pinchy dot org.

Because I have no knowledge of statistics or microeconomics, I have to take two classes at Berkeley this summer before I start my graduate program. Both classes started on Monday. They are lower-division courses, which means plenty of clueless first-year students. Just try to imagine my joy.

In the first lecture for my statistics course, I learned that dice are six-sided cubes, each side with a different number of dots ranging from one to six. The professor even drew a die for us. By my calculations, that lecture cost me $9.41. I want a refund.

Fortunately, my microeconomics course is rather more interesting. It’s taught by the city planning department, and it focuses on economic issues that affect cities; the readings address sprawl, poverty, housing policy, and city form. Surprisingly, I am the only graduate student in the class, which means the other incoming grad students know microeconomics or are taking classes at junior colleges. Or maybe they’re just ignoring the prerequisites.

The most important lesson I have learned so far: Do not bike up to campus on Center Street until my leg muscles get stronger. They felt like jelly by the time I made it up the hill to the Campanile. Riding up Bancroft Channing to Telegraph is far less painful.

I spent a good ten minutes the other day looking for the UPS Store on Shattuck. It’s right by campus; I’ve walked past it a dozen times. But I couldn’t find it. You know why? Because I temporarily forgot that odd- and even-numbered addresses are on opposite sides of the street. What’s more, I didn’t realize my mistake until I had walked almost to Shattuck and Adeline—a half mile away—and dropped off my package at Shattuck Avenue Self-Storage.

Reminder: I am a graduate student in city planning.

I am working with top scientists (by which I mean my new housemate Elanor) to develop the perfect mojito recipe. By the end of the summer, we will be world-renowned mojito experts, and bartenders from around the world will pay thousands of dollars a day to attend mojito-mixing seminars in our backyard.

Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

• Fresh limes are critical. Dropping half the lime into the drink is perhaps not.
• Unless you like a watered-down drink, put plenty of ice cubes in the glass before you top it off with soda water.
• Use plenty of mint. We still haven’t found the perfect amount; I plan to try about a stalk’s worth of mint leaves next time.

Even in our embryonic state of mojito refinement, I must say that we are making some damned delicious cocktails. A mojito is an outstanding place to hide three shots of rum.

I have moved to Berkeley. This is delightful. I have no Internet connection at home right now. This is rather less than delightful. Don’t expect too much email from me anytime soon.

More, perhaps, when I don’t have to bike to my brother’s house to get an Internet connection. I’ll be exploring the city in the meantime.