first day and a newb mistake

I met with a client at the legal aid foundation for the first time today. I'm excited, because I have more responsibilities now as a law student than I did when I volunteered as an undergrad. I met with the attorney beforehand and then helped her communicate with the client. We told her we'd meet her tomorrow. She seemed apprehensive about where she was supposed to be and I gave her my cellphone number in case she couldn't find us. After she left, Grace, my supervisor, told me she used to do that all the time when she first started and then she learned not to. Obvious newb mistake.

I took home the case file and read it while at the gym. Is it sad that the story doesn't seem horrifying to me? In legal terms, it's domestic abuse. Yet, I've heard it before and I know it happens with alarming frequency within Vietnamese households. Part of me was relieved because her report doesn't seem to scream brutality. The other part of me wonders if maybe there was something wrong in my inability to appreciate what the court calls "abuse" and "intolerable cruelty." I can't fully articulate what I mean by this yet, but it's great that she had the means to leave him. I'm glad that I live somewhere where these kinds of domestic disturbances are not tolerated.

The report mentioned that a Vietnamese police officer was sent to her so she can communicate her story more fully. I smiled at that last part, because I remember arguing with friends and acquaintances over the merits of being a multilingual society. No one is going to dispute that English is the easiest and most efficient way to communicate in the U.S., but I just can't get behind denying people, like this woman, legal protection because of their language restrictions. I'm glad that police officer was able to help her and I'm glad I'll be there at her hearing tomorrow.

starting an office wardrobe

Shirts were buy 1, get one 1 free at H&M! Not sure if the promotion is still going on, but I got both for $20.

I found the shoes for $10 at a thrift store.



Martin & Osa had a sale awhile back and I got this shirt for $20. The skirt is $10 from Ross.



Hopefully posting all these things will inspire to me to keep bargain hunting.

floral dress

I love this! The pattern is a bit obnoxious but I loooove the back.





I still haven't found my perfect jumper yet. It's out there, I know it!

My post-finals going out outfit.

counterfeit love

A long time ago, as I was lamenting the lost relationship with H., my friend Christina said to me, "You realize that you don't need those grand gestures to know that someone loves you, right? You don't need someone to come rushing over with a milkshake at 3 AM just because you asked for it."

I repeated this bit of wisdom to Annie as we drove through Hollywood on a way to a friend's grad party. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the idea of being swept off our feet that we lose sight of the fact that love is much quieter than the man that yells it from the rooftops. I thought back to the last time I saw H. We visited his grandmother in the hospital. He wanted to stay with her until visiting hours were up. I watched him lean in to talk to her and touch her face. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek when he left. On our last vacation together, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. He occasionally handed me a bottle of water to make sure I was well-hydrated throughout the day.

I never really understood why some people wanted small weddings or skip out on Valentine's Day altogether. As I grow older though, I see how that can be counterfeit love. Following the rituals doesn't mean that it's love or that it'll last. That kind of showboating love distracts you. You count the expensive gifts as tokens of affections and forget how he treats you from day to day. Maybe he's a kind man, but you see the other bf who took his gf to Fiji or something and forget the 364 other day of the year that he remembers to do all the things you forget. Or maybe he's a terrible cad, but that LV bag makes you forget those shady text messages from his legion of "platonic" female friends. You wilfully turn a blind eye as long as your expenses are taken care of. And like all material things, you're always looking for an upgrade.

I write this mostly for myself, because I want that tall, handsome, captain of industry to come calling although the most fulfilling relationship I've had was with a kind man who taught me how be patient. I met someone that makes me laugh and that I really like, but in the back of my head I'm still waiting for that counterfeit lover.

something I threw together

fresh start by StarlessNight featuring Stella McCartney dresses

How I wish finals were over.

Jump!

I usually sit out questionable trends. I skipped out on gauchos, fedoras, and to this day, I resist leggings. But I can't help it, I think I'm going to get a jumper. I like tanks. I like shorts. Think of all the time I save by pulling on something that's the equivalent of both in one swoop! Don't they look comfy?