I’ve finally returned to my blog to update what’s going on. Just learned that I can convert these posts to Twitter and Facebook entries, so that should make publication easier…when I get around to publicizing things.

If you know me, and if I haven’t been able to catch up with you recently, I apologize. Hopefully, this post will bring you up to speed!

Most important: I’m married! This past July, Cathy and I tied the knot! Photo links below:

• slideshow highlights
• full public gallery

Cathy and I now live in the University Village in Albany (CA, not NY). This brings me to the next major update: After graduating with my master’s degree from San Francisco State, I’ve moved across the Bay to the 510, and am now working on a PhD in Economics at UC Berkeley! If I disappeared since late July, blame the doctoral studies.

I’m thankful and grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this stage in my journey, and especially thankful that I can share this journey with Cathy. Even it it means some sleepless nights on that journey. (Hopefully it’s “some” and not “many.”)

hello again world! checking if this works properly…

New year (it’s already February), new semester. It’s early Saturday morning, and I’m dealing with a heavy bout of insomnia due to a 8pm cup of Starbucks.

My current course load:

• Applied Data Analysis – Time Series
• Graduate Macroeconomic Theory
• International Finance and Macroeconomics
• Experimental Economics and Game Theory
• Exploration and Proof (mathematics; I’m auditing it)

Plus I’m working on a couple personal statements for summer research and pre-doctoral programs, and doing a bunch of academic journal reading to help develop my research interests.

What did I get myself into?

It’s finally Thanksgiving Week of 2009; a chance to take my nose out of my books. I’ve neglected this site, yet again.

If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s probably because of my full-time load as a MA candidate in Economics at San Francisco State. It might not be the big leagues quite yet, but it’s graduate study, and it’s been quite a ride so far. I know I was a good student in undergrad–still, the start of graduate-level economic theory and methods ain’t no joke. I never thought all my calculus, engineering, and computer science coursework from 10 years ago (that never amounted to a major; another story, another time) would come in handy in economics. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I feel I’ve disciplined myself into a studying routine that’s working this semester. Well, almost working…I’m confident about three of my classes, but feeling questionable about my fourth.

So, if you’re reading this page, and if you are considering studying Economics (or something related) at the graduate level, some advice:

• Take a FULL calculus sequence. Not the business calculus courses either. Take Calculus I–II–III with the science and engineering kids. It may feel like the stages of hell getting through it, but you’ll be set.
• Take MORE mathematics. You wince, my youngling, but it will ease the pain of further graduate study. Linear algebra, probability theory and statistics, differential equations, proof, real analysis…they’ve been recommended to me by other students.
• Use your professor’s office hours. USE THEM! Like your life depends on it. (In a sense, it does!)
• Work with your comrades-in-arms in all your classes. Don’t work alone all the time. Everyone thinks about problems differently; having multiple avenues of attack on a problem helps immensely.
• Make time for some relaxing activities, because all the Latin and Greek-letter variables will make your head spin. I actually enjoy math, and it makes MY head hurt.

References: UC Berkeley’s Economics PhD applicant page

A few math resources to help you in your journey, wherever it may lead:

• Wolfram MathWorld (math reference site)
• Wolfram Alpha (“computational knowledge engine”)
• Khan Academy (YouTube tutorial videos for free!)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Back to the front line next week.

I just read through the whole Stuff White People Like list, and I have to say, I’m quite white. I’m impressed. Below is a complete tally of items from the list that I also like. Enjoy. (You’ll have to do a lot of the cross-references on your own.)

Now for the list! (ahem)

128, 127, 126, 125, 124, 122, 119, 117, 116, 115, 114, 109, 107, 104, 102, 94, 93, 92, 91, 89, 88, 87, 86, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 78, 72, 69, 68, 64, 58, 55, 53, 50, 48, 46, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 36, 35, 34, 26, 25, 24, 23, 20, 19, 18, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Highlighted above are items I EXTREMELY like.

68 out of 129. Over half. Mixed-race it is, then!

My recent trip to Japan was, in my 3+ decades of life, one of the most exciting, eye-opening, exhausting, and enjoyable experiences that I’ve had. I’ll use my short time here to post a link to my picture gallery site (gallery.me.com/palapid) as well as some useful links that I used in my trip planning, to help any of you in a future sojourn to Nippon.

• Japan Railways (JR) Group (www.japanrail.com):
  Most convenient way to get around Japan, especially if you plan a Tokyo to Kyoto trip or farther via the shinkansen (bullet train). Make sure to get your JR pass for unlimited travel before arriving in Japan!
• K’s House – Backpackers Hostel (http://www.kshouse.jp/index_e.html):
  My main lodging in all the areas I visited: Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, and Hiroshima! Bilingual, super-clean, and über-friendly. Met plenty of fellow foreign travelers as well as Nihon-jin (Japanese) at each location.
• Hostelworld.com:
  Just in case K’s House is booked up.
• Welcome Inn Reservation Center (http://www.itcj.jp/eng/index.php):
  Another lodging reservation site with a variety of different lodging options, from hostels to ryokan (traditional inns) to Western-style hotels.
• Sankei Travel – San Francisco (http://english.sankeisanfrancisco.com):
  The local travel agency I purchased my JR Pass voucher from before leaving for Japan. Although they primarily work with Japanese customers, they have a variety of travel services for visitors to Japan.
• Find!TOKYO iPhone/iPod touch app (http://www.enfour.com/iphone/apps/gm/findtokyo.html):
  My survival app to get around Tokyo without lugging a ton of subway maps with me. (I think I still had my Lonely Planet books weighing me down.)

August is here, along with the last summer trips, BBQs, and beach bonfires. Then, at least for me, it’s back to school to start my graduate-level economics classes at SF State. Already bought 3 classes of books, which set me back over 4 c-bills…but that’s a small price to pay for knowledge, and the knowledge of commanding a higher salary. I hope.

Just took a trip to the Southland last week; a 1700-mile romp through the LA Basin with a side excursion to Sin City. I even got to enjoy clam chowder at Pismo and a short campus visit of UC Santa Cruz (my alma mater)

Now I’m in Japan trip prep mode; got travel books, history books, literature, gear, moisture-wicking clothes and so on. One more week and I’ll be off!

(NOTE: I got this list from a former student of mine. I will add the various US territories to it as well. Edited for own purposes.)

“Put an X by the states you have been to. The average is 8; how do you match up?

Should you choose to play, here’s what you do:

Copy my note. Click on “notes” under tabs on your profile page. Select “write a new note” in the top right corner. Paste the copy in the body of the note. Delete my states and add your own. Change the number at the top, and add your title.

Just for fun, put an O beside the states where you have lived.

Simply being in airports doesn’t count!”

Alabama -
Alaska – X
Arizona – X
Arkansas -
California – XO
Colorado – X
Connecticut – X
Delaware -
Florida – X
Georgia -
Hawaii – X
Idaho – X
Illinois – X
Indiana – X (drove through)
Iowa -
Kansas – X (drove through)
Kentucky -
Louisiana -
Maine -
Maryland – XO
Massachusetts – X
Michigan – X
Minnesota -
Mississippi -
Missouri – X
Montana – X
Nebraska -
Nevada – X
New Hampshire -
New Jersey – X
New Mexico -
New York – X
North Carolina – XO
North Dakota -
Ohio – X (drove through)
Oklahoma -
Oregon – X
Pennsylvania – X
Rhode Island -
South Carolina -
South Dakota -
Tennessee-
Texas – X
Utah – X
Vermont -
Virginia – XO
Washington – X
West Virginia -
Wisconsin -
Wyoming – X
Washington, DC – X

Now, for good measure:
American Samoa -
Guam -
Puerto Rico – X
U.S Virgin Islands – X

And for better measure:
Armed Forces Europe -
Armed Forces Pacific – X (okinawa)
Iraq – X
Afghanistan -
Elsewhere in CENTCOM – X (kuwait)

I’m looking into changing up the style of this site, modifying the widgets, and so on. Let’s see…

Happy birthday Julius, my brother. You are dearly missed. Thank you for gracing us with your presence, your energy, and your positivity during your time here on Earth. Brotherhood is indeed eternal.