PSU Chronicles

Jun 5

DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON

With all of the recent natural disasters we have all been experiencing I think it might be timely to remind everyone of our own “disaster scenario”. This is not meant as fear mongering…rather, just a reminder to be aware of where we live and the types of natural disasters we all live with here in Portland.

“Geologists estimate there’s a 10% chance of a magnitude 9 earthquake in Portland over the next 50 years — and a 37 percent chance of a magnitude 8 or less. This is from an OPB article, “How would Portland fare in an earthquake”, 4.18.12, (see link) ~ ”http://www.opb.org/news/article/how-would-portland-fare-earthquake/

Are you prepared? Do you know what you would do…should do?

Below is what PSU has to say about this catastrophe:

Stay calm. You must be able to help yourself and others.

Drop, cover and hold on. Move as little as possible.
Stay away from windows to avoid being injured by shattered glass.
Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. If you must leave the building after the shaking stops, use stairs rather than an elevator in case there are aftershocks, power outages or other damage.
Be aware that fire alarms and sprinkler systems frequently go off in buildings during an earthquake, even if there is no fire.

There is no perfect plan, no automatic behavior anyone can enact that will guarantee your safety, but I believe by simply being aware of where you are and what you can do- is probably the best advice any of us can rely upon.

Jun 4

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My mother’s visit

When I was waiting for my mother at PDX airport, I was little bit nervous. I hadn’t seen her almost two years,and I was thinking about how I would react to her. In Japan, hugging is not a common way of greeting. I have never hugged my family. But I could not really remember how I acted towards her when I was glad to see her.

When she came out from the exit, we just said “hi” to each other. She immediately started to talk about how she had had a very long walk in the LA airport to get to the correct gate for her flight to Portland. It seemed like we were not sure how to act around each other.

May 31

Block Party!

May 30

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PDX Summer Bucket List

Summer will soon be in the air! Classes are winding down, and I am getting near to checking out. The next two weeks will be the longest two weeks, but they will be worth it. Here are some local places I will go this summer:

• Do you want to go swimming and enjoy a kickback environment with family and friends? Then I recommend going to Marine Drive or Sauvie Island out in North Portland. It is a great place to lie out a towel, hang out, and BBQ some hot dogs.

• The local Saturday Market (www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com), where there is an immense amount of delicious food booths, great local artists, and people just enjoying their time outside. I advise to carry cash, some booths will able to take debit/credit cards.

• The Waterfront holds several festivals during the year. The Rose Festival (every weekend starting May 24th until June 9th, http://www.rosefestival.org) is a fair with games, booths, rides, and…of course, lots of greasy eats. The Blues Festival (July 4-7, http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com) is also fun and packed with stage artist performances throughout the day. The neat thing about the festival is that 100% of proceeds and donations will go to the Oregon Food Bank. Come make an impact on the community, while enjoying the blues!

May 24

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River rafting in Estacada

The last three weeks have been torture for me trying to get back on my feet. I am slowly moving again and creating a structure for my life. My friends, family, school advisers and work teammates are supporting me though out this tough time. Last weekend, I made no plans nor did I want to do anything.

However, a friend encouraged me to go with him on a trip. He assured me that this trip would put things into perspective and bring me back to reality. There was nothing to lose, so I took his offer. So we started packing what appeared to be camping gear and had one more thing to obtain: dry suits.

I was not aware that the Outdoor program at PSU rented out gear. Being a student, I was able to get two dry suits for $50, a bargain when they are worth up to $300 a piece. Early the next day, we were off to Estacada in gloomy and rainy weather. We arrived to a scene of people, kayaks, rafts, dry suits, wet suits and gear along the river.

We immediately parked on the side of the road, dressed down to a T-shirt and shorts, put on our dry suits, helmet, and life vests and we were off to find his friends. Upon finding them, without hesitation we got a raft, carried down to the river, and got in to raft downstream.

My heart pumped and my senses were on full alert. All I could think of was not to fall out of the raft into the river. The water was freezing hence the dry suits we had to keep us not only warm but alive. The rapids were strong and I tried to literally bury my feet into the wedges of the raft and held on to my paddle for life.

Downstream, we hit stronger rapids, being pushed from side to side, the water pouring down on us, as we tried to maneuver through without falling out or flipping over. Everyone around me was unnerved. I was hoping I would not fall out. After what seemed an eternity of freezing water and near heart attacks, we rafted and finished in calm and safe waters. This trip was much needed for me even if it distracted me from the world of depression that I was in and still am in.

May 24

Graduate school worries

About three months ago I noticed a perpetual voice in the back in my head, always asking the same question: “What are you going to do after graduation?”

I have always considered myself an academic, and grad school seems to be the natural next step. But should I go right after completing my undergrad? That means that the next few months will be spent shopping around for schools, seeking out financial aid opportunities and scholarships, and studying for the GRE.
Read more

May 21

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Swamped—Know The Feeling?

Ironically, college gives me no time to read on my own terms.

Walking into the library for the first time, I was flabbergasted. So many books, so many authors, so little time! There seems to be literally millions of titles—and not just books, but maps and comics and mags and journals and EVERYTHING. Read more

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