February 7, 2004: As my Harvard Experience draws close to an end, the inevitable task of completing a thesis draws even closer. In just eight short weeks my final draft is due, and there are no extensions or late days for this one. Most of the thesis’ that I have seen are over several hundred pages, which make it even more of a task. I am well into the project now, but it is going to take quite the discipline to finish it. I am writing my thesis on Internet Identification Theft, which is the biggest growing crime of today and costs the world economy more than $50 Billion a year. There is, however, a new technology that is soon to be released, that is virtually going to eliminate online ID theft, and that is going to be the focus of my thesis. I know though that once I am done, it will be such a rewarding experience! So, I’m still here in Boston, but instead of having a life for the next two months, it appears that I am going to be working all day, every day until this incredible task is finally complete! Wish me luck!

September 5, 2003: This is my last Cambodia update, for as I write this, I am traveling home on a 747 to San Francisco.

I wanted to fill a few curious friends and family in on how the launch went and also tell a small story of what I would consider the most profound experience since I arrived in Cambodia.

Fate, as would have it, saved the most amazing and memorable experience for the very last day.

September 1st, as planned was the big launch. The hospital which was home to the hub satellite uplink was dressed up for the occasion and there was a nice procession out in the yard. A funny experience happened, I arrived on the scene and saw Ankur and Amir were talking to someone and I asked that man if he could take our picture. Ankur said it wasn’t necessary, but I insisted saying, yeah I want one of the team. Amir said we had enough of the team, but I still insisted. Well we ended up getting someone else to take our picture and the man stood beside us. Then Ankur nudged me and whispered that the man was actually the American Ambassador! Talk about a foot in the mouth experience! It turned out though that he was a very nice and chill guy, and we became pretty friendly, and he even came with us to the lake later that night for a dip. The launch then went off without any problems, and even Amir had a little speech lined up. There were so many press members there and important VIPs, that I couldn't keep them straight! Apparently a couple of the pictures and the story may even be published in National Geographic, which would be kinda neat. So after the commencement, a bunch of us went to the lake for a swim, which was a lot of fun! It was right around sunset and was very beautiful. Even the American Ambassador joined us and ended up swimming in his underwear! haha I guess not many people can claim that experience, huh?.

After the celebration, I then ended up taking the motorbike to the other hotel to meet a few guests for a night walk. The walk was great, and the stars were out in full Cambodian effect, like my prior experience. Going back to my lodge though, was an interesting experience. Even after a month of being there, ironically, I was not sure how to get back to Terre Rouge (the name of the place I was staying), even in the daylight! All the jungle roads look the same to me! I told our driver though that I knew the way, but I guess I really shouldn’t have. I started to drive back, but quickly realized that the small headlight of the motorbike only lit up the small portion of road in front of me, and nothing else! I soon realized that I was alone... in the pitch dark... lost in the jungle... and on a motorbike that often stalled and couldn’t be restarted. Haha Talk about a startling experience! It turned out though that after a few wrong turns, my intuition and sense of direction finally got me back, the long way around the lake past the hospital. Talk about relief when I saw that lake!

Overall, I already miss Terre Rouge and the Ratanakiri province. I gave some gifts to people that played a big role and they were warmly accepted.

The next morning, I sadly left Ratanakiri, probably forever.

August 23, 2003: A lot of friends have written me, however, and asked me exactly what it is I am doing out here, and why I'm here in the first place! Well, I think that's a good enough question to write a little about, because it's actually quite remarkable the work we are in fact doing. The project we are working on, called DakNet, is actually very exciting and fundamentally plays a much more significant role than I had first anticipated, even after I agreed to participate in it.

My long-time friend and current housemate, Amir, graduated last year from MIT's equivalent program to the one I am taking now at Harvard. Amir, along with several other extremely bright MIT graduates, have developed a system, to bring the world closer together by connecting the "last mile" civilizations to the rest of our society. The last mile technology is a phrase that pertains to the underdeveloped classes of people, whom technology reaches last, and seems to forget about while moving with the fast paced metropolis of the world. Well Amir's project was at the point where the pilot program (test program) was about to be installed, and asked if I wanted to come here and help him install it for a month. So, of course I jumped to the opportunity, because not only was it a chance to see other parts of the world and different cultures (which I'm always excited about), but also it was right up my alley, complementing the program that I am studying now in Cambridge.

Basically, the way the system works, is that a computer is installed in one of main huts or schools in each remote village. The outside of the hut is then installed with a high powered antenna which uses current 802.11b wireless technology to transmit and receive data from another source. The range of these antennas are about 500 meters or about a third of a mile. So, in this remote village, villagers, teachers, and students can sit down at the computer, and send an email, which is then stored in the computer, waiting to be transmitted. Eventually, a motorbike or other vehicle that also has an antenna attached to it, will drive by, and without even stopping, once within range, will download the data waiting to be sent from the village. In exchange, any data that is destined to the village will be also uploaded and given to the main village computer. Once the motorbike has the data, it then stores it in a small, onboard computer system (or as we call it, Mobile Access Point) which is attached to the bike. The bike may then drive by three or four villages in the course of the day, and when it has finished its route, will then drive back to the main hub, which is located here in Ben Lang. The hub here is connected to the Internet via a satellite network system. Once the motor bike therefore comes within about 2 miles of the hub (through an even higher powered antenna), the data is then taken from the bike to the Hub which is then sent through the satellite and to the world wide web, or Internet. In the same time, any data that is stored in the hub waiting to be sent to a village along that route, will be given to the motorbike mobile access point, and waits to be delivered to a village the following day. Similarly, Internet web sites and queries can be obtained via the same process. This system, known as "sneaker net" is not a new process, but what it remarkable is that we now have the technology to deliver these type of services to the "last mile", connecting even the people with no power in their homes to the rest of the world.

Many of the villages that we have brought this service to are so remote that no motor vehicle can even reach it (save for our expert motorbike drivers or in my case, an ox-cart! hehe). Therefore, these people have such extreme isolation from the rest of the world, that many do not even speak Khmer (the centralized Cambodian language), and instead have a village dialect that only they know. Also, when visiting these remote villages, they were such in their own customs that they did not even know the universal meaning of a simple wave hello of the hand. It is extraordinary how these people live, and if they chose to, can benefit greatly from the system which we are providing. Even despite their isolation, they have shown interest in learning, and the children in school are now taught English as a second language, which is helping bring them closer in itself. Our service, will aid them in this process.

Along with the practical applications of such a system, consider also the following benefits. School children and teachers will be able to research educational web sites to further their education. Local farmers will be able to communicate with other villages and towns to sell their crops to interested buyers, and vice versa. Villagers that require assistance will be able to order groceries and supplies from other towns that could deliver the goods to the village. Sick people, through the help the village doctor, will be able to explain illnesses to qualified doctors elsewhere around the world for advice, and even attach a picture or movie file of the illness with the email. Teachers will be able to cooperate with other teachers and school boards to encourage children's education and attendance. Also, friends and family can keep in touch no matter how far the distance between them. The potential is endless, and the overall benefits of such a system is going to revolutionize these remote reaches forever.

This project is the start of what is anticipated as the very last mile in bringing villages such as this connected to the world. This is the first installation of this system, and already, there are contracts to do several other provinces of Cambodia, parts of India, China, and even Africa... all wired with this system. The Ratanakiri province of Cambodia was chosen to be the pilot program site, and I am very happy to be a part of its development.

Now for the fun news! Our original contract of 9 villages has been completed, and we have been working beyond that to install 6 more villages by our launch date of September 1st. September 1st is going to be a huge day here, and all of the investors are gathering to witness the event, along with many other important figures. The King and/or Queen of Cambodia will be here, the American and Japanese Ambassadors will attend, along with the Minister of Health of Cambodia, the Head Director of Education, as well as international media and press of all types. The hype is actually growing quite large, and its significance is starting to become known around the world. They anticipate press from at least 15 different countries around the world to be here, to report on this new system of communication. As with any large development, we have run into our hurdles, which we are fixing, and hopefully... no definitely, we will have 15 working villages, all interconnected with themselves and the Internet, up and running by our September 1st launch date.

Until then, we are continuing to work hard, and the benefits so far have been very rewarding.

I hope this clears up some things about what it is I am doing out here, and why it is so significant to the rest of the world, and to the underdeveloped cultures that technology has ignored for all these years. I am very thankful to be a part of it, and have definitely learned valuable lessons on everything that we, as a developed culture, take for granted on an everyday basis.

August 20, 2003: There is one school, that Amir went to install an antenna to, and it destroyed his bike in the process. Since then it was infamous for being the village that no one could ever get to, no matter how hard they tried. I, however, wanted to face the infamous road that conquered Amir and ate his motorbike for breakfast last week and see it for myself, so I volunteered, along with Mr. Ty to bring the computer setup to that village. Little did I know then that I was in for the most unique and one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

The only motor vehicle that could get out to that village was a big truck, that was sure not to get stuck in the mud. When Ty and I went to Bokeo (a small, but centrally located village along our route 3) to look for a truck, there was none available, or at least willing to face that road. So, Ty and I thought about our options, and he finally came up with the plan. We were to face it by Ox Cart! So we went to the local village and rented out a cart and a couple Ox (oxen?). It was pretty wild, it took about 3 hours or so to make the 8 km journey to the school. Ty, myself, an eleven year old driver, and computer networking equipment! Haha

Well, Amir’s tales turned out to be true because the road, really was anything but a road. It was a path through the swamp, a river, a journey through rice paddies (no joke, some dude actually planned his rice right over the so-called road! hehe), and rocks, all inclusive, but still no road. A large portion of the path was a two foot deep stream that we had to trudge along. Not only that, we had to even cross a river that had no bridge that came up to the Oxen’s body! This journey would never have been able to be completed by anything but a truck... other than Ox Cart of course.

So we finally got to the village, where I found out that the main method of transportation was bare-backing on water buffalo. It was wild! In our urbanized civilization we see cars all over the place and think nothing of it, but in this particular village (where motorized vehicle’s cannot make it), they regularly use the ol’ water buffalo approach. Anyway, after arriving at the school, I quickly realized the humor that I am traveling to a remote village in Cambodia, right next to Vietnam, in the middle of the jungle... to install a wireless Internet network of all things... and the only method to get there was by Ox-cart! Hehe Pretty wild.

When I finally finished setting up the network, it was already about to get dark. We loaded back up the cart, said a quick goodbye to the villagers, and then headed back for home. We were hardly even out of the village by the time it was getting dark and we had a long journey ahead of us! Here is where the experience really became amazing...

It got dark very fast, and not only that, rain came in even faster. It started to POUR! Ty, always thinking ahead brought a poncho for each of us and a flashlight, since my little pen light doesn’t even make a dent in the jungle night. So we put on our ponchos, and I sat up on the high-seat in the cart, which seemed like being on top of a chariot. So it rained, and continued to rain, until the lightning rolled in. It was pouring, lightning was crashing, and I was just thinking to myself... I am in the middle of the jungle, traveling in a lightning storm, huddled in a poncho, on an Ox-Cart of all things… and I was LOVING it! I guess most people, especially city folk, may not appreciate it, or even hate the experience itself, but I was having the time of my life! Every time the lightning crashed down, it lit up the entire surrounding and cast a huge, electric shadow on the trees. The Oxen were very determined and were not scared at all, and with the expert help of the eleven year old driver, we kept to the path the whole way.

The challenging part was, however, that since the rain was so heavy, the streams and rivers that we had to endure going up to the village were much more fierce and mighty going back! The stream that we went along turned into a river, deep enough to reach the Oxen's bodies, that we had to push through, up stream. Plus, the river that we had to cross became so deep that it was almost up to the Oxen’s backs when we crossed it. It was quite amazing, and surprisingly enough, the Oxen held tough and seemed quite determined themselves! One thing was for sure, the truck, no matter how big, would never have made it back through that!

It occurred to me then, how ironic it really was... With all our technology, all our motor vehicles and machines to get us places easily and quickly, and all our modern-day mechanics, nothing would have been able to conquer that journey... except only a simple ox-cart, that has been around for ions, made it without even stalling or breaking down once. Pretty wild when you think about it!

Right about when we were starting to think our doom was upon us, the rain started to cease and all of a sudden, it became incredibly peaceful. All of a sudden, hundreds of fireflies came out and looked exactly like small, friendly, magical pixies, guiding our way. It was incredible! They almost lit up the jungle themselves, with their beautiful, green light. We traveled a little ways further and Ty asked me to check the two-way radio to see if Amir could hear us. We were hoping that they would have waited for us at the cross-roads after installing their set of villages (we usually work in teams), so if one of the trucks that we came in got stuck going back, the other would be there for assistance. So, much to my surprise, I got a weak signal and sure enough, it was Amir’s voice! It was such a strange feeling, hearing his voice (although greatly distorted) on the other end assuring us that they were still there waiting and only a couple kilometers away! Kinda like a light at the end of the tunnel, assuring us that we were going to make it back safely. So they turned on their headlights, and when we were within sight, the headlights blared through the trees, like a light house beacon, guiding us home. Overall it was by far the most unique experience I have ever had, and I know that it was not one that I will never forget!

Anyway, this place has been incredible so far, and the trip is not even half over.
We have almost completed the original contract for 9 villages, but have just added 4 more villages which will keep us busy for the next week or so. Then, we are hoping to make it out to Angkor Wat for a couple days.

August 14, 2003: I'm settled nicely in Cambodia now, and over (or so it seems) my jet lag. It was quite the arduous journey to get here, total travel time being a little over 34 hours. It is very beautiful here, every day is sunny and rainy, off and on, but the rain doesn't bother me, it's all part of the experience. They only have two seasons, dry season and rainy season and right now we're pretty much in the middle of rainy season. We're situated in the outskirts of a small town called Ben Lang, in the Ratanakiri province at the North East section of the country. If you're curious, you can look it up on a map (yahoo, map quest, etc). ;-)

The lodge where we are staying is right along a small lake and everything here is lush and green. They have very well-done landscaping around it with really nice gardens and wooden statutes all around. There are chickens and roosters just scurrying around the premises and once in a while I'll see water buffalo or goats walk by on the road. We have a professional driver, our own chef, and two people to show us around and guide us to the villages. The culture here is very amazing, extremely different than anything we would even be able to comprehend living ourselves. The average home is a small, one room hut with no power, no water, and a thatched roof that probably leaks. Some of the more wealthy huts will have a steel plate roof that would keep out the rain.
Everything is very cheap, for instance a full meal would cost about 1 US dollar, a hotel room is about 4 dollars a night, packs of cigarettes are 50 cents, and someone I met just bought 10 acres of prime land for about $600 US.

We have been working literally non-stop, putting in 14 hour days, getting these remote villages rigged with network antennas. So far we have wired 7 villages, some of them up to a five hour drive from any other civilization. The people are amazing, and very curious and friendly. The kids especially are adorably cute and very high spirited. The scenery here is quite spectacular... It really looks just like the Vietnam movies, except it's quite different actually being in it and experiencing it.
Actually, we pretty much drove to the Vietnam border yesterday, to reach one of the remote villages. The roads are small, dirt (usually mud) roads that you need a 4x4 or motorcycle to drive down. It takes about 1 hour per 10 miles or so, because it is such an arduous journey and getting stuck every 10 minutes has become standard procedure... but it's still lots of muddy fun!

A couple days ago, I was installing the high powered antenna on top of the HUB (our main base camp). Since it is the rainy season here in Cambodia, storms come and go faster than a Boston subway train (ok, bad example for anyone who’s tried to catch a T on time). Well, I was up on the roof and witnessed a magnificent lightning storm right in front of me. It was only a couple miles away, but above me as well as beyond the storm, it was clear. It was dusk at the time and beyond the storm was a beautiful, peaceful sunset. The sun was setting in bright reds, and the storm was crashing down in flashing electric blues right in front of it. It was an amazing contrast of beauty and power, and was very unique.

Another wonderful experience happened the next day when Amir and I went to a secluded lake in the middle of the jungle. It was a wonderfully peaceful lake with trees all around it, and the sounds of nature enveloped within it. There were two small, wooden docks on opposite sides, and we both jumped in and swam to the other dock. It turned out to be much further than it looked, probably about a kilometer away, and it took us a good 40 minutes to swim it. By the time we made it to the other dock, it was starting to get dark. Before we knew it, another storm swept in. It was very interesting because we could hear the downpour coming from a far distance, like a freight train hustling towards us. Once it hit, we welcomed the refreshing change of climate. Since there was lightning though, we figured that it would be best if we walked around the lake back to the first dock, rather than swimming back. Besides, we were quite tired as it was from swimming that whole way over! We walked back to the dock, in the dark, and when we finally made it, we could hardly see the lake it was raining so hard. We walked out to the dock and I took a spontaneous flying leap right into the lake, which Amir quickly followed. It was amazing because the rain was so cool that it made the lake feel like a hot tub. What a great feeling it was! All this, in the middle of the Cambodian Jungle with no "urbanized" civilization within 500 miles. We finally went back to the car and went along the muddy roads back to the lodge, where we only got stuck only twice going home. Hehe

Last night the stars were out and I have never in my life seen so many. There must have been at least a billion of them. There were in fact, so many starts that it was difficult to even decipher the constellations from them! We are 500 miles to the closest city so I guess no where in the US could you have a better chance to see them. Then the moon came out, and it was the brightest moonlight I have ever seen! It was full, big, and cast a shadow on our moving truck. It almost seemed like it was daylight. We finally returned home around 11, just to start another 8 am day. Like I said, it's very demanding, but once we have these villages wired, it should let up a bit.

So far this trip has been full of great experiences, and I look forward to all of the ones to come!

June 24, 2003: We’ve been planning this trip to Bonnaroo for quite some time now, and last week Grunwald, Blank, Robyn and I drove down to Tennessee to live it out. What a blast that was. Non-stop music for 3 days, plus camping and no responsibilities whatsoever... It was such a great time!

October 2, 2002: I found out yesterday, that I PASSED THE BAR!!! All of that hard work and dedication did end up paying off after all! It goes to show that with diligence and hard work, anything is possible! And I can do it again! It’s funny, I was on the phone with Mom, and I randomly thought to check the web site to see if they posted the scores yet, this being the first time I have ever checked. And, it turned out, that not only were they posted, but they were posted that very same day! It must have been some ESP to check it, and it’s great that I followed it!

September 19, 2002: What a summer that was!
For most of it, I was stuck in the library, in Chicago, doing nothing but preparing for the bar. Talk about anxiety and stress! I finally took the bar though, which was one of the most excruciating experiences that I will ever encounter... But the important part is that it's done! Even though I took it in July, I still have not heard the results and will not find out until the last week of October. Man, they like to keep you waiting!
After taking it, my summer finally begun. Besides hanging out in Chicago, I flew out to Boston with my mom and we went to Martha's Vineyard for a week. It was so nice to unwind and relax after such a stressful summer, and the Vineyard was a perfect place to do it!
Then, Courtnay and I went on a cruise down to the Bermuda, which was my graduation present from my parents. It was so relaxing and fun. We went kayaking, horseback riding, snorkeling and diving, and hung out in the sun. It was a very nice escape before starting the rigors of school once again.
I started classes a couple days ago at Harvard. I'm going for a Masters in Information Technology, which is basically like a software engineering degree. I figure that I could nicely put a degree like that together with my law degree and then do computer or technology law. So far the courses are extremely challenging and intimidating, but I'm not giving up! I will have to learn to change around my study habits a bit perhaps, but I know that with some diligence, it can be done!!!
I just recently moved out to Cambridge, right across the river from Boston. My old place in Boston was fantastic for the three years I had it, but it's time to move on, have a little change of atmosphere. So I answered an ad for a roommate in Cambridge, and have a great place, walking distance to Harvard. I'm living with two roommates, Rob & Tom, both of which are great guys. I really did enjoy living on my own in law school... You can manage your own time, no one to bother you, no one to raid the fridge... but as always, I like trying other things, so I'm excited to be living with friends once again. The new place is really awesome and I look forward to spending the next year or two here!

May 26, 2002: Law School is finally over! Wow, what a great accomplishment! I can't believe that these past 3 years have gone by so quickly! It still seems like I'm 22 years old... haha
It was a wonderful graduation ceremony. My parents and grandparents came out, along with Courtnay, Sean, and the Boston crew. They really did a wonderful job with the graduation ceremony and saying goodbye to everyone was difficult.
The summer is beginning around me, but I know that summer isn't going to really start until the BAR is over! Actually, bar review starts in just a couple days, so there is no rest for the weary! I know this summer is going to be just studying for that little quiz, and as much as I'm not looking forward to it, I am kinda excited because it's something that every attorney must go though at some point. We'll see if I survive it though! Da-da-daaa

September 10, 2001: Just finished an incredible and relaxing summer in Long Island. I lived with Courtnay and her roommates in their huge house close to the Hamptons! Basically, I wanted to find something to do as far from law as possible, and I think I found it... I worked at a skydiving drop zone! Ok, so I was just packing parachutes all summer, but I still got to jump every day and met some great, interesting people.
Since Courtnay worked at an aquarium out there, they had a program where if someone had a scuba license, and put in 50 hours of volunteer work, they could dive in the 120,000 gallon shark tank that they had! So, I figured why not? I put in my hours and was able to dive in with them! What an experience! It was trilling, exciting and frightening all in the same time!
Then, to finish off the summer, my mom came out from Chicago and we got a beautiful bed and breakfast in a remote part of Long Island, right on the water. It was such a wonderful summer and I'm disappointed that it's coming to an end... It is exciting to enter into my third year of law school though... Only one more year!

February 26, 2001: I just had the most wonderful spring break!  My darling girlfriend and I rented a car and traveled south for a week and a half!  We had no destination in mind, we just simply drove until it got warm.  The trip was so much fun, I can't even express!  Our first stop was at South of the Border, which is along I-95 right at the North Carolina / South Carolina border.  We had a great time hanging out, buying fireworks, and seeing good ol' Pablo again.  It's been exactly 3 years since I've been there before...  with Seidman, last time I made that trip.  We then went to Charleston, SC and walked around the quaint streets and shops.  It was a fantastic town!
Our next stop was Orlando, FL where we ended up staying for 3 nights we loved it so much!  We got a great price at the hotel / resort so couldn't resist staying...  There we went to Epcot, Universal CityWalk,  Pleasure Island, Wet n' Wild, and also went into a vertical wind tunnel which simulated a skydive freefall!  Our next stop was Cape Canaveral where I went skydiving at the local drop zone.  Unfortunately Kennedy Space Center was closing right when we got there, but we were still able to see the area where they launch the shuttles.
We then drove down to Boca Raton and stayed the night at the Johnson's place once again.  The next morning we drove down to Key West and hung out a bit at the southernmost point.  We had a wonderful dinner and then took off to the west coast of Florida.  We went up a little ways to Sanibel Island and Captiva Island right above it.  In my opinion, this was the most relaxing and enjoyable part of the whole trip!  I would love to get some sort of timeshare there when I get a little more cash.  We hung out on the beach, swam in the pool, and went parasailing and jet-skiing!  While we were jet-skiing we saw a dolphin that came up to 5 feet from our jet-ski.  It was so close that we could touch it!
After a relaxing day there, we drove up to Tallahassee, FL to visit one of Courtnay's friends, Stacey.  Stacey and her husband were generous enough to let us stay the night and we then left for Chattanooga, TN the next morning.  In Chattanooga we went to the aquarium, saw a IMAX movie on Egypt, and then went to rock city, which is a huge natural wonder course with lots of little disturbing elves everywhere...  After Rock City, we were driving around and I saw signs to go hang gliding...  So how could I pass that up!?!  After searching for it for a while, we finally signed up and I was able to convince Courtnay to do it as well!  What a great time hang gliding is!  It's a lot like being under a parachute...  lots of fun!  After that, we went to Ruby Falls where we had a private tour cuz we were the last two people there.  Ruby Falls is in a long cavern that has a tall waterfall at the end of it.  What fun!
After Chattanooga we drove to Winston-Salem, NC, visited Michelle whom I haven't seen in a while, and then started the long drive back home.  We finally got back to Long Island around 3:30 in the morning, the night before Courtnay had to be back at work. 
The entire trip was so much fun and Courtnay and I will have the memories forever!

February 3, 2001: Last weekend I went to upstate NY to visit Courtnay's parents for the first time!  It was very nice to meet them, Courtnay has a wonderful family.  We were also able to go skiing in the Catskill Mountains!  It was both Courtnay and my first time skiing and was a great experience!  I have always wanted to do it, but never really initiated the opportunity.  Hard to believe I guess considering that I do almost everything else!  I found it to be quite easy to pick up and by the end of the day Courtnay and I were skiing like professionals!  I look forward to seeing her family again and to go skiing with Courtnay soon!!!

January 10, 2001: What a great holiday break I had!  I had the wonderful opportunity to go and visit my grandparents in Southern California for 10 days!  I enjoyed spending time with them and went to the beach every day and even got some skydiving in!  A few days before Christmas my parent came out and joined us for the holiday.  We had a great Christmas dinner and it was a warm and cheery time.  After that, I flew across the country to Florida to spend New Years with my girlfriend and good friend Travis.  Travis has a wonderful house in Boca Raton, right on a golf course.  We all went to South Beach, Miami for NYE and had a blast dancing out on the street with fireworks behind us!  After a great stay in Florida, Courtnay was able to come back with me to Chicago, and visit my home for the first time!  She met all of my great friends at home and I was able to show her around the city a bit.  Even though we were there for only a few days, I thought it was a great experience to show her where I grew up.  After a few more days of relaxing I started the semester once again and am now settled back into the groove here in Boston.

November 25, 2000: Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend here at home.  My parents came out to visit from Chicago.  We had a relaxing weekend and made a huge 13 pound turkey for the big day.  It was very nice seeing them again, and loved spending the weekend with them!  We also went ice skating in the common on the pond.
A couple of weeks ago was my birthday.  I had a wonderful birthday celebration with Courtnay and several other friends.  We had a little pre-party at my place and then went out to Embassy / Avalon, some really fun dance clubs here in Boston.  I couldn't ask for anything more!
Finals are coming up soon and I am working hard preparing for them.  I can't believe that the semester is almost over!  What a wonderful Winter break I have planned.  More on that later!

October 28, 2000: Things are going very well here in Boston.  Last weekend I went up to see Courtnay, my girlfriend, in Long Island.  It was one of the best weekends I've had in a long, long time!  I always have such a great time when I'm with her!  I took the bus up to Connecticut and then the high-speed ferry to Orient Point, Long Island.  We ended up doing so many fun things, such as pumpkin picking, wine tasting, horseback riding (again), and we also went to a haunted house.  She works as a marine tour guide at an aquarium where they go out on a boat and learn all about neat see life and nature stuff.  I was pretty impressed, she did such a great job!  To get into the Halloween spirit, they are doing a haunted cruse at night, which I was also able to be a part of.  Courtnay played the "Tortured Soul" which came onto the boat to terrorize the passengers.  Jason (Friday 13th) and Michael Myers came on too.  Pretty frightening!  For the last couple tours, I actually got into the script by being the tourist who got his throat cut at the end of the tour.  What fun!  I'm going out there again next week, I can't wait to see her again!
So far, school is going well this semester.  I currently have a job at the library, redesigning the school's web site as well as maintaining the computer network.  It's a good job, and I actually look forward to going!  I guess that's what everybody should hope for in a job, right?  I just finished a big project of getting old school exams online and touching them up to look spiffy.  If you want to see my work, go to http://www.nesl.edu/exams.htm  To access them use username: neslstudent, password: learnthelaw.
Halloween is right around the corner and this weekend is the dress-up weekend.  Pretty exciting stuff.  This year I'm Anakin from Starwars.  It's a pretty good getup.  Complete with white camouflage cargo pants (which I already had pathetically enough), pod-racer helmet, and my dusty old leather jacket.  So it's not the scariest costume, but people still think it's cute.
Well, that's it for now...  

September 20, 2000: My summer ended up being the best summer I have ever had! After my trip to Dale Hollow and my 4th of July party, I did a little traveling... Well ok, a LOT of traveling! I started off by going to London, where I took summer courses at a London law school. It was great to be able to not only experience different aspects of English law, but also to actually take classes in England! What a great experience!!! I took classes there for 3 weeks, which consisted of a Criminal Procedure / Civil Procedure course, which was directly followed by courtroom visits and trial experiences. Over weekends I was able to go out and about to see the surrounding areas of the UK. Among the places I visited were all around England including London, Petersbourgh and York. York was a very fascinating city because the entire city is still surrounded by the defensive walls of the ancient Romans. Even though I was only there for a day, it was great to see the history behind it! I also managed to get up to Scotland a couple times, enough to go almost everywhere in Scotland! The first weekend my roommate and I traveled up to the highlands, and stayed in a small town called Inverness. It was so beautiful up there! We were able to go fishing on the Loch Ness, as well as horseback riding up in the highlands! I will never forget that trip!!! We also took a train throughout the countryside stopping in Glasgow and Perth. The following weekend, I made some new friends out there and went with them to Dublin, Ireland. Talk about another beautiful place! We took tours all around the eastern coast, seeing castles, cliffs, and beautiful coastlines. Not to mention, partaking in the nightlife here and there. ;-) The last weekend I met up with my friend Joe, who is also from Chicago and him, Anita and I went up to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. We stayed a long weekend there, seeing the city and the nightlife, also getting in a little hiking... Back to London for a couple more days with Joe and then I finally flew back to the States getting in at NYC.
My first idea was to take a flight back to New York City to save some money, but as fate has it, it turned out to be a lot more than that! I stayed with my friend, Courtnay, who I met back at Colgate the night after my 21st birthday. She went to Cornell and was a caterer at Colgate for the frat parties. We got to talking and we ended up only getting together once before my graduation almost 2 years later. Well, to make a long story shortish, chance happened that I stayed with her in Long Island for a couple days, and we really connected! After a couple days, I really didn't want to leave her! We became so close, that I am really happy to say that she is my girlfriend now, despite the long distance between us. We have been able to see each other a couple times since, and plan on it a lot more. She is really special to me and I am truly happy, for the first time in a long while. :-)
After a long and difficult departure from Long Island, I headed back to Boston to FINALLY not live out of a backpack anymore! A couple days later, I went back home to Chicago to settle down and relax... Oh yeah, also to go skydiving every other day!!! hehe I have almost 30 jumps now and am really psyched that my skills are finally coming together! I am addicted to freeflying (head / feet first) and go whenever I can!!!
Just when I thought that I couldn't pack in any more activities in a single summer, my mom and I went on a little trip to Cape Cod, MA.  She needed to escape for a little bit so I figured that it would be a perfect way for her to get away and for me to relax a little before classes started up!  We had a little bed & breakfast in Harwitchport, which was quaint, nice and right by the ocean.  What a great way to relax and unwind from a busy summer!
Now, I'm finally settled back in Boston and classes have started up once again. I just finished a mock trial that was pretty exciting actually. It was a 4 hour landlord/tenant trial that had opening statements, 4 witnesses to direct and cross examine, then closing arguments. What a great hands-on experience that was! Yesterday was my first day at the new clinic where I will be getting even more hands-on experience... I already have two clients which I will represent, even as a student! I will keep posted how the cases go, but they look fascinating thus far!
Of course, I do have many, many pictures of the summer, and I am really sorry that it has taken me so long to post them! I am having trouble finding scanner drivers for Windows 2000 which I am now running on my computer. I do promise that I will get them up as soon as I can, so please hang in there...

July 7, 2000: What a great summer it's been so far! Started off in Chicago, my home town, for a few days which was nice to see the old neighborhood. Then I went with my old friend Robyn down to Indianapolis to pick up my cousin Jake and his wife Ali. We then all drove down to Kentucky to go on a house boat vacation on Lake Dale Hollow. Overall there were 21 of us, and we all had two house boats, two speed boats, and two jet-skis! It was a great time, full of sun, fun, drinking, water sports and partying! After about 4 days of that, which was more than enough, I finally came back to Chicago for a little relaxation with family and friends. It was also the perfect time for me to get a little more skydiving in and I am proud to say that I have finally achieved my Class A License!!! Now I am doing more formation, relative work, and am addicted to free-flying (head or feet first)! I also had a fun & successful 4th of July BBQ bash at my place this year. There were about 25 or so people there, and I got to test out my new grill to give it its trial run... Also, I found a little secret entrance to the roof-top where there was a perfect view of the fireworks only a few blocks away! I've lived here for almost a year and can't believe that I didn't discover that roof entrance before! There is much more planned for the summer so I'll keep everyone informed! :-)

May 16, 2000: One more final to go! That is the only thing that is allowing me to survive this awful mess of school at the present time!!!
Today is the 16th of May which marks my one year anniversary of quitting smoking... wow has it been that long??? I guess it's as good of a reason to celebrate as any... excepting the fact that none of us can really celebrate yet anyway. Last final on Friday, and wow will that be the time to celebrate!!! Not going out for the past 4 weeks has made me really, REALLY excited to get out and experience life once again! :-)
Right after that, I go to Colgate to see Marlene's graduation! I am looking forward to seeing her taking that step into the real world... FINALLY! I'm really proud of her!!!
This summer should be a really remarkable summer. Lots planned, but nothing set in stone yet. All I can say at this point is, there should be lots of traveling! My own little spiritual journey... I can't wait!!! More to come on that... As info becomes more definite.

April 28, 2000: This semester went by faster than anyone could possibly have imagined! Here we are, in the middle of our two week reading period, stressing about our upcoming finals. It feels nice knowing that it's soon going to be all over, but wow... But hey, why are we stressed? It's only 100% of our grade covering a whole year of material, multiplied by five courses! Not a problem... right??? ;-)

January 11, 2000: Wow, can you believe that after all of that hype, we are still actually here?!?
Had a very good break at home in Chicago. Ready to get right back into the grind back here Boston. It was a very tiring and intoxicating break. You know you had fun when returning from vacation, you feel like you need a break from break!
It feels good to be back in Boston though and I'm actually looking forward to a great semester!

November 14, 1999: My Birthday was last Friday and I had a few friends over to celebrate. It was lot's o' fun. We played some drinking games and then went out to the Roxy around 11:30. Anita was able to get me and ten other people on the VIP list there so we had no line waiting and no cover! Had a great time, and made sure this time not to get as wasted as prior b-days. ;-)
Mid-terms are right around the corner and it seems like everyone but me are starting to freak out about them... I'm just trying to take it slow and pace myself. They aren't for a month so there is plenty of time to freak out later...

October 4, 1999: Marlene was throwing a small party up at Colgate so I felt obligated to make a surprise, guest appearance! She was really excited, as was I to see Colgate once again. I really felt like I was going there again when I saw the campus and friends. Only three more weeks of skydiving season and I would love to get a couple more jumps in if possible! Lack of fundage is a definite hindrance in this matter... We can always hope though!

September 22, 1999: A little more than a month has gone by here in Boston and I already feel like I have a second home. I don't know if it will ever exceed my love for Chicago, but I can feel it growing on me already. Law school, although very grueling, is going by smoothly and I see nothing but good things for the future. I miss many of my friends from home and school and never thought that I would actually miss Colgate as much as I do. I have to realize that undergrad days are over and life continues to move on... Sometimes too quickly! Marlene was up for the weekend from Colgate so I had an obligation to show her a good time around Boston. The cool part is that our Stress Relief Party just happened to fall in the same weekend! The party was a great success and everyone seemed to have a great time. Seeing Marlene again really brought back some memories such as Colgate, skydiving, and the fun times we have had in Chicago. I can't wait to see her again when I go back to Colgate for Homecoming!