworkers and I went outside and went from booth to booth getting food samples such as tri-tip sandwiches and little bottles of chocolate milk, reusable bags, and fun knick-knacks such as a cow squeeze toy that decreases stress. 2017 haul: I almost forgot about the raisins- nature's candy!  Betsy is still on my desk today~ (though has mostly been used as a chew toy for Sunny Dodd) This year it rained, but that did not deter me from fulfilling my inner-Asian destiny to collect as much ...

As I was driving from Sacramento to San Francisco this morning, I thought "I'm so excited to get out of boring Sac." My plans to visit SF MoMa (Museum of Modern Art), however, were derailed since I gave up after being rerouted multiple times due to road closures from the "Walk for life" anti-abortion rally. The trip was still worth it since I got to spend time with my friends Jocelyn, Jean, and Abby, but also affirmed that for everyday life, I'm content not living in a big city. I've experienced both small town suburban life and living in 2 of the 20 largest cities in the world. I grew up in Pismo Beach (population: 8,198 (2016)), went to college and worked in Los Angeles (population: 3,792,621 (2010)), and studied abroad for a semester in Shanghai (population:  23,019,148 (2010)). Big city life is definitely more exciting: more restaurants, events, and things to do. But with more people in a big city, there is more traffic, more problems, and more st...