Ciao and Arrivederci (cause that's all i know how to say in italian)

whew! (uncross the fingers) i got a new job as Program Coordinator at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/sph/ccceh/). my job will be to outreach to grassroots environmental organizations (mainly in harlem and s. bronx), hold workshops, organize educational campaigns, write newsletters, and in the meantime, apply to grants from private foundations to fund our activities. definitely exciting, meaningful stuff and relevant to my ongoing crusade... whatever that is. in some ways i'll miss my current internship. (one of the other interns found a game room on the basement floor so instead of feeling useless we've been working on our table tennis skills).

i start the new job may 10th, but it will be ciao and arrivederci, because on may 24 (after just two weeks) i'll be taking off on vacation with my family to visit my aunt in milan, italy! (don't worry, HR already cleared this). i'm fairly impressed with my mom's new found sense of adventure (or maybe she's just being economical) because while in rome, she insists that we stay at a budget dormitory place.

damn, these backpacker places in italy must be more ghetto than the ones i knew in southeast asia. i've just confirmed our reservation at a so-called bed & breakfast, except there's no breakfast... just bed.