Ken and Hiromi-chan's wedding

The highlight of the trip was Ken and Hiromi-chan's wedding ceremony. They were a beautiful couple, and, at the sight of two such dear souls radiant with joy, I also felt a joy that I hadn't know for a long time. The last time I felt joy like that was a year ago, when I last saw Naoko's loving smile. I wish all my friends could find as good a match as Ken and Hiromi found in each other, because the joy they experience from each other overflows to grace all those around them.

Now I'm back in Berkeley, and have spent three days at my new job at URS-Oakland. The first two days were tough because I was suffering from jet-lag, which, combined with a fast-paced job, is not a good recipie. But today I recovered from the jet lag and felt awake, thereby enjoying the fast pace and the interesting projects. It's going to be a challenge, but I feel a lot of motivation for what I'm doing there. My projects so far include the design of shore protection for a reservoir, and dilution analysis of the effluent of a wastewater plant. Today I also began bicycling to work, which is an easy 25 minute ride each way; it helps get my blood flowing in the morning.