Law Review

Few days ago I learned that I did not make it to the Law Review. That is not surprising, since I never turned in my competition assignment.

Several classmates in (maybe half of) my small section class made it to one or the other law journals. Those classmates include Augustine, Karen, Laura, Kathy, etc. Congratulation to them! This is an achievement since GWU Law only has 5 journals. Other law school with similar or smaller class size has much more journals than GWU (ex. Georetown has 15 journals).

Although I never expected or seriously imagined myself joining the law review, I still feel somewhat lost when I heard the name list. Although it was a battle--a time-limited, massive-reading, smart English writing competition--that I knew I have little chance, I still felt defeated by the winners of the battle.

"That is not my game", I try to remind myself, "an English writing competition will never be my game." How I feel was vividly portraited in the book "One L," in which the main character described how he changed from not caring about the law review at all to suffering the depression when he learned that he failed to make the law review; how a high-achiever was encouraged and harmed by the competitive atmosphere of the school. I don't feel nearly as bad as he did. But "joining the law review would have been nice" I wonder.

Absence all the excuses, I do appreciate one precious reward from the competition experience--I know one more thing that I'm not good at. After doing poorly in guitar, jazz percussion, piano and singing (singing was really bad), I learned to focus on things that I'm better at and enjoy learning things that I'm still, well, learning.

Odyssey Banquest

The very generous firm that I'm interning right now hosted a banquest on Odyssey on a Friday night.

The purpose of the banquet was to establish relationship with foreign clients, who came to the firm to attend a 1 month training program. Summer interns, including me, were just lucky to take advantage of the event.

Odyssey is a flat ship that cruises along the Potomac river. It departs at 8PM and returns to the port at 11PM. On the deck of the ship one could enjoy the night of Washington DC. The food was ok, but the scenary was amazing. Washington Monument, Lincoln memorial hall, Thomas Jefferson memorial hall, Raegan airport, War College, etc.

There was dancing on the boat. Surprisingly most asian clients, those from Japan, Korea and Mainland China, really enjoyed dancing and refused to leave the boat when the ship returns. The Koreans had no problem emptying the bar. The tour ended at 12 PM, an hour later than expected.

The internship so far has been much more fun than I expected. Although a no-intern-only-vacation summer vacation would be much better. Alas, I guess the only chance I could ever have another summer vacation is to pursue an academic career......

Reflection

One day in May, when I checked in a hostel in Cambridge, UK, I met an Indian man.

Around 45 years old, he was lying on the lower level of a a dorm-like double bed when I entered the room. He was doing nothing but lying.

First I wondered what's wrong with him. Why would a person who traveled from so far away, to such a beautiful place on such a glamorous day, stayed at the hostel and lied on his bed?

Later I realized he was not just killing his time or idling. He wasn't spending his time for nothing. His eyes showed spirits. He was looking at the ceiling but his mind was searching somewhere inside. I learned that his name is Vikram and he came for a conference in Cambridge.

He told me that everyday, he finds an hour or two to do nothing. "Nothing?" I ask. He said nothing, is a misleading word. "I reflect on myself, and ask what I've done today."

"I do not ask what I've not done today. But ask what I've done but did not fully appreciate."

"My time goes by faster than you, Michael. I cannot rush by everyday blinded."

After meeting Vikram, the pace of my UK trip slowed down. I can travel anywhere, I think, because everyday is a trip.

I'm looking forward to a trip that offers spectacular landscapes, combined with space to reflect. I had the luxury to do that on my Amazon River trip, of which every night I sit on the deck of the boat, admiring the reflection of the moon on the Amazon River.

A trip to Tibet is also something I wish I could join. Yellow desert, starry night, the sound of Jeep's engine. One day I will visit Amazon again, and I will visit Tibet.

* * *

I started this article one and a half year ago. Never was I able to finish it until someone told me about Tibet.

雖敗猶榮 摔手套好MAN啊 之 看王建民記

6/18，酷夏。華盛頓DC，父親節，大家去看棒球。

等待了許久，王建民終於要到DC跟Nationals隊比賽了。

又恰逢週末，於是我們同學會的人前夜便合力做了許多海報出來。

包括"No. Wang Arm" "TaiWang" 還有沒做出來的"He is Wangderful"

比賽雖是下午一點開始，但我們十一點半便到球場看球員練球。

在路上我們所做的國旗、海報、跟臉上的彩繪都受到相當的矚目。

召集人Phil把他的紅襪隊T-shirt用白紙寫上40號跟Wang，引起許多紅襪隊球員的不滿，

經過時都拍拍他的肩，說:"That's wrong man. That's wrong."

也有許多外國人問我們關於王建民跟中華民國的事情。

球場上令人意外的，Yankees的fan非常多，幾乎跟Nationals的平分秋色。

而且球員球衣多半是Yankees的，Nationals似乎還沒有培養出太多球星出來，大部分都是Soriano。

陸陸續續也看到許多台灣其他的同學會出現，都各自做了許多海報標語。

看來這是大華府地區，繼馬英九訪問之後難得的盛事，大家都傾力想給王建民主場般的歡迎。

開場前20分鐘，王建民與Posada現身牛棚練投。

我們一群台灣學生在牛棚旁鬼叫半天，只換來王建民掀一下帽子致意。

看來我們帶給王的是尷尬甚於光榮? 沒辦法，這就是成為巨星必經的路程，要忍受球迷的追逐。

不過他倒是叫練投捕手送我們一顆球。

我們的活躍引來了東森新聞記者的採訪。

不過記者似乎是主跑華府新聞的，而不是體育線的，居然叫我們對著鏡頭大喊："阿扁加油"??

寫了這麼多，還沒寫到比賽。

不過比賽大家都看了，這裡只提一些小觀察。

Nationals回到DC的兩年以來，今天的票房破了紀錄。顯示棒球真的回到DC了。

雙方的投手表現都非常好，對方先發的球數、好球率其實跟王平分秋色。

節奏也因此打得非常快，看得出來王今天的狀況很好、信心滿滿。

王的球速大約是維持在91-94跟81-84這兩各區間。對方的球速則是72-74跟86-88之間。

其實今天的變速球(80幾mile的那種)投得非常有效果，幾乎都可以搶到好球數。

球賽的高潮始於八局下半。

從我的角度可以看到王在休息室哩，已經把外套披在肩上，準備離開休息室了。

忽然停在休息室的裡面一陣子，接著就看到王扛著球棒準備打擊。

我們幾個人都面面相覷: "不會吧? 他還要再投一局?" 畢竟上一局他的壞球數就開始增加了。

不過王的最後一次上場打擊，居然ㄠ到了兩好三壞。

我背後的Nats球迷就對著Nats的投手大喊：

"Damn it! He's a pitcher! An American League pitcher! Throw him strikes!"

接著當然王又上場投了第九局。結果大家都知道了。

第九局其實王投得節奏非常快、球速也催回94。

那依球投出之後，王看到球的行徑角度之後便轉身回休息室。

Nats的球員則衝出來歡迎打出全壘打的隊員，全場的Nats球迷也都跳起來鼓掌。

我們當然是矇著臉不敢相信。

我看到王筆直的走進休息室，脫下手套後用力的砸向牆壁。

接著坐在他習慣的角落，另一個人過來安慰他。

比賽結束，放完煙火，洋基隊離開，我們也去Stadium station搭metro。

一夥人除了精疲力進，被晒乾了之外，總是覺得有點意猶未盡。

路上許多人在討論戰績、Torre的調度，下週Nats跟Red Sox的比賽等等。

我聽到一個老先生，對一位中年婦女說: "Thank you for your gift. I had a great father's day."

(大概是Nats的球迷吧)

我想兩隊的球迷都會同意，即使這場球有輸有贏，仍然是一個精采的下午。

即使王敗投了，我仍然可以清楚看見王更上一層樓的企圖心，與更上一層樓的潛力。

週一也可以重新拾起衝勁上班去。