What's Alex up to today?

 Well I got my fraternity "Chump Mugs."
 
Chump Mugs: You dress all nice in a suit and smile like your a yuppie buisnessman....even though you have no job. :P
 



Meh....I'm all photoshopped, They even took out my moles. I'm not hating, however, I got them all for free. :D
I might use them sometime in the future.

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MÉXICO

I laughed when found out that Obama stated not to travel to México, specifically the state of Michoacán and Chihuahua.

Well, I just came back from Mexico.....the state of Michoacán.

Its bad.....OH ITS BAD. BUT, there are also safe good places. Stay in big cities and go out during the day, then you'll be ok. But at night, all laws go out the window...especially if you live in the countryside (which my grandma does....oh boy)

I hate where she lives, in el Valle de Apatzingan. Its a small pueblo with random mansion and hummers....yeah (and you can imagine how they got that money.) We have to cross (not 1, not 2) 3 military checkpoints and it still doesn't feel safe. I mean Jesus Christ I saw more assault rifles than a game of Grand Theft Auto.

The big cities, however, were/are amazing! You feel comfortable, life goes on without a care...people fill the street. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS AWESOME! 5 pesos (40 cents) for a MercedesBenz bus that can take you across town. Yeah, I was surprised by the amount of money some cities have. But I guess that's Mexico....poor people living in rich cities (damn politics.)

I was a little pissed off at the amount of Spanish colors I saw. I understand that it used to be a Spanish colony and they want to preserve their 600+ old spanish buildings, but......ITS MEXICO! The city I was born in, Morelia, Michoacán is notorious for having spanish colors. It is said that Morelia is the most spanish-like city in Mexico. The whole city was built by spanish conquistador (it wasn't an indigenous city, like Mexico City) and was called Valladolid. The city has tons of aqueducts and castle-like buildings plus baroque churches (like 20 of them in a city.) Originally (as in back in 1541) it was inhabited by 50 spanish noble families served by aztec indians, the spanish viceroyalty even gave Morelia its own Coat of Arms and Spanish Flag. After Mexico became a country, the name was changed to Morelia, named after Jose Maria Morelos, the most baddassest Michoacano ever (fought for freedom, liberty and rights.)

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MORELIA. I fell in love with the atmosphere and the people (BTW, people from Morelia are called Vallesoletanos referring to the previous name of the city.) But like I said....I saw too much red and yellow, even the colors of the soccer teams are spanish (VIVA MORELIA, WE HAVEN'T LOST A GAME YET! NUMBER 1 TEAM IN MÉXICO RIGHT NOW. WOOOOO!)

Here are some weird things I noticed about my hometown in the US and my hometown in México.

-The mayor of Morelia is named Vallejo
-The highway that crosses my house in the US is Highway 37, the highway that crosses my grandma's house in México (where I was raised) is also Highway 37
-Vallejo just went bankrupt and Antúnez (the pueblo my grandma lives in)....is always poor (well ok, thats not that weird)

Going to Michoán hasn't discouraged me to not live in México....it just reassured my that I shouldn't live in Michoacán. :P


Here is the Morelia Coat of Arms:



PS. I wear the Morelia Colors only because its the soccer team....I still think the colors should be green and red.

 I never really had anything that I was really happy about doing. Music was to stressful to balance out the fun I had. Poli Sci was too over my head sometimes for me to follow along. 

I really liked, however, helping out hispanic. I get this great satisfaction from doing so. Maybe find a career in which I get to help out latinos or hispanics, give them the wonderful opportunities I got? That would be a pretty awesome job.

Anyway, Gloria and I started this one blog.

El Ojo de México. We usually just blog about our point of view on politics and culture. 

elojodemexico.blogspot.com

 Well school is pretty ridiculous.

Im tired of everything!

Im just going to vent my problems here....(even if they don't make sense)

-Back tire of bike is bent (useless bike)
-My car is without oil pan (useless car)
-I have to play stupid "Soldier's Tale" by Stravinsky tomorrow and I haven't practiced it.
-I just finished a 12 page paper, to find out another 2 (TWO) more are due by next friday.
-I have to pay rent by the tenth and I have no money....really.
-I have 2 orchestra concerts next week
-Finals week begin next week
-I have no food in my fridge or house.....
-I haven't even begun practicing music for my recital
-I have to sign up for classes for next quarter


I'm so tired of always being in a hurry. I've honestly never felt this tired in my life. Every time I enter my room, my bed looks so enticing....I just want to sleep for like 2 days and wake up fully rested with everything better.

 

Well, for me, coming to Mexico is a little weird. I’ve lived in the US most of my life and I’ve grown accustomed to being a “minority.” I’m used to being “the token Mexican guy.” I’m cool with it. Coming to Mexico sort of throws out all those feelings. I’m no longer a minority; my people are everywhere. It feels weird because everything I see and do and breathe and feel is Mexican. The minority here are Asian people (yes, there are Asian people in Mexico) and this is completely different compared to UC Irvine. It feels good.

First off, modern Mexican society really isn’t that different than the US. The government structure is very similar (Three branches of government, with the Legislative branch split into 2 houses), the cars that we buy are very similar (Actually, there are more choices of cars in Mexico because the government has less strict safety laws) and finally the amount of freedom Mexicans experience is similar to that of the Americans.

Mind you, however, there are some really surprising aspects of society.

The Middle Class in Mexico is comparable to the Lower Class in the U.S. and the Upper class is comparable to the Middle Class. So when I first saw my girlfriend’s house, I was kind of shocked. The house was closed off with no front yard or backyard; the kitchen is the same size as the bathrooms in AV (Where I live). The rooms are almost half the size of my room. The ceiling is covered with water stains and there is no heater or A/C. The entire bathroom is the size of the handicap toilet stall in AV.  The upper class, however, looks like my uncle’s house in the Bay Area. I don’t even want to think of the poor lower class.

Laws aren’t really enforced here. It feels a little like anarchy. The police can’t be trusted and one can’t rely one either the state or federal government. Your on your own.

So all these horrible things about Mexico…. is there anything good?

Well for starters, you don’t have to worry about money if you break a leg or need emergency medical service. In the US, if you break a leg and call an ambulance, then you’re probably looking at over $2K in expenses ranging from physical therapy, to paying the ambulance, the materials for the cast, and all the stupid hospitals fees. Here, you break a leg and call an ambulance; the total amount you might spend is $100.00 pesos, which is roughly $12 dollars. YEAH! They have universal healthcare by default, haha nobody has to pay because they understand that nobody CAN pay.

This also leads into another great aspect about Mexico; the U.S. dollar is worth a lot in Mexico. A pack of tortillas in the U.S. is worth like $3 or $4 dollars. In Mexico a pack of tortillas is worth $12 pesos, which is $0.92 cents. That means you can buy about 4 packs of tortillas in Mexico with the same amount of money you spent in the U.S. Pretty cool! This means that I can buy like 4 bassoon reeds in Mexico for the price of one reed in the U.S.! ….now, to find a place where they sell bassoon reeds in Mexico.

Ill post some photos later….I still have a week here.

 

You all know remember my first car and my second car, right? Well now im on my third car.

Every car I seem to get keeps on getting older and older. My first car was 10 years old, then my second car was 19 years old and now my third car is 40 years old.

Anyway, I have a:

1969 Ford Mustang Grande
A/C, Heater, AM stereo, leather
V8 302-2V Engine

I wrote a whole story on my new car and I have tons of photos on my website:

alexisrosales.co.nr

just click on "My Ride"

 Well, Carlos Almendarez got me a job.

Carlos is amazing. (This statement deserves its own line)

I got a job working as an after school "program leader" (according to my coordinator). I will be working at Alvarado Elementary School in San Francisco. This job is no joke. I went through a background check plus fingerprinting and I even got my own little name tag. 

This job seems really fun, I can't wait to start and work with the kids. This seems like a job I would like to wake up and do every day, a job I am proud of. too bad it's only temporary.

I am working in an after school program related to San Francisco Unified District.

I don't even know how much I will get paid but it doesn't matter. I am really enjoying being with the people. Shoot, I would do this for free....maybe.

Anyway...later much

It's amazing how fast your life can fall apart. I feel like I've been kicked out of my childhood and sent into adulthood. Last week, my life story was the same as it always has been and I thought I had no family problems, except maybe parents problems (but everyone has those.)

Today I face many problems, honestly, I think I've cried more this week than I ever did last year. My step-father controls my mom and my mom's actions. Since I'm not his son, I think he feels as though he doesn't have to be nice to me. As if I'm not his problem. But I am, I really am. I go where everywhere my mom goes and if he likes my mom then he has to like me. right? You can't take the tree without taking the branch. 

My step-sister, which I love and is not in this problem, had the most amazing birthday party. She had jumper, a huge pinata, a huge cake, a DJ and a live mariachi band. But she only turned 3. I haven't had a birthday party since I was 14 and I never had a pinata. I always thought that we were poor so I never asked for a pinata. But my parents are in the process of losing our home due to high mortgage, yet my sister gets a live mariachi band. I don't get it. 

I left my  house on Sunday and my mom hasn't called me since. I talked to her on Saturday, the day before I left, and told her about my concerns. I told her how I felt like my childhood was stolen. She didn't take me seriously. I told her that my step-dad has to be nicer to me (which by the way, is the meanest person in the world. He can't look at me in the eyes, and I haven't talked to him in over a month, yet I used to live with him.) She gave me this attitude, which made it seem as though she cared more about my step-dad than me.

In all this hopelessness, I had nobody to turn for consolation. I couldn't ask my parents because they were the problem, I couldn't ask my uncles because they have their own debt. I was so hopeless. No home, no money, no parents. I cried for about 4 hours on sunday. I asked the last person I would ask for help. One more person. A man, who has never been there for me but is related to me by blood. I called my real father. I told him I needed money because I was in a hard situation. He surprisingly agreed and gave me 300 dollars.

I put 300 dollars in the bank. But I later ofound out that I owed Wells Fargo money. I owed the bank $268. I was left with a little over 100 dollars. And to top it all off, and right on cue. My car needed (and needs) immediate attention. The exhaust pipe was rotten and was about to fall off. I had to use the last of my money to pay for my car (which is the last thing I have. If I don't have anywhere to live, I'll just sleep in my car). I was left with about 15 dollars. I spent it on gas.

I then got a temporary job. I was painting, sanding and moving items for an old lady in Mill Valley. Unfortunatley she only needed me for a coupld days. I got about 200 dollars from her. I payed for some food and then some gas. I'm left with about 50 bucks.

$50.00, I have to make it last until I get my financial aid in late september. 
Gloria's been helping me alot. Especially with food. 

I don't know where to go, or what to do. All I can do is look forward, my future is the only thing looking good. I'm not sure if I will talk to my mom again, she seems happy with my step-father and step-sister. I don't want to keep on bothering my uncles by living in their houses. I don't know. Today I went mountain biking @ China Camp (on my uncles bike, of course I don't own a bike) to clear my mind. Honestly, the world looks different. I saw the sunset today and for the first time I felt alone in this world. I was sitting in my car looking out into the foggy mountains of Marin. I felt so sad. Gloria left for the SAI program at Dominican so I don't have her shoulder to lean on for a while.

I've also been thinking of not going back to Irvine. I'm not sure how I will afford it. I got a ton of loans that just cover my rent. It doesn't cover my meals or books. I really don't want to leave Irvine. I love it there and like I said, my future is the only thing looking good. That is still not an option, I have to go back, but the thought has crossed my mind multiple times.

I feel like I'm becoming immune to emotions and feelings. Like I can't feel love like I used to, or I can't feel hate like I used to. Maybe I'm crazy. hopefully not.

I've been having some problems at home lately. Well, lets put it this way: there are some preferences in my family that don't point to me.

I feel like I'm being treated as an inferior and not an adult. I can't voice my opinion and I don't feel comfortable. And this is all my home.

Well, then its time to move out. I've talked to my aunts and they agree with me that I should probably move out. You see, the problem has gotten exponentially worse.

I will be living at my aunts house in Richmond,CA until I go back to Irvine.

I'm staying in North Richmond, on 6th street.

I'll post more later....

So here is my new car.........


 
So here is the story:

My first car was actually my mom's so, even though I drove it everywhere for over 3 years, it still wasn't mine. Although this is the second car I have, it is the first car I own (it's under my name). Check out how weird this is.....

My first car:
1998 Toyota Camry 4dr LE
V6 Burgundy
Sunroof, Cassette, AC, Aluminum Wheels

My first owned car:
1989 Toyota Camry 4dr LE
V6 Burgundy
sunroof, Cassette, AC, Aluminum Wheels

so they are basically the same car except the years are different. (just switch the numbers, my first car was a '98 my second is an '89)

Whats even more awkward, when I gave my mom the '98 Camry the rear right stop light had just burned out and
when I got the '89 Camry the rear right stop light was also burnt. 

When I got the '89 Camry the owner (and old man) who had it before me put a dent into the fron right fender.
2 days ago, my mom was hit, in the '98 Camry, by an old woman on the left front fender.

Anyway, I also gave my car a name. I call it " Solo-vino,"  Which is spanish for, "he came by himself" or "he came alone."
I called it this because I was sleeping and when I woke up my step-dad told me that the car was mine. I did not do anything to get this car, I didn't even ask for it. He came alone.


good ol' relaible "SOLO-VINO"


oops....nothing some crazy glue can't fix.

So I just took my final and turned in my term paper for my summer class.

Oh, by the way I was taking:

Biology 100: Nutrition @ College of Marin.

Anyway, I almost feel bad. I never bought the book and I attended class only seven times. I didn't go to class for about a month, yet I feel comfortable that I passed the class. The questions on the test were so ridiculously easy!

Let me give you an example of what his questions were like:

What is Vitamin A:

a.) A mineral
b.) A water soluble vitamin
c.) An amino acid
d.) an essential vitamin in the retenoid family that assits the body in many ways, most prominently helping the growth of cells in the eyes.
e.) A toxin

hmm. I'm going to go with D. The whole test was like that. It was pretty damn easy and the answer was so obvious. I could have passed that test without ever going to the class.

So if your looking for easy units or you need to fulfill a natural sciences breadth at your local school (as was my reason for taking the class) then take Biology 100 @ COM. 

I never posted how I did in terms of grades for may last quarter as a freshman at UCI.

here are my grades

Poli Sci 129B (Blog, Politics and the Media) A-
Poli Sci 51A (Comparative Politics) A-
Music 176 (Chamber Music) A
Music 167 (Private Lessons) A
Music 161 (Wind Ensemble) A
Music 160 (University Orchestra) A
Music 16C (Music Theory) C
Music 15C (Musicianship) B-

Spring Quarter G.P.A: 3.40 (22 Units)

Cumulative G.P.A: 3.31 (62 Units)

My goal is to graduate from UCI with at least a 3.5, perhaps higher. But right now my goal is 3.5

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Here are my classes for the upcoming quarter

Poli Sci 121C (U.S. Election and Voting)
Writing 39B (Critical Reading and Rhetoric)
Music 176 (Chamber Music)
Music 167 (Private Lessons)
Music 161 (Wind Ensemble)
Music 160 (University Orchestra)
Music 16D (Music Theory III)

Total Units: 19

I'm going to be writing alot, but its ok. I like writing.

As of right now those are my only classes. I don't have any other ones.

Anyway.....thats it.

Well, you all know how well my other blog is doing.

sfliberalpolitics.blogspot.com  

I am very proud of that blog. I stopped blogging in it for about 3 to 4 weeks and the second I started blogging again, I got two comments. It makes me happy to see that people are still checking my other blog. I do look at it and sometimes I sound like I am just bullshiting. haha. But others are very good reporting. Either way I am proud of the blog.

I will keep posting moments of life in this blog as well as the other one I have.

c u later.

So I decided to add one more class, which is very easy and it would boost my G.P.A
I added, Wind Ensemble.

Music 161 W. Ensemble 2.0units

this brings my total unit load to 22 units. Its not as bad as it sounds...haha half of those classes are performance classes, which are guaranteed As.

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Anyway, I went to a UCI baseball game against CSU Fullerton. We lost but it was amazing. There was a record crowd of over 3,100 people! It was fun, load and amazing. I enjoyed myself.


























and some photos I didn't take.....







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And, unfortunately the baseball game was the last game in which my camera worked. After that it didn't work anymore, it's kind of sad.... I'm going to have to send it in to the company and have them fix it and return it....


sad, sad.....

So I'm into the quarter enough to know that it is going to suck. On one hand I am a full active member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity which is good but school is going to suck. Classes have started and Im not sure I am prepared. I already put on one of my previous entries the classes I am taking. ____________________________________________________________________________ Anyway, I am taking an upper division class on politics and blogs. My work, in that class is to blog about politics and write everything I feel about politics. So go visit my new blog page at http://sfliberalpolitics.blogspot.com/ Anyway.... I have to go!

So Winter 2008 quarter just ended....school is tiring. I already have 40 units under my belt. So I already signed up for my classes next quarter...im taking 20 units again. Here are the classes

Musicianship III (2)
Music Theory III (4)
Masterclass (2)
Univ. Symphony (2)
Private Lessons (2)
Comparative Politics(4)
Blogs, Politics & Media (4)

total units: 20 un.

I think this quarter is going to be a lot easier than the previous quarter.

hopefully, i'll do ok
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Winter 2008 Grades

Musicianship II     B-
Music Theory II     C
Masterclass          B+
Univ. Symphony   A+
Private Lessons  A-
Political Analysis B-
Minority Politics    B+

Winter 2008 G.P.A.: 2.97  (ahhh soo close to a 3.0)
Overall G.P.A. : 3.26 ( my goal is to get it over 3.5)

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On other news... I went to a Giants game yesterday against the Oakland Athletics. All I have to say is that Lincecum has to be one of the greatest things going for the Giants this season. The whole game, not one Athletic got a hit out of Lincecum. It was a strike out after a strike out. Oakland is really good too so it was hard for the Giants to score but they eventually overcame. Final score 3-0. It was fun. Also, only the die hard fans were there (including me, Gloria [who isn't a Giants fan, but a Padres fan] and Carolina) were in the rain watching the game. I was freezing but it was totally worth it.




Then the fog started coming in.....





we were so die hard....that we got there before the concession stands opened...(actually that was the only one that was closed)




At least it is not Candlestick Park...haha
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Anyway, this is a long post because I haven't had the time to post anything so this will be my "catch up" post.
I took random photos of Gloria and here they are....i like them (but maybe I'm biased, considering that i'm her boyfriend) haha


I was laughing because I told her that when she laughs her eyes close....haha







haha I love her.
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On another note, CAROLINA IS GOING TO SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY!! I was sooo happy for her when she told Gloria and me.



                      

 

So it's getting hard no in the last three week, Im in the calm before the tempest. I have to play in the opera next week. It is also hard for my finals. I just want to end this quarter and go home and relax....god I miss my house.

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On a different note I took some photos of UCI one night


Piano


Intersection of W. Peltason and Pereira


Music Building and West Peltason


Claire Trevor Plaza


Floor Shot of the CT Plaza


The HIB

So rushing Fiji was a great decision. I am making great connections that I would have never imagined. I told them I was a Poli Sci and music major and they connected me with a great Jazz Musician in SoCal that used to be a Fiji and they also connected me with a gentlemen in Sacramento (works for the government) that is a Fiji. It is really fun, no hazing is involved of course because the fraternity does not accept it.


the Coat of Arms

So I'm still triping out how crazy school is. I have so much stuff to do it's a little rediculous. I have a lot of reading I am still in miderms. I have three concerts this week plus a ton of fraternity related events to go to. I'm tired. So I made today my sick day. I'm going to catch up on all my reading and school work. Oh I got the results for my midterms

Political Analysis: B 83.5%

Minority Politics: B   85%

Musicianship: D 65%

Music Theory: D+ 69.5%

but my overall grades are are

Musicianship: C

Music Theory: C+

Minority Politics: B

Political Analysis: B

UCI Symphony: A

Chamber: A

I don't know why music is soo hard. It is way harder than Poli Sci....and I thought it would be an easy major. Im going to try really hard to get those C's become B's and those B's become A's. Wish me luck....I'll need it

____________________________________________________________________________________

So I already have my classes for next quarter, considering the quarter starts in less than a month the classes are:

Music Theory III (4)
Musicianship III (2)(Finally the end of the series)
Masterclass (2)
University Orchestra (2)
Individual Lessons (2)
International Relations (4)
Global Programs and Institutions (4)

TOTAL UNITS: 20 Units

So I got my big brother last week. I got Marvin Castro....this guy is a pimp. I f***en love this guy. He is so chill and we get along really well, he is a really good friend plus he is also a 5th year(or victory lap, as they call it) anyway, He's real smart and knows how to work the system within Fiji and within UCI. Im really happy I got him...I def. hang out with him alot.

A little bio of Marvin:

5th year, Poli Sci Major
LA raised and born
Salvadoran Heritage

Im really glad I got him. It made my week.

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As far as school goes.....ugh. So tired...Midterms never end, im on my third week of midterms...
I had a Music Theory midterm today from 11-1....lets just say that I am praying it gets curved. On Thursday I have another one in class and I have a big assignment due tommorow for another class. Oh, Orchestra Concert this Friday and Saturday. This week is going to be hard but I'll take it one step at a time....which is really the only way I can get through sooo much shit in one day.