Got tired of having Berkeley's available clubs define my personality. Thanks to a rather annoying quirk of fate (lack of a science fiction/fantasy association or a gaming club) over the past few months I have had to hang around with groups of gearheads or gun nuts. This is patently stupid - while I do enjoy tinkering and shooting, these are definitely peripheral interests.

So yesterday I took a walkabout. Almost unintentionally, too. "Walkabout," as far as I know, in Aboriginal society is a journey in search of self. And that is certainly what yesterday's route around the campus was. I was heading to Games of Berkeley in search of a DnD fix but found that alternate Saturday DnD was gone (replaced by Wednesday night open gaming, but I don't want out of my warm room on weekday nights). Disappointed, I went shopping at Walgreens (got rubber bands for my hair! It's a rather stubby ponytail, but still!) and then walked down to Movie Image. Sadly there wasn't anything I wanted to watch over the week, but that jaunt took me across the street from Pegasus and Pendragon books.

P&P has been advertising a lot in Berkeley. Usually on the back of buses with a "Wouldn't you rather be behind a good book?" sign. I've always been fascinated by these, but I hadn't a clue where the store was. I found it (it's literally on the opposite corner of campus) and it was great. Pretty good selection of stuff, cute readers comments about the better books, and best of all, used books. Including non-fiction! I racked up $20 of used books for myself - an Asimov classic, a nice Alan Dean Foster I'd previously read at the library (and that I'm sure nessa will love), a book of essays by Umberto Eco and a Journalistic piece 'Susie Bright's Sexual State of the Union." Wonderful to be wallowing in readable material again.

From Pegasus I made it to Cody's (one of the best new book stores in the world, I am sure) where I picked up their February calendar. Sadly I missed Paco Underhill (I read his "Why we buy" which was a sociologist's account of his consulting business. - They deal with helping retail chains sell stuff) who had turned up only the day before. On the other hand, the good news is that Brian Greene (who is something of an idol of mine. He's one of the world's most celebrated String theorists) will be in town next Tuesday. Will definitely make a point of bringing this up in physics on Tuesday. Wonder who else will want to come down to see the great man? (One hopes our GSI, who's a particle physicist, would be interested)

Next detour took me to Newman Hall, the university's Catholic center. Now, I've been avoiding religion since it's not being imposed on me here, but Newman may change my mind. One of the reasons I've always felt uncomfortable around the Church is its restrictive environment. Newman Hall's notice board had, next to the weekly bulletin and service times, pinned on it a flyer for the campus LGBT catholic community meeting. This really floored me. So here's wondering if I might eventually decide to start attending Mass without being forced into it...

I set out, dice in hand, to find a game, and found a lot more than that - my love of the written word, my faith. Yesterday's walkabout campus was a chance to reclaim the spaces where I belong and have long neglected. I miss having friends to share it with, though.