I Saw Bill Clinton in Person Today

bill clinton was on campus today and i saw him!

unfortunately i missed his speech on "prop 87" - a clean alternative energy act - on the ballot in california this november - but, it was still very very exciting just to see his white head about 10 yards way! apparently clinton hung around after his speech shaking hands with the crowd for about 45 minutes. i went to the venue - the UCLA sculpture garden in north campus, just behind "my building," Bunche Hall - late because ... of all things i had a classical japanese class to go to during the speech.

there was truly an electric buzz in the air, which really, i've never ever experienced before... even at any of the olympic events that i attended in nagano in '98, or when i met the emperor and empress of Japan last fall, or the crown prince or princess of japan in Shinjuku more than ten years ago...

people were just screaming and yelling. there were waves of cheering undulating over the crowd depending on where and when clinton moved or waved. funk music was pumping in the background, and there were all of these people whom i've never seen before on campus; a lot of them looked extremely wealthy (big huge diamonds on their hands and expensive frost jobs) and/or power hungry. others were clearly lobbyists, interns, assistants, press people and business people from this or that clean energy group or advocacy.

here is yesterday's story anouncing his visit to UCLA in the student-operated newspaper, the Daily Bruin:
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=38354