Sara without a H =^.^=

The Jump

2008-03-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

After eight months of marriage, I’ve legally changed my name from Sara Emilia Morishige to Sara Morishige Williams. I’m proud to have Evan’s last name, yet I miss the contrast my maiden name has always provided.

“I’m Chinese, Japanese, and half Mexican.” The amount of times I’ve said this in my life seems endless. The perpetual stream of inquiries about “what I am” is because my appearance is not entirely any one of my three ethnicities.

Morishige. If you can pronounce vowels, it rolls off the tongue like butter from pancakes fresh off the griddle. I’ve theorized that people struggle with the pronunciation because they see it’s foreign and don’t want to embarrass themselves. Translated, mori means forest, and shige, abundant. I appreciate the beauty and fluidity of my maiden name both in sound and meaning, yet it is only a nod to one quarter of my whole. Nonetheless, it has historically distinguished the fact that I’m an ethnically diversified American.

The politic of what it has meant to grow up American with mixed ethnicity has been a delicate balance between being American, and managing the influences of each culture. The obligation of not letting culture die with my parents, or their parents has influenced my life and unwittingly defined my character. Customs linger on the periphery, interjecting when I allow them.

And so, here I am, with what seems to be the plainest name in the world: Sara Williams. I'm happy with it. I will remain the same person I've always been, having only lost a perceived identity, and gaining anonymity that is the antithesis of mixed ethnicity in America.

Tokyo

2007-11-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

I thought I would start posting drawings since blogging hasn't stuck.....Evan and I were in Tokyo last week and Joi Ito took us to a fantastic restaurant named Inakaya in Roppongi. We ate a mammoth amount of food in the presence of terrific company.

One Week From Today

2007-07-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm getting married in one week. As Evan puts it, T minus seven days.

Wedding planning has been an interesting experience filled with tears and joy. In retrospect, I should have blogged the entire planning process so I could look back and laugh at the insanity of it all. Problem is, I rarely blog.

I'm writing to tell you that the wedding industry is a sham. Vendors know you are a one time customer, so there is no interest in doing what is fair. I am constantly asking if I really needed half the things we've been encouraged to have or purchase. Do we really need wax panels for $2.5K that cover unsightly kiosks? The answer is NO, and I'd like to encourage anyone planning a wedding to be liberated by pointing out the frivolity of it all. I can't say we didn't spend money on items that have defined the event, such as our beautiful invitations, but I can say that I've felt ripped off on a number of occasions.

In the end, the celebration is about the phenomenal human feeling of love which has no equal in life aside from knowing yourself (which is directly relational to one's ability to fall in love). Even though there have been events in the planning process that threatened to derail it, I'm glad we are having a wedding. When I think about growing old together, and accepting the seasons of change in both of us, I can't wait to get started. This is something to celebrate.

Thank You.

2007-05-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Starbucks Employee,

I sincerely appreciate that you spelled my name correctly this morning. I really felt that you were listening to me.

Cheers,
Sara

Alumni Directory

2006-09-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today I received my Archbishop Mitty High School Alumni Directory for 2006. I felt a little devilish as I opened and unwrapped it; ta-da. There it sat before me, shiny, undefiled, pretty, and waiting, just waiting to be utilized. Sitting before me were the listings of people who are anticipating my phone call, letter, or post card.

I looked up my old high school sweetheart (boring), then myself. In an instant, I realized that there was no one I cared to look up. I've maintained contact with the friends I had while there, and the ones I care to forget, well, I don't really care what they are doing.

I wasted fifty bucks.

also.

2006-08-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Evan needs this:

European Vacation

2006-08-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

I feel confident saying that: Evan and I are going to Europe at the end of September. I base this statement on the fact that we've finally purchased our airline tickets. Prior the big purchase, my feelings about it lingered between overwhelming anticipation, and the possibility that we might not go.

Since the ticket purchase, not only can I breathe easy, but I can also allow myself to be overcome with web browsing.

My urge to research design and handbag shops has been unleashed. My browser window has too many tabs open, and I can't figure out which one is ruining my experience with its fancy flash (grrrr).

I've found a store in Amsterdam that we must visit, called droog. They have new and emerging designers, and the best high chair I’ve ever seen in my life. Even though I don’t have kids, I want one:

Frustrated

2006-04-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

My new shiny MacBook Pro won't sync with my iBook, so after 10 attempts and troubleshooting like a PC user, I called AppleCare. At one point I said "Sir, there is an apple on my screen and you are asking me if it's a pear or an orange". They didn't fix my problem but they did however, make me laugh at myself.

scenes from the taxi driver's seat

2005-07-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

When entering a taxi alone, my usual drill is to enjoy the silent void that occurs, opting to enjoy the scenery and sounds of the city as they go whizzing by. I revel in the idea that for a brief moment, there is nothing to do, or therefore worry about. I changed my stance for one ride, just the other day as I hopped into a taxi and noticed a Nikon D70 around the driver's neck. I asked about it since I have one. We talked about our old Canon A-1 cameras and how wonderful they were, and had a lovely conversation about photography. When we arrived at the destination, he introduced himself as Phil and handed me a flyer with a URL where I could view his pictures titled "Scenes from the Taxi Driver's Seat"

I went to his site today and found that his name is Philip Liborio Gangi. He has photos that extend beyond the driver's seat; of which are excellent.

RE: my flight to boston

2005-06-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

To my surprise, JetBlue wrote me back:

Hello Sara,

Thank you for your email, and for taking the time to let us know of your discomfort during your recent JetBlue flight. We certainly recognize this was an uncomfortable situation.

We make every attempt to seat our larger customers in a row that might allow them to have two seats. However, when a flight like yours is full, we do not always have that option.

As an expression of our sincere apologies, we have issued you an electronic JetBlue voucher in the amount of $134.00. Your voucher is good for any of our destinations and is valid for one year. When you are ready to use your voucher, please give us a call at 1-800-JETBLUE. Give the confirmation number from your original flight, your voucher code and voucher number to one of our crewmembers.

We genuinely value your patronage, and your comments. We have forwarded your message to our Customer Service Manager for review so we might find an alternate solution to this situation and to better serve you in the future.

We look forward to a future opportunity to welcome you aboard JetBlue so that we may regain your confidence.

Regards,

Peggy
Customer Commitment Crew

I hate being the complaining type, but in this situation, I was pleasantly surprised by their proactive response.

my flight to boston

2005-06-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

I had some type of lame experience on my flight, so when I arrived to find an email from JetBlue titled "JetBlue Customer Satisfaction Survey", I was compelled to write the following letter:

Hello.

Thanks for the email requesting comments. I just flew to Boston two days ago from the Oakland airport. My flight was as follows:

Date Flt Depart Arrive Stops
07 Jun 05 472 Oakland, CA 10:05am Boston, MA 6:45pm 0

While my interactions and the process of flight boarding was fine, I did thoroughly have the worst flight I have ever had. Forgive me if you feel my complaint is unworthy of attention, as it is not my intention to be overly frank and therefore inappropriate but it is rather something I feel that your management should develop some type of policy towards.

I was seated next to an obese man, who should have been given two seats by any perceptive individual. The gentleman was so large that the arm rest between us had to be up. This allowed him to extended into my seating area; over 1/3 of my given space. I was unable to watch television the entire 5+ hour flight as his body enveloped the controls that were on the arm rest somewhere behind him. Further, I was unable to put my drink table down as his leg was in the way. As a result, I had to put my legs in the aisle to be remotely comfortable, was unable to work on my computer and in general was severely comfortless the entire flight. When my neighboring peer thoroughly ruins my flight experience, and I'm expected to be socially polite about it, the issue needs to be addressed. While obesity is generally accepted in any given social situation, I feel that the line must be drawn when size is so crucial in the example of an airplane where each person pays for the real estate they take up; 1 seat.

I feel that JetBlue is an excellent airline and I support your cause. It would be great to know this email was received. This is not a joke at all.

Kindest regards,

Sara

Shortly after submitting my comment, I had a new email: "Thank You for Speaking Up!". I'm sure my letter will never be read, but I enjoyed stealing an hour of sleep to write it in my hotel room late at night.

flickr

2005-04-04T01:29:00.000-07:00

i know it's old news to everyone, but i think flickr is the best thing since apple pie, but not sp.

work notions

2004-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was pondering my seemingly useless Political Science major today and conceived that it's not as useless as I had once deemed it to be. After all, I find usefulness in my ability to deduce situations and conclude my opinion. As I sit and observe my work place, two things come to mind: 1...Some people are control freaks and some are not. 2...Some people are bureaucratic and some get caught up in compartmentalization. How this translates into the work environment that is created for everyone around, is critical in materializing self at work; at the intimate, individual level. So I'm left wondering: Can you delete the nature of a workplace in order to be happy at a great company, or do you have to seek out a new workplace and therefore, company? I choose the latter and took a leap of faith.

Naya. 080297-100504

2004-10-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I looked at Naya and wondered what she would say if she could talk. Would she talk about the seasons of change in my life? Tell you of the places she had lived and the miles she had traveled? Which state she liked best? How she hated rain and loved the snow?

I acquired her a month before I turned 20 at a party in Los Gatos. I was visiting home at the time and so she went back to Eugene, OR with me. From there she went to Boulder, CO and then returned back to the Bay Area last year. She was my favorite little friend that was more than just a cat and was there for every second of my 20's until 27. She would dance with me when I wanted, stare at me when I cried and lay with me when I slept. Yellow Eyes was the best cat ever. =^.^=

I was pondering the loss I feel and how terrible it feels to lose something; anything that you love. And then I'm reminded of the age old saying of Saint Augustine: "Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." I know it sounds cliché but I don't care.

blurps from a meeting:

2004-09-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

sterling achievements
super duper
crack the nut
economic volunteers
digest this
toast
humble pie
shoe horn
nasty grams

create your own stamps

2004-08-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

You can put your own photo on a stamp. It's double the cost of a regular stamp, but maybe worth it.

Math: Work A New Angle?

2004-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Are you slotted above an 8th grade level? Sad

Tea Time

2004-07-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm liking the Angry Little Girls comic of the week.

Blaze Timothy Strangio

2004-06-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Melia Desiree Strangio

2004-06-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Melia = Plumeria
Born: June 20, 2004
Time: 4:26 am
Weight: 5 lbs 12 oz.
Born in the Year of the: Monkey
Astrological Sign: Gemini

B.E.K

2004-06-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was in the buying mood this morning and bought a new book by BEK. This Is A Bad Time was just published by Simon & Schuster. Nice.

Zillion Dollar Frittata

2004-05-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

I suddenly feel like not eating a zillion dollar frittata. Legitimize your extravagance; gratify your obsession with extremes…it’s perfectly palatable for the modern audience plagued with decadence.

2004-05-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sisley: my niece is 3 now.