My first front page article

It's been a busy few weeks. I've had the pleasure of venturing up to Oregon twice for two weddings and down to L.A. once to see Molly. Most recently, she came up for the weekend and we did as tourist do; biking across the Golden Gate Bridge, napping on the beach and going to a Giants baseball game.

Today, I got a story published on the front page. I also did a video and a photo slide show.

Getting into the swing

You might think this is just your average kitchen. You're right. Except there's something remarkable about it.

It's clean.

Since I moved here about three weeks ago, the kitchen has been the dirtiest, most dilapidated part of the house. The fraternity men here told me it had been condemned by health inspectors. (I wish I would have taken a picture of it earlier.) So I was quite surprised to find it in such good shape today.

The clean kitchen is symbolic of my time here: things start out messy but get better long before the end. That's not to say my time here has been bad thus far -- it's been incredible -- but it was a bit shaky, as readers of this blog are well aware.

I've spent time getting to know the guys here, and that's made me feel much more at home. I don't see them often because I work so many hours (leave the house at 8 a.m., return at 8 a.m., typically) but I now feel like I have friends here, rather than just acquaintances.

Work has been getting better also. I had my first story published last week, followed by another one today. (Chances are you'll have to pay to read them, sorry about that.) Getting stories in the paper has been a big confidence boost.

Last weekend was also a great one. Molly came to visit and we went up to Eugene for my cousin Leslie's wedding. Molly almost didn't make it though; we learned a hard lesson about Greyhound. Even though she purchased a ticket for the 10 p.m. overnight bus, people who had bought later tickets got in line to board ahead of her and she got bumped to a bus that didn't leave until 12:30 a.m. She made it here around 7:30, just in time to pick her up and for the two of us to drive the remaining eight hours north to the wedding.

The wedding was amazing. The vows were great (both bride and groom cried), the dinner was delicious and the dancing was fun. The next day, Molly and I floated the Willamette river and had a barbecue with a handful of my college friends. It was 90 degrees; I couldn't have picked better weather. It was also Molly and mine's three-year anniversary, and we were able to watch fireworks from the same field where our relationship began.

Being a tourist at home

One of the perks of a 10-week stint in a new city is that I really get to explore this new place -- and then go home early if I feel tired. This weekend I explored San Francisco's Fort Mason area, the Hyde Street Pier and a few corners of Northbeach. I also had a hot dog at the Ferry Building, a recently renovated plaza near the piers that has a lot of high-end dining options.

Molly and her sister gave me guidebooks for San Francisco, and I've been utilizing them as much as possible. I wanted to start checking things off the To See list, and while I got off to a good start on Saturday, it wasn't without another minor setback. I bought a three-day public transportation pass for $18, only to have it stolen/lost while on my first ride. Instead of cruising on the classic cable cars, I had to hoof it around San Francisco's steep hills, and was only able to see a few areas. Not to worry, though, as I still have at least half a dozen more weekends to explore. And that's the beauty of living in a place where you're still a tourist.

Fortunately, Sunday was the Pride Parade, which both of my guidebooks say is a can't-miss event if you're in the area. Considering I'm in the area, I decided I couldn't miss it. San Francisco draws upwards of 300,000 people from all over the world for this annual event. It reminded me of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, except a lot more skin and flamboyancy. The streets were absolutely packed. Because I lost my public transportation pass, I declined paying another $11 for a day pass, and went back to Berkeley.

Ghana's computer waste

Frontline recently produced a terrific documentary about computer waste piling up in third-world nations. The project focuses on Ghana, where I spent a summer writing for a newspaper there. I recall seeing piles of computer waste on my walk to the internet cafe, but I had no idea the problem was this extensive.

The documentary is only 20 minutes, and I promise it will make you think more carefully about where you dispose of your computer.

I thought it was going to be Ghana all over again

And by that I mean shitty internet. For the past several days, I've barely been able to keep an internet connection. Checking my e-mail was a labor intensive, luck-of-the-draw process that could take as long as 15 minutes.

Fortunately I made a discovery: an Ethernet cable coming out of the wall. Plug that baby in, and for at least the last 30 minutes, I've been blazing all over the internet faster than I have in months. Hallelujah.

Drinks with breaking news

On Friday after work, a handful of reporters at the bureau went out for drinks to celebrate breaking a big story. It was incredible to be sitting with the reporters and editors responsible for this bombshell. I was enamored by their talent and success. I know there is no better feeling than breaking a big news story, and to see it at the highest level made me eager to one day join their ranks in landing a such a scoop. The WSJ broke the story on Friday night, and by Saturday morning, there were nearly 1,000 other blogs and media outlets, including The New York Times, that had written stories citing the WSJ's report. I can only imagine how many other stories have been spurred by now. As of Monday at 8:45, there are 2,032.

Unfortunately, today has felt like a setback. I can't seem to get a handle around the stories I'm pursuing. I haven't actually written a news story since November. Instead, I've been learning photography and making a documentary. So coming to the Journal and trying to turn stories on broad topics for a national audience feels cumbersome. And as if to add to my dismay today, I miss the lady like crazy, I spilled rice all over my floor and the power kept shutting off while I tried to make dinner.

But, I think struggling through my first few days might be a positive experience. I recall the last two times I felt this way. The first was in high school on the basketball team, and you may recall how that turned out. The second was at the Daily Emerald as a freshman, and nine weeks later I was appointed editor in chief.

I love being the underdog. Let's just hope this endeavor has a similar outcome.

Settling in a new city

The first few days here have been thrilling. Molly was here until Thursday, so I got to meet up with her after work on my first day. We got dinner downtown and toured Pier 39 and the Fisherman's Wharf. I'm already putting my guidebooks to good use. Molly and I took the street car (which is a great way to see the city) and we had plans to meet up with our friends Christian and Alex, but before we could make contact we bumped into them on the street. Crazy how it's still a small world in such a big city.

Working at the Journal has been fun so far. There is a ton of freedom, which adds a bit of pressure. Not only do I have to come up with my own ideas, but I also have to execute them well in order to get a story in the paper. So far this week, I'm not close to getting anything published.

I created a Facebook album of photos from graduation and my first few days in the city. You can see it here.