LoveFest

LoveFest is a big annual celebration of electrical music that starts with a parade of loud clubbing music trucks with dancers dressed up according to the theme the company has decided on. The parade begins at around Union Square and stations at Civic Center for the big party. People are dressed up in different types of costumes to attend the event. Among the interesting ones were a man dressed as Big Bird, another as a Chinese woman with a small stuffed tiger stuck in his tight underwear(perhaps to draw attention to his balls and stick), and a transexual in a hot pink outfit with net underwear revealing her nipples. There were even a group of butt naked men walking around, exposing their male private parts without any reservations. I was surprised that the police did not arrest them for indecent exposure!
It was interesting seeing people dance their hearts out in the street and letting out their wild sides with fancy hair styles, make-up, and costumes. The liberalism of San Francisco is fascinating; it embraces diverse groups of people regardless of their sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, and personal beliefs and behaviors.
I had a blast people watching but ended up with a headache after two hours of letting my body vibrate with the strong bass music coming from the trucks I was near. It was a good study break though.

Orientation Week

Written on 9/14/07

It’s only the end of my first week of my professional life as a student pharmacist at UCSF, but it feels like I’ve been here so much longer. I have never had so much information presented to me in such a short period of time and I know they’ll be much more learning to do in the years to come. Our orientation activities ranged basic logistics such as how to obtain student identification cards and expectations for students’ level of professionalism to activities that foster social interactions and collaborations such as our in-depth group discussions and presentations on diversity issues.

Ever since my first encounter with the school, which dates back to 2002 (when I attended the Information Session in Long Beach), I have been continually amazed with the level of organization and thought behind each school event. Things always seem to be well planned out and executed smoothly and effectively. The speakers that represent the school, including faculty, staff, volunteers, and students, show confidence without sounding too cocky. This element of modesty, coupled with the desire to achieve higher level of development, result in the school embracement and promotion of change and innovative ideas for better healthcare to all mankind, especially the underserved population.

I am excited to be studying from among so many talented, open-minded, and well-rounded leaders in the field of pharmacy. The leadership and community service opportunities provided by the various student organizations are endless. I hope to enrich my pharmacy experience through involvement with extra curricular activities and develop my leadership skills in the four precious years as a student pharmacist in this well-established institution.