Features

"In Paris, one trades comfort for beauty."

The first day after graduating from four years of college, the thing on most graduates' minds is: what's next? For me, it was Washington, D.C.

ZOT IN THE CITY: Every phone call puts a smile on my face, every weekend brings excitement to the end of a long work-week, every moment usually spent arguing is now spent laughing. No, this is not the honeymoon stage of a fleeting, fanciful relationship: this is loving long-distance.

One of my most vivid memories of my trip to Karachi, Pakistan last summer, my first visit in 14 years, was simply getting out of the airport. With a whoosh of the airport's sliding doors, my brother, grandmother and I were hit with a wave of hot, humid air, throngs of flies, cars constantly honking and a crowd of people that packed the whole entryway of the airport, talking and yelling.

Now that summer is here, keep yourself cool with some easy-to-make frozen treats!

Jet lag often gives me the opportunity to see Shanghai bright and early at 5:30 a.m. Urban living consists of scattered family members still dressed in cartoon animal pajamas sitting on small plastic chairs, slurping their breakfast noodles over worn wooden tables, as well as people emptying their chamber pots into public toilets.

Recently, I came across an interesting piece of graffiti artwork in a Langson Library bathroom. It read, "Honey, why are you writing on bathroom walls? I didn't pay $30,000 a year for this! Get back to work! Love, mom. P.S. Call me often. P.P.S. Clean up your room!"

What comes to mind when you hear the words "Chinese food"? Where does it take you? Maybe it's when you grab a bite to eat with friends at Panda Express, maybe it's dinnertime as a child when you lived back home with the comforts of home-cooked meals, maybe it's when you tried dim sum for the first time, maybe it's lunch at Rice Garden in the Student Center or maybe you just hate eating Chinese food. Whatever your experience, Chinese food is a big part of American culture.

AWKWARD SITUATIONS: When I first pitched the idea of writing a column documenting the uncomfortable and awkward moments featuring yours truly, I had an abundance of awkward moments to choose from. But oddly enough, as soon as I began writing a biweekly column for the New University and relying on the money I receive for writing the column (I'm the stereotype of a broke college student, just sans Ramen Noodles as a staple food), I no longer found myself in excruciatingly uncomfortable situations.

One question has confused mankind for as long as we have roamed the earth, and still continues to make us rethink and re-evaluate our lives everyday. It is the question of love.

Nobody likes a sore loser. And perhaps a sore winner is even worse. If a cocky victor or a whiny newbie pushes your buttons, then maybe you should consider the sport of chess boxing. It's intellectual, you get to beat the snot out of your opponent and take some bitter pleasure in it if he's a whiny loser. If you suck at chess, you can win by moving your fist to his kisser.

Grunion flood onto the shore in Laguna Beach on May 20th. The fish is famous for its unique spawning behavior which it engages...