LA one last time

My last days in California were different from the previous ones.  They didn't involve much research work or much workout, and, although they were spent in LA, they didn't include much dating either.  In no more than one week, Pedro had to do two final exams to finish his Econ degree, to celebrate his birthday and graduation, to show his family around, to sell his car and furniture, to pack four years of his life, and to say goodbye to all the great friends he made throughout his Californian experience.

I didn't get as much attention as I usually do in LA and I slept on the floor for four nights instead of sharing a kind size bed with him, but he was so, so happy that I was really happy for him too.  Congrats on graduating from a great school while doing so well in your athletic career.  And many congrats on making so many real friends and leaving so many fans in California.  It made me and his family very proud to see, once again, how everyone loves and respects him.

After four years of trips to LA, that city became one of my favorite places to visit.  Despite all the criticism that revolves around LA - such as its traffic, broadness and fake people -, to me, there's nowhere else where you can have such good time going out to eat, hike, drink, sunbathe and be entertained.  Also, that's where Pedro and I made so many good friends, that we hope to see in Portugal sometime in the near future.

Beijinhos to Malin, Pontus, Kezia, Bobby, Alex, Matt, Jonathan, Manav, Preston, Anton, Gemma, Tom, the guys and girls in the golf team that I didn't mention, Leonor and Zé.  Most of these guys call me Gorda and send me beijinhos when they say goodbye to me.

See you LA.  Either in 2, 5, 10 or 20 years, I know I will be back to visit.

Saying goodbye

Today was my last walk to campus.  Today was my last early morning in the office to use Ahmet's computer before he arrives.  Today was my last lunch on Euclid Ave.  Today was my last day at Davis Hall.  Today I closed my American bank account.  Today was my last workout class taught by Delency.  (He even gave me a goodbye hug.  How much of a frequent user of the gym do you think I was?)  Today was the last time I went to RSF to workout too.  Today was my last walk from the gym to home.  (Actually Ahmed gave me a ride on the second half of the way, but you get what I mean.)  Today was my last dinner with the Villas-Boas.  Today I said goodbye to great friends as Ludo and Rob.  Today I packed and gave away some stuff I don't want to take home.  It's been such a confusing/busy day that, from lunch time on, I didn't even have much work done.

I'm leaving to LA tomorrow for Pedro's birthday and graduation and then to Portugal on Monday.  I have exciting times ahead but, still, it feels weird to realize that my year abroad is actually coming to an end.  It's been the best year of my life so far.  Hopefully even better years will come ahead.  Pedro, and then Mom, Dad, Mico, family and friends, here I come!

Chopra

Try googling "Anil Chopra".  The first links that will appear are related to one of the most famous living Structural Engineering professors in the world, who also happened to be my graduate advisor this past year.  Professor Chopra wrote a book that is used literally all over the world on structural dynamics and, although he is over 70 years old, he is probably the clearest professor I have ever had.

He's been sporadically working with Mom for a few years, as a consultant in one of her projects, and, when he saw my name in the applicants list to the SEMM program, he picked me as his advisee.  Not only did he help me choosing the classes I was taking every semester, but he kept telling me and Mom that, anytime I needed anything, I should go talk to him.

Today, he organized a party at his place for some of his students and I went too.  He has a really nice house in Orinda, on the other side of the hills, and very friendly wife and daughter.  It's so interesting to get to know people's homes and families.  It explains so much about their personality...  This party was specially nice because Professor Chopra took some time to introduce every single person that was there to all the others, and also because we had the chance to hear to some of the most interesting stories of his life.

Listen to this one:  when Professor Chopra decided to write his book, after his wife and daughter pushed him to do it, he decided to through away all the class notes he had for the structural dynamics class he had been teaching for years and years.  He literally threw them away a few hours before the garbage truck usually passed by his house.  Why's that?  Because he thought the book would never be intellectually outstanding if he was basing it on written information he had already ready.  How daring was that?

How lucky am I to have so closely dealt with people as brilliant as Professor Chopra this year?  Sooooo lucky!

Another weekend in SoCal

No one really knows what happened but the truth is that third ranked UCLA, after 54 holes, were 26th in the NCAA Championship.  In a tournament were only the 8 best teams could advance to the match play phase, the bruins had to go back home earlier than expected.  What would be the best way to comfort them (specially my favorite senior in the team) for the bad result?  Probably going down to LA for the weekend...

I flew down on Friday, and arrived there at lunch time to have a great weekend.  Friday was Jonathan's birthday and we celebrated by having the best sandwiches in town for lunch in Bay Cities Deli, mexican food and margaritas for dinner at Pink Taco, and some more drinks at Matt's, Preston's, Manav's and Anton's place in Westwood.  Saturday was study/work out day for me and study/practice day for Pedro.  To make the day less boring, we went out for dinner with Bob and Kez - sushi happy hour in a Japanese restaurant in Westwood.

On Sunday, it was time to go down to Newport Beach, where Pedro would play the sectional qualifying for the US Open, one of the four golf majors in professional golf, the following day.  I spent the day studying, first at home and then in a Starbucks next to the golf course where he played the practice round.  Later in the afternoon, we did some shopping with Jonathan, and had an amaaaaazing dinner at Fleming's, sponsored by Jon's and Jake's parents.  Jonathan and Jake were playing the qualifying too and, since their parents were in town to caddie for them and watch them play, they invited Pedro and me for a fancy dinner.  One cannot believe how exciting it is for me to have fish here in the US...

Jake invited us to stay at his place so that we didn't have to pay for a hotel room.  Actually, we decided not to look for a hotel before dinner exactly because we were expecting him to invite us to stay over.    #lifeofacollegestudent.  Haha.

On Monday, we woke up at 4:45 am.  At 5 am, we were the only ones at iHop, where Pedro had an omelet and an orange juice for breakfast.  I decided to eat just before his first round started, at 7 am.  Pedro played pretty well, made very few mistakes, but did not qualify for the US Open by two strokes.    It is the second year in a row that he is that close to qualify for that tournament.  Maybe next year!  (À terceira é de vez.)  I was proud of him anyways.  People keep complimenting him while he plays, because he is such a gentleman.  The day was very nice, I got to walk many, many miles, as I like, and we got to spend the day together.  Can't complain

Everytime I go down to the Newport Beach area I think of my parents and how they would like to go there.  It's a golf and beach paradise in a still quite urban and very wealthy area.  One day, I will take them there for some nice vacations.

Monday evening, we arrived in Westwood pretty late, packed and went straight to bed.  Walking 36 holes is not a joke and we had to wake up at 4:15 am the next day to go to the airport.

A week from now, I will be back in LA for Pedro's birthday and graduation.  Two weeks from now, I will be back home, celebrating Mom's 50th anniversary!