Recap: Huh

Have finished test. Returned to room, was very tired until heard wracket outside the door just in time to see a troop of ISers trick or treating! Ran out with camera but, as can be seen, camera none-too-coorperative at this hour. Molly (roommate) finally took pity on me and let me use her camera which actually FOCUSES and so I have these pictures uploaded while someone's playing the soundtrack from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Excellent, isn't it? This FOCUS thing.
And Lucy, looks you have someone competing for your position as Knight In Shining Armor. AHEM! No Spanish inquisition going on here, though.

Recap: The 25th hour

Roommate's alarm clock went off way too early this morning, after which she passed out back to sleep (I vaguely remember her going to bed sometimes between two and three am) and I was left wide awake. So, extra hour for me this morning, attempting to sort through my schedule, again.

Registration for classes went fairly well. I have 15 credits so far, meaning 15 hours per week of classes, and because it's the winter quarter, I plan on adding another class to satisfy my GE requirements, which would've given me a total of 19 units of credit which means, consequently, I have to wait till pass 2 appointment to register for it because pass 1 only allows a maximum of 17 credits.

Winter is going to be more heavily academic. Less trips home can potentially give me as much as six extra hours per week which I can be apallingly boring about. (i.e. studying)

I THINK there's a trick-or-treating occuring in my floor tonight. Will leave more candy out then, I guess. Still being amused by the "Death is Waiting for YOU" sign, there's, as just reported, yet another variation that goes "This is what Death looks like" with the picture of a skull on it.

And feliz el Dia de los Muertos to you too.

Recap: Untitled

Studying. Physio-styled. Class have not warranted bio-styled studying (which was always closer to massive-panic attacks anyway). Later will take a break and wander over to Rite Aide, perhaps, and purchase Halloween candy, because I have no idea what my floor is planning to do and thought I should be prepared, even though I'll be absent during the peak hours of it.

My roommate can hand out candies if necessary, I guess (if she's here then). I'll settle for thinking wistfully about it during my test.

If time permits I'll be doing more apocalyptic reading...possibly then continuing on my massive research paper on the biotech/plant science ordeal.

Creative Venture: Starfish

[Beta]
Every wave in the darkness rising
Bringing with them mysteries hiding
In the repetitions in the back of my memories
Breaking likes the waves from the sea

There is only so tall that I could be
Fingers reaching for the sky’s infinity
Looking at the footprints without beginning or end
Among the starfishes stranded in the sand

How many would be there leaving without a trace?
How much do we know in the familiar faces?
How old would I be before I could understand
The patterns of the starfishes stranded in the sand?

The leaves are falling from the trees in a golden rain
The places are long gone but the feelings remain
Like the stillness in the afternoon, the words never said,
The nighttime stars and the satellites when their paths met.

Though we try so hard only so much can be done
Like a drop in the ocean that can never be found
But on top of the imperfections is where we stand
Looking at the starfish stranded in the sand.

How many would be there leaving without a trace?
How much do we know in the familiar faces?
How old would I be before I could understand
The patterns of the starfishes stranded in the sand?

And when the dawn breaks clear
Over the horizon, I’ll be there;
The waves breaking around my feet,
Throwing the starfish back into the sea.


[Wish I were intrumentally-talented so I can pound out the notes on a piano...or at least have a less squeaky-voice when I try to sing. Reference to both Lucy and Kate's previous journal entries as well as the "Starfish Story". Feel vaguely guilty for writing this instead of my essay, but what done is done, I suppose...it was a nice break, at least.]

Recap: Good Morning

Let's see what's in store for me today. Hm...
Math, math, plant bio essay, IST essay, possibly IST reading if I finish early, studying for psychology which takes up an indefinite amount of time.

Ah the joys of the academic school year. There is really nothing else I can add to it at the moment.

[edit 12:09]
Just went out to lunch and it is the perfect day out there. Or at least I think it is. Blue sky, fluffy clouds, breeze, just-right temperature, the works.
And here I am still in doors, doing homework. This is depressing. I'm going to give myself a break at 3pm and go wander around campus or something. From the fact that I seldom am drawn outside because of sheer WEATHER you can conclude how nice the day must be.

[edit 13:40]
Happy international internet day.

Recap: Another Week

It's midterms week, and obviously we lot looked so pathetic that my math professor felt it necessary to instruct us, at 8 in the morning, to get some extra hours of sleep this weekend.

Would that were possible. The quote of the day (actually, yesterday), was "I can't pass -out, I don't have the time!" So, you see, the sudden and mysteriously exponential growth of our workload is...alarming, to say the least.

Sort of gray and drizzily today. We call it the Davis weather. Meanwhile, I'm including some pictures from our ice-cream social, this Monday.

German history MUY horrible. Actually, just boring, but I felt like complaining. What else? Oh yes, will not be going home for about four weeks...camera sort of malfunctioning now (yes, I am very sad)...heating system went on on Wednesday and I had a mild nose-bleed last night (or this morning) sadly forshadowing the relationship between me and the heating system for the rest of the winter. Still working on essays and will need to once again dedicate Saturday morning to math. My IS project partner is doing the 21-math series and they're doing the infinity sequences and series. Yes, THOSE things, my dear 04-05 calc comrades, remember the hours of agonized torture? Actually, don't remember it. Something are best left forgotten, mathmatical horrors being somewhere near the top of the list.

Blogger server is being strange and refuse to let me upload the photos. Will attempt again later.

[edit 12:55] Word: Photobucket.

Creative Venture: Apples

eden
once
now lost

paradise
gone

the spirit of man
forever striving

the eye focusing
searching
seeing

past dream
into reality

into historical future washed with gray

the heart beating
mind seeking

for the promised truth
past life

the potential realized
choices made
times past

then again
and again
and again

giving up
and gaining
again

paradise gone

spirit
forever striving

[Composed at the more-or-less unholy hour of 4: 17am, when my roommate has gone an entire night without sleeping to work on her essay and thus inducing mild-insomnia in my case. It looked better if I can do tabs, which I can do here using div tags but am currently too lazy to do.]

Recap: Longfellow & Far Too Many Editorials

"The day is dark, and cold, and dreary...." Yes I still remember that poem and can probably recite it, in a moment of geek-induced literacy. The main point here being that it has rained for the first time here at Davis. Perhaps rain is an overstatement...it's more of a refined drizzle that made my bike all drippy when I got out of math. Good thing I had a small towel-rag thing with me. Plant bio lab this afternoon, think we're grafting grapes. If lucky will be inside, if not...well...I have just enough time for shower AND dinner before my next class, aren't I lucky?

Meanwhile, have subscribed to the free-online-NY Times ...subscription? (Redundancy department of redundancy, aye) Have found this headline in the newspaper this morning: "Wal-Mart Memo Suggests Ways to Cut Employee Benefit Costs", and am now imagining the mental stability of students under a certain anti-Wal-Mart history teacher when he hears of the news. Not that he usually needs a reason to rant, but this can induce such a bout Going-Off-Topic that lesson plans might need ...well...to go on a temporary hike? Then there's the article called "Legalized Torture, Reloaded" which left me...speechless, I think, would be the closest description.

Otherwise news have been utterly depressing, especially after another hundred-page or so reading about the end of the world. Counter-balancing that I have finished reading the shoe-box project and yes, it's a wonderful showcase of writing, though I'm still not sure that I entirely approve of interpreting relationships, heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise into the story when it wasn't there but hey, this is fanfiction so I'll just file it away there. Very good writing though. Feels slightly disillusioned about Moony at the end but, agreeing with Lucy, it was definitely a happy ending.
Chocolate has been ruined for me though, for however long it might be. Heh.

Insert: Kate, I highly suggest de-caf tea.

Recap: Tea, Stir-fry, and Dorm Life

While going down the stairs today I was suddenly hit by the realization that I am a college student.

Yeah, I can imagine people's expression when they read that. Kate, stop injuring yourself.

What I meant was, though the knowledge was always there, somewhere, hovering in my mind, I don't really consider it or think about it, and then there comes some moments, like today, when it comes and smacks me over the head (much like how a few people are probably thinking of doing right now) and make me go a little dazed and cross-eyed, even though I can't really go cross-eyed, and say: huh.

Yep, I'm in college. I live in a dorm. I eat at the DC where I discovered that I am, in fact, hopelessly addicted to tea and Chinese food (tea addiction growing for some unexplanable reason). I am a college student and my life feels like it got flattened and now there's this one solid layer of reality.

Hello reality, thought you ate your heart out. Apparently not. Well, cheers.

And there's the homework of course. Nothing screams 'realism' like homework. Nothing kills off inspiration quite like homework either. Or imagination. Which is probably why it feeds realism in the first place and yes I realized I'm rambling and I don't know why so I'll kindly stop torturing you, my dear readers, and go do something useful now, such as starting my plant bio paper.

[edit 15:04]
Can you imagine someone from year 30 of the Common Era saying "Woe is me, my heart has been false, and my soul is very sad" ?

It makes me laugh for some reason.
My soul is very, very, sad, I'm afraid.

[edit 15:10]
Oh dear. Doing this homework is bad form when I'm in the mood to poke fun of things. I'm doing a summary on the conversation between Michael the angel and Zerubbabel the descendent of David and all I can think about Mike, i.e. Michael and what an ridiculous (I'm sorry, Kate) angel he would make. Arg need to be serious, except passage contains text about talking fig trees. (Messiah Text, Universal Blessings, Mid. Tehillim, p 168a if anyone is interested, though probably not.)

Creative Ventures: Stars

can you see the stars tonight?
and can you name
each one that you see
and count them
almost
but never
reacheable

do you know
I can see the stars tonight
namless and distant
and hear the lonely sounds
of the cars on the highway
headlights fading like
stars falling
growing more distant

and the stars we see
still
but moving
distant
but close

what is distance?
if thoughts can bridge it
I will never be far
if memories can shorten it
then the stars
yours
mine
are no further
than the tip of your fingers

always

[wandered outside after dark to try to see the stars but the unholy noises from the cars sort of ruined the effect, nevertheless, with enough sappy music playing low enough that even I can barely hear it, memory can be altered a bit for the sake of playing upon the emotions.]

Recap: To the General Mish-Mash

Noticed something really HARD and PRICKLY in my shoe. Ow. Investigation reveals a staple, as in sharp metal bit from the stapler, stuck to the bottom of my sock. Question remains of how it got there because walking on staples...you'd think I'd remember doing something like that.
Hypothesis: it is a leftover byproduct of roommate's attempt to brighten her room by developing a bright green canopy (cloth of course).
Likelihood of theory: far more likely than blithely walking on enormous piles of staples while sleepwalking.

Right. Moving on.

Figured out the posts in LUNATICS, sort of. I'm just going to stop trying to force the story go one way or the other and let it go however it may, which means that adoptation of one writing style, I suppose, and the neglect of what I'm currently trying to do. Term paper stuff coming out and I'll have two papers due in two weeks which is, you know, always cheering, especially if one's about the end of the world as we know it.

Roommate and her friend spent sometimes this weekend trying to solve my Rubik's cube and is vaguely impressed that I can solve it in less than five minutes. Feel geeky. Slight difficulty having conversations, people keep saying "indeed" and "exactly" a lot and I'm left to wonder if this is a polite thing or if I'm making no sense at all or what. Possibly all of the above, including the 'or what' part.

Still reading the "shoe-box project", started laughing quietly to myself at the part where Sirius tells Lupin to "stop thinking." Definitely sympathetic for Lupin.

Recap: Revelations

Having already tried working on the November section and re-written a part three times and hating each part, I concluded, quite simply, that I cannnot write. My grammar is sadly absent. My spelling ranges from pathetic to damningly-awful. The only reason why my non-fictional attempts may be slightly better than my fictional ones is that no one is subjected to suffer from a horrible plot.

Allow me to wallow in misery, it's a wallow in misery kind of day. I suspect analyzing the conflicting views about the end of the world has made me rather more cynical than I liked at the moment, but that is, as you may note, beyond my control.

Why? Why? Why? Whatever will I do with a story that I've injected far too much realism in to balance? I'll need to either change the writing style or the entire plot or genre or scrap the whole story back into the idea box and maybe, should I ever take up creative ventures again, it will see the light of day amid all the dust. I hope it isn't allergic.

My I sound pathetic. Fear not, will be alright in an hour or so. I recover fast.

Meanwhile, have asked parents about possible trip during winter break with Kate to Lucy's via the bus. Mother worries about bus accidents and car bombers despite of my reminder that we are not living in Iraq, and is wondering if she hadn't better drive me there with my father and stay somewhere, go on a tour or something for two days and then pick me up again and drive me back home. At least I can say that she hasn't said "no" specifically and/or sprung the whole "you're-only-home-for-two-weeks-and-you're-not-going-to-spend-any-time-with-us" guilt trap. I'm pretty good with those now but, hell's fires, I still feel so heck of guilty afterwards that I usually end up spending half an hour logicking myself out of feeling guilty.

Sunday again, must start on term paper soon. Many and many a blessings to you all. If I sound weird, blame my copy of MESSIANIC IDEA IN JUDAISM. Aside from the pathetic part, that was entirely my own and departing in an hour. Wave bye-bye.

[edit 18:05]
Just realized that this is a bad, Bad, preamble to NaNoWriMo. Oh well, I'll worry about it when it comes. Yep, am better. Thanks Lucy!

Non Sequitor: 10-18-05

Shorter thing I had to do for my journal prompt this week, posted here for the records:

The term ‘progression’ involves a certain amount of risk. That is mostly because what we call ‘progression’ is actually the cumulative result of trial and error which, by some chance, we either like or think will be of use to us. It might not be very reassuring to think of everything we have as based on chance, but that’s the way it goes. Had our ancestors not played with the fire, we would’ve never mastered it and learned how to cook food, as well as all the later tricks we learned to do with fire (including explosives). If we happened to have accidentally burned down a forest or two while we’re experimenting—well—that’s the price for progression, isn’t it? Scientific progression as a favor to chance, the only problem is—how far can we rely on chance? Isn’t it a bit (pardon the bad pun) chancy?

For instance, in the recent article “Can Brain Scans See Depression” by Benedict Carey from New York Times, we address the issue that, despite of everything we know, we really know preciously little, especially about ourselves. More specifically, about our minds…how we think, act, react, and why. As the author said, “For one thing, brains are as variable as personalities.” Despite of the availability of different scans that should’ve been able to provide what we think, repeat: we THINK, will be crucial knowledge to “turn on the lights in what had been a locked black box,” the actual results have yielded almost no insight into the finer (and currently still blank) portions of psychology. So? Chance didn’t quite play out—experimental hypothesis failure 101, time to try again with something else. Meanwhile, we discovered that the scans DO measure brain activity and physiology quite well and if we base our experiments on purely physical and biological data, we MIGHT be able to deduce “a potential key to understanding depression, attention deficit disorder, anxiety.”

However, as we can see, this is also a case of trial and error. If we were deducted points for every mistake we’ve made, then it’s quite possible what we’re looking at will not be called ‘progression’, but ‘retrogression.’ Luckily though, Mother Nature, God, or who/whatever controls the ways of this world had deemed it good enough for us to continue to pile up our store of useful knowledge, called success, regardless of times of useless wandering, called failures, therefore enabling us to say that we’re making great scientific progressions. The only question that is left then is this: What is really the definition of ‘progression?’

Recap: No Place Like Home

Three weeks and I am still comparatively high-strung when I'm living in the dorms. How do I know? Well, even if I'm dead exhausted asleep I'll wakeup everytime the door opens, and if I'm just sleeping regularly I'd wake up everytime my roommate as much as coughs or something. But! I've gotten better at it and could go back to sleep almost immediately afterwards, so that's probably a good thing. And to prove that I'm not really that paranoid by nature (ha) I slept nearly 10 hours last night, falling asleep at 10pm, woke up once at 2pm (got my own Pavlovian conditioning right here), then slept till 9am (quite an accomplishment for me), and apparently my neighbor was making quite a racket this morning...and I haven't a clue. No memory, no waking up, nothing.

Phenomenon of adaptation as discovered by Susan. Ha.

Meanwhile, I'd like to reaccount my adventure this morning with the cellphone repairment department of the phone company. As you all probably know, my cellphone broke. It powered off by itself and refused to power back on. Last time it happened, it powered back on by itself after a few hours, this time it took a few days (father got it working this morning) so we figured that, well, this is inconvenient, and decided to call about it for a repair which meant, of course, me calling the company.

This is a shortened version between me and a cellphone company 'agent' after verifying my ID and phone number/type a few times:

AGENT: I'm sorry for your inconvenience, but I'm going to ask you a few questions over the phone, okay?
ME: Okay.
AGENT: Your cellphone's gray-white-bluish, right?
ME: Yeah.
AGENT: Okay, plug the charger into the phone, but not into the wall jack. Is the charger loose?
ME: Well I can hold the phone and shake it and the charger isn't falling off.
AGENT: Now plug the other end into the jack and wait thirty seconds. Let me know if it turns on.
ME: Not yet...oh...yeah, it's on and charging.
AGENT: So why don't you charge it for three hours, and if it doesn't work, you can call back and we'll process the delivery.
ME: ...and if it works?
AGENT: Then there's no need to call back.
ME: ...and if it works then decides to suddenly power off by itself again?
AGENT: Then you can call back and we'll process a delivery.
ME: [dropping my face into my hand]...oh...right...okay...thank you.

So...I get the use the same phone until it suddenly and unpredictably decide to go haywire on me again. Isn't that cheery? Very helpful, these people here. (This is after I told the agent about the fact that my cellphone is in the habit of doing this.)

Another peek at how the world functions. Depressing.

For a spot of humor? I took this from NY Times:

- QUOTATION OF THE DAY -

"The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated
assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement."
- PRESIDENT BUSH, on a United Nations report on the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, former Lebanese prime minister.

[edit 17:17]
I swapped the SIM cards on the cellphones yesterday so people can still reach me, after some discussion my parents decided I should keep my card where it is --that is, in my old cellphone (black flip phone from last year, memories, anyone?) because we still haven't a clue what the other phone might decide to do. So, I have a phone and it will be working. Or so I hope. Same number, different phone. Cheers.

Recap: Untitled

Incidentally (by accident) I'll be back in Cupertino latter today. Means busy time for me until then. Ciao.

Recap: Time and Half a Time

Weather still breezily nice here at Davis. I am slightly behind in terms of math homework now because I have apparently just figured out how the range works if the graph isn't flat...so up and away for another round of algebra.

Pumpkin picking was great fun yesterday. It was a sort of a field trip where the teacher (and volunteer student drivers) drove us around the land belonging to UCD and gave us a few lectures at different spots as well as let us pick things. We had 30 people in 4 vans, mine had 8 people and I don't know the name of any of them, and no one knew anyone else, but nevertheless we were joking around and such as the van bounced over grounds that were not quite used to the rubbery roundness of the tires. It's like we're friends, except at the end of the day, after you went home, you realize you still don't know who any of the people are, aside from the fact that this guy lived in an apartment and that guy carved a homestar pumpkin last year or this girl is having trouble with her bike...things like that. I think it must be a Davis thing. Strange.

Apocalyptic class continues, having moved past DEAD SEA SCROLLS, BOOK OF ENOCH, we now proceeded with BOOK OF RELEVATIONS (including, but limited to chapter 6, verses 8-12, heh) and something that includes the word "messianic" is next. Wonderfully cheery still, what with the rain of blood and hail and thunder and 1/3 of all things dying. Also, the stuff's overly symbolic. I mean, if you thought Joseph Conrad was bad...these things are just...mind-blowingly-overly-symbolic.

Readings, and not interesting ones, either.

Recap: Wed

Too much stuff and actually, too much distractions. Busy day...roommate got up at around 11 so I was in the lounge most of the time. We get our own copy of Popular Science magazine, so that was cool. Music's playing, can't think too well right now, somewhat sleep deprived lab at 1pm pumpkin picking psychology at 6pm and then journal thing at 8pm all due tomorrow. Cheers.

[edit 16:49] Got grapes too...really really unbelievably sweet grapes...went around offering people grapes. Heh.

[edit 17:29] Can you get sugar-high from grapes?

[edit: 20:26] Okay, definitely not. Or else the sugar's worn off. Partner for journal not back yet and am finding it difficult to stay focused. (Failing to concentrate on math homework, then again....)

Recap: Masochistic Tendencies Strike Again

Having joined, though failed, to complete the NaNoWriMo requirement last year (heavens forbid it be my senior year), the organization sent me another email this year, letting me know that the time is indeed fast approaching. And me, being myself, decided to sign up again, just because I want to prove to myself that I actually CAN do it. (So much for logic.)

Consequently, the entries here will be, I fear, substantially shorter. LUNATICS will get updated even more erratically, but I hope to maintain both to the best of my ability. This is, in essense, what you get when I end up not having an English class. Tsk. Tsk. But yeah, no English class, writing for history and IS, some, but no English. Being a science major, aside from possible general education requirements (which I'm partially through with my writing part already, apocalyptic class be blessed/cursed/refered to), I have NO lit class in my preparatory classes and even less chances of having one in my higher level up classes. All math and science, and even the math stops after the preparatory level.
Probably a good thing I like science.

Aside from that, I think my insane project will force me to reallocate my time more efficiently (trust me, right now I'm on the verging of wasting time, and it's making me nervous) and, as usual, we'll see how that goes because, well, life happens.

Wish me luck?

[edit 18:50]
I've seen some samples of pavement chalk art before, but it still amazes me...
Click here.

Recap: I Stand With Garfield

Mondays are a cruel and unusual punishment. Math test at 8 in the morning is an absolutely horrific way to start the week. Granted I've been through 7:15am math tests too, but that doesn't mean I'll stop complaining about 8am ones. Ever.

You know what else's horrific? Having your math professor sneaking up on you. You're walking down the hallway to the classroom, you look up, and you see the math professor practically right at your elbow. Heart attack moment but, at least, I can honestly say that I was awake throughout the entire joyous experience of 8-in-the-morning math.

Oh yes, speaking of which, pictures from the weekend are uploaded here. Let me know if the link doesn't work. Otherwise, I have the 'Kate expression' on camera now (the one where Lucy's also taking a picture?) except I think I have the less violent (PG) version.

Not much else for now, may add more later if things come up.

Recap: An Actual Recap

[Sorry, no photos yet, the USB cable for my camera's still at Davis and I might not get around to it until tomorrow.]

And yes, this is going to be an actual recap. Of yesterday. Because it's something I usually do and I hadn't time to do it yesterday?

Right.

First off I'd like to mention that Kate's mother was driving a different car which looked black but is actually really dark green. I got picked up at around ten-ish and met everyone at Valleyfair mall, the Macy's kitchenware department entrance, where we agreed that there's something with the Lunatics and kitchenware (or just Macy's kitchenware? What good advertisement). Then we went over to ...I think Century 24 theatre? By walking. Passing Satana Row along the way, where Anna was very thrilled to discover what I shall now call the Pumpkinheads Trio...i.e. three mannequin with pumpkins for heads in the display window. It was ...very festive, I guess. Discovered that I am not up to the speed anymore on the level of randomness generally associated with a gathering of lunatics but, fear not, I think I've more than caught up at the end of the day...bad jokes included. Heh.

We got to the theatre early, so went around to the Toys R Us store next to it where Christine tried to joust with a purple unicorn (stick horse thing, don't know what to call it) and a parasol, ranted over the Lego dragons and where Lucy renewed her acquaintances with the Darth Vader respiration sounds, namesly in an aisle end that was piled full of Darth Vader mask toys. Listening to a lot of them (didn't count, sorry) go off at the same time is slightly freaky, a bit like, and I'll stick to my words, the pulmonary department in the diagnostic hospital. Bronchopneumonia much?

Left to watch movie (eventually, of course). Serentity. Sci-fi western all the way. Slightly overdone symbolism as with all movies, but overall quite good. I want to do a rant on the role of government in the progression of humanity but that'll have to wait. Toys 'R Us afterwards again (because, you know, we just can't get enough of it), funny pokemon video games where all the figures sway from side to side throughout the entire game. Walking back with Christine pretending to be on an invisible pony...which she didn't name...which eventually and unexplanably ended up in the glue factory, leading, somehow, to the discussion of Darth Vader on a pony.
Hence, you know, what I said earlier about Lunatics and randomness. Major increase of entropy.

Passed by Pumpkinhead Trio again, which Anna enjoyed. Went to Santana Row for lunch where we drove Kate crazy with our lack of preference and eventually ended up ordering pizza and observing the trouble there is with freewill, aka allowing us to costomize things. (By the way, I googled "pesto" so now I know what it is!) Where Kate obsessive-compulsively (yeah I hate grammar too, cheers) straightened the alignment of napkins, forks, tableware in general and Lucy pointed a knife at her (though event #1 is not the cause of event #2, we hope). Where Anna finally succumed to Kate's haranguing about her shirt and donned her jacket and then was freaked out by Christine who was chomping the slice of lemon they stuck on the edge of the cup, before eating her pizza with sugar.

Bookstore time next, where we added stuff to "to-read" lists and wishes there were more hours to the day to dedicate to reading (or, in my case, figuring out to get a library card at Yolo county). Back to Valleyfair and then, quite suddenly, it was time to go. I'd describe the day either as brain-melting or awesome and I think I'll stick with brain-meltingly awesome. That works, right?

And oh, Harry Potter (or Harrius Potter, in this case) in Latin is ...just...astonishing.

It was a great day everyone.
Thanks.

Recap: Untitled

Busy day up ahead. Unfortunately it looks like the day'll have to end with math reviewing but, oh well, you can't have everything.

I have a camera and I'm not afraid to use it!

Recap: All Hail Fridays

I realized that I've stopped processing what I was reading when I realized that next to the passage that said:
"Rise up, rise up, O God of gods,
rise Thyself in mig[ht, King of Kings]!"
I've scribbled "He's already in heaven, how much higher can he go?"

Sometimes I crack myself up. Save for the fact that I'm sort of a 'psychoceramic' (heh) already. Oh yeah. Made in China to boot.

Have been confusing my hyperbolic paraboloids with my parabolic hyperboloids (yep, there's an actual difference!) but I think I've gotten them straightened out now. I went downstairs to the lobby the other day (forgot to mention this) and this guy was demonstrating to this girl figure skating. On the carpet. He did the sliding thing with his foot, turned, jumped, and did...oh, about three turns while he was in the air, landed on one foot and did the backward turns thing. On the carpet. It was very cool to watch. Then there's the various times I come downstairs and hear/see people playing the piano and sounding very good...or the fact that I had lunch with one of my floormate the other day who happened to be majoring in material engineering but is also having major side interests in psychology and chemistry.

Yeah, people are still scarying me a little with their nice-ness (my roommate, for instance, asks me 'how are you' every time she comes in), but, on the whole, very neat people living in Miller Hall.

And no class after 9AM today, that cheers me up enormously. I'll salute you all from 'Tino tomorrow but meanwhile I should do some cleaning.
Happy Friday.

[Oh and Amber made that face for the picture on purpose...just so you know...she wasn't being tortured or anything.]

Recap: 29hours Per Day

Today is Yom Kippur and so I get one class off due to my Jewish professor, which meant that I've been trying to get through my DEAD SEA SCROLLS...and well, I don't know so much about the Dead Sea, but the scrolls are starting to make my mind feel dead. And it's not even 10 in the morning yet.

While trying to cross reference who "prince of light" is referring to with google, I found a movie apparently called PRINCE OF LIGHT, then I found the name of Michael J. Reynolds, who's apparently an actor of some sort. Kate...did you make up the name or did you actually take it from somewhere? Because I'm very curious now. He (Renolds) apparently did this movie called MY FATHER'S SHADOW: THE SAM SHEPPARD STORY and basically, I've been sitting in front of my laptop, quietly laughing myself sick. See, you don't get googled results for Nick Lucille, or Gabriel Z. Dawson so...

Right, back to my work. But not before I post the picture of my next-door neighbors, Kimber & Amber.

Recap: Spatial Visualizations

I find myself enjoying problems which involves trying to visualize surfaces in three dimensions according to an equation. At 8:30 in the morning. Of course it's frustrating as heck when you don't get the...hyperbolic paraboloid (such names)'s shape right but...
Wow, I surprise myself. Heh.

Right so today I had my plant bio lab again and planted mums and marigolds and basil and other stuff. The teacher fed us watermelons again afterwards and I find it impossible to go through the class without smiling. The teacher speaks with an heavy accent and likes to crack jokes. For instance, today the student aid plucked a lemon from the tree outside and was eating it while the teacher was demonstrating how to plant stuff, and the teacher asked him what he was eating, then started explaining to us how where he came from, pregnant women usually get this craving for lemons and salt (I don't know, don't ask me). The guy went red and the teacher went back to explaining while we shouldn't plant a plant in the middle of the pot if there were more than one plant to be planted in the pot (sounds like...how much wood can a woodchuck chuck....).

Psychology tonight. Two hour lectures. Fun.
Meanwhile, I've been actually talking to strangers daily (which is as close to being extroverted as I can ever be) and am pleased to report that I am not the only one here who's freaked out by how nice everyone is.

Our RA's birthday was today, there were cards and stuff. Nice. I'd take a picture except everything's stuck to the wall right outside her room and there's no one there so....

Another unrelated note: I'd just seen the facebook profile for a guy who's last name is Reynolds, whose interest includes, I quote, "hanging with friends, exercise, movies, anime, martial arts, video games, enjoying the outdoors", whose favorite bands includes Coldplay and Postal Service, and DUNE and GREAT GATSBY in terms of books. He is also a freshman but, at least, he's not a math major.

College is a place for chances, isn't it?

Out.

Ranting: Empathy

[I haven't done of this for a while, have I?]

I have just attended a lecture on the book ORYX AND CRAKE, and despite of previous discussions, I've found some new thing to obsess over that is also related to some old thing.

The old idea: contemplations on the similarities and differences between religion and science.

The new idea: of ethnics and philosophy as the underlying thread beneath BOTH.

Granted, when you first look at the second sentence, your initial reaction might be, well "duh!", but it is seldom put into words because, as far as definitions go, both ethnics and philosophy are vague definition on an already vague-ish meeting point between two already highly controversial topics. And they are controversial, aren't they? Religion and science. Great deal of problems, moral, philosophical, political, whatever, about both, yet at the same time they are polar opposites except for when they, as I've probably discussed with various people before, bent so far in opposite directions that they end up going in a circle and meeting at the same point.

Yeah, a plague on my run-on sentences. I feel your pain (proverbially speaking, at least).

So consider religion; consider science. Both have ethical issues because various sect(ors) of it may engage in practices that are socially found unacceptable or harmful or, as the general consensus goes, just plain wrong. But that's the thing, isn't it? What's right and what's wrong, and who makes the calls because there are so darn many humans (there are, just trust me on this) and people tend to differ on the matter of opinions? The very idea of right and wrong is what's behind both (religion and science). In essence, both are trying to find Truth. Why? Because, believe it or not, both are run by humans and the Quest For Truth is something humans do (yeah, masochists...it's a species thing I guess). One relies on facts more, other relies on faith. Occasionally there's a minor role switch and the facts need a little faith and the faith could use a little fact but, in essense, that's how it goes. One focuses on thoughts, other on feelings, and please tell me that the controversy of mind v.s. heart (or what is figuratively consulted as the heart) is not a new one because, well, quite a few people would disagree with you if you did.

I am going way off topic. Just so...you know...that I noticed.

Back to ethics then. The reason (theory) of why ethics and philosophy are the underlying threads is because philosophy is the investigation of knowledge and existence and ethics, and ethics is the philosophical study of moral values and right and wrong. As you can see, there's a noticeable overlap in definition, with gives you the ambiguous feeling that we're talking about one mass of things that we're trying to pin down and not gettin very far at it. Makes you want to pin it down though, right? Know what it's all about?
Here we have it again, the drive for Truth. Final, ultimate, beautiful (or so we think) Truth. Lovely motivation for a lot of things (both clever and stupid) that we do. May we get there some day.

Amd what's the chance of that?

This is horribly long and I've just realized I have no overall 'wrap-up' that I can tie back to what I started with. So sorry to subject you to this, essentially ranty and highly pointless...well...rant.

Recap: Some (More) Thoughts

Second week of full-classes and things are settling down into a sort of schedule, which is always nice, all things considered.

You know, I have to wonder about the term of "gift", on a completely unrelated train of thought from the previous sentence. There was a man who was handing out what I think were pocket-sized copies of the new testament in front of the lecture hall (incredably appropriate for someone who's about to go into a discussion about the role of God v.s. the End Times As We Know It, but no, I didn't want to copy nor did I take one) and he was saying 'free gifts'. Now, that got me thinking (consequences of getting enough sleep), because I was under the impression that 'gift' meant something that is freely given, and that anything that has a cost cannot be considered as, theoretically, a gift. I may have a very confused sense of definition here and someone better-informed than me please fill me in, but under my current knowledge 'free-gift' seems very redundant in terms of words. Like most of the other phrases in the modern culture. So I'm not quite sure why I just devoted an entire paragraph to it except for the fact that it was remained, quite unaccountably, on my mind for the full two hours.

Meanwhile, all the books I've ordered online have arrived, the classes are progressing at an even pace, I'm updated on everything that I academically should be updated on, and it's all good here at Davis, hope you're the same.

Sincerely,
The girl who had been trying to save her roommate's pot of mums and is wondering how that will turn out.

Recap: Socializing

Socializing, it seems, has never been a particular strong point of mine and is showing no signs of suddenly becoming one. Last night we had a social committee on our floor and I took pictures, except it was dim and people were moving and my stupid camera wouldn't focus (remember how I had to borrow your camera for the LUNATICS event, Lucy? Yeah it was that bad). So when I uploaded the pictures I was mortified to find that they're all at various degrees of blurriness. But people have been very good about it so far and I am definitely going to think of some way to make it up, preferably doing the time when the sun's up and my camera has batteries. But...first social committee thing of the year, and I signed up for poster-and-fliers-making (considering that I am neither currently enrolled in an art class or doing an art club for the first time since before elementary school...). I am very sad at how bad the 'funny pics' turned out. You can't make out people's faces at all.
Life happens, that's my philosophy.

Math this morning, doing 3D space stuff now, which is, of course, fun to graph. Participated in a psychology research experiment that was supposidely from 10:30 to 11:30 but, as you can see from the time above this entry, it was no where that long. In fact, I left before it was even 10:50 (that's when most classes get out). Plant biology this afternoon and psychology tonight and I wish my classes would come in chunks instead of being all carved up like this but, again, life happens.

See squirrel. See squirrel run. Run squirrel run.
Terror of bikes, you see.

Recap: Eschatology

Got up at 8:15 this morning and was doing more reading about the end of the world (I wonder if this'll seriously affect my morning disposition) in the lounge, which was completely empty and dead quiet and therefore for some reason very amusing to me. I've been told to start taking pictures, so I'll post a few scenic shots I've taken of UCD earlier this week...

Scenic shots (given that I actually spelled the word right, which somehow seemed unlikely) makes me feel poetical. Especially when they happened to not include people, but that might be just me.
We get very nice sunsets here at Davis. And bikes. But everyone knew about the bikes already so I really don't need to mention them that much.
Davis-styled. The weird tower-things and whatnot. Random people were playing frisbee in the field while I was taking the picture and they were looking at me funny. Yeah, strange freshman girl wandering around by herself, taking pictures. The tower-things, I take it, is a UCD symbol, along which cows, which I still haven't seen yet, but if I happen to see one I'll be sure to take a picture of it. Cow at Davis. Heh.
This is a heavily photographic entry. Thank heavens for high-speed internet. There isn't a whole lot that I'll do today (more homework, studying, maybe visiting some people). Being able to find the time to relax on weekends after school had started is very strange, but in a nice way. I hope it stays that way.

[edit: 19:09] It's Sunday night, I have finished my present-due academics, and I need someone who's fluent in French and everyone I know on AIM who fits this cateogory is either not on or away.
Lucy, I so blame you for this.
(Joking. Well, partially.)

Recap: Saturday Away

It's Saturday, I was up at 8, doing laundry while getting my IS reading done and then working on my writing my clothing was in the dryer. I felt particularly efficient. Also freakish (considering that I am, after all, a college student). But I'm going to focus on the efficient part because it's Saturday and therefore a chance to feel good about things.

My roommate, being the more sane of the two, was sleeping until I left for the library then Rite Aid at around 11. Laundry still seemed to be a relative morning thing though, with the crowd peaking at the nine-ten-ish time from my observation. Hm roommate just finished dressing and is leaving for brunch ("Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."), yep, definitely the saner one as compared with everyone else. If the student activity is measured by the number of people I see while entering the third floor of my building, eight 'o clock ain't it.

Going downtown later to hunt for a 12' long tape measure in metric. Rite Aid, which is near, only has it in the English system so...time for another off campus trip!

On a completely unrelated note, I installed language support (along with input text support) for Chinese, Spanish, and because of the now-present necesity, French on my computer. My keyboard has no little reminders tics, so when I use the French keyboard it'll be a bit of trial and error since the keys are all located at diffent spots for the software.
For instance, the left-hand home keys are no longer "a s d f" but %q s d f% qnd so zhen I try to type nor,qlly the things zill turn out looking like this; zhich is q,using but not pqrticulqrly instructive:
Right.

Recap: Psychoanalysis

In order to pass my psychology class I'm required to participate in psy. research for 5 units, I am currently filling out a survey which would give me one credit. So far I've been cleverly screened for depression, anxiety, paranoia, and I think schizophrenia. I found this question though:
5. Some people have the experience of finding new things among their belongings that they do not remember buying. Check the box that shows what percentage of the time this happens to you.

And now I'm thinking about my mother...and moving into college. As in I open a box and haven't a clue on earth where these odd ends and things came from. lol What should I put for that then? It used to happen to me 80% of the time!

Urgh. Aside from that my day that only has one class turned out to be a lot more eventful than I thought. Pretty interesting though, from a bystander's view, to watch my schedule fill up.

Recap: Naturalistic Observations

I have not ranted about how awesome (yes, I just used that word) my plant bio class is. Or, at least, the lab was. Yesterday we went outside into the field, got assigned our own little plot of land, and spent the time planting stuff like celery, cabbage, and spinach. Afterwards the teacher took out these watermelons that are grown in another field, a large knife, and started carving out these HUGE chunks of melon and handing it out to everyone. So yes, we planted stuff and afterwards the teacher fed us, which is definitely not what you'd usually expect from a college class lab. You also don't expect to hear the teacher bellowing "who still haven't planted the parsley?!" in the middle of the class, and something about pak choi that no one really caught on.
They were very good watermelons.

Psychology was a two hour-ed lecture and I only regret the fact that the class ended when it was really, really dark (depth-perception being important while riding a bike). Finding out that some of the stuff I've already been doing has professional names was neat, provided that I can memorize the names. I have a heck lot of note-taking and journal-writing to do, but imagine that I'll be catching up sometimes today and tomorrow.

Upcoming of my first weekend spent at Davis, I foresee sleeping, eating, homework, and staring vacantly off into space, but predict that other things will get added along the way.

Recap: Ookay...

Suddenly I found myself with sixteen credits as opposed to the thirteen that I started the year with but...cest la vie...life happens.

Lucy, the word varification deal is to prevent the auto-generated advertisements from getting to my blog, blogger made a big deal about it a while ago and since ad did manage to find my blog...but if you find it too annoying I'll turn it off (not like anyone else comments so, you get a request priority.)

In looking at my schedule I notied that I have now a huge chunk of free time before my 8-9 in the morning math and my 1 in the afternoon plant biology lab so...homework maybe, review some, random stuff, and then I'll have time to goof off in the middle of the day which, if you know anything about me at all, is freakishly weird for me. Maybe I'll go and do all the review problems for math. No, am not that crazy, at least not yet.

I also have a meeting at today at lunch for a project that involves me documenting my freshman year at college. Sounds familiar? I thought so. I wonder how long I can keep up the blogging tradition. From the old url I've had a blog since my 10th grade year, as introduced by Anna (Anna, you used to be waaay addicted to the internet...what happened? Oh wait. Life, right? Heh.), and then...and so...wow. History. Anything older than a year in cyberspace can be considered history. I'm history. Ha.

No other predictable events, so if something horribly interesting happens it will be updated tomorrow. Meanwhile I'll go and do homework.

Over and out.

Non Sequitor: Cow Villain

Interesting conversation tonight:

[19:27] sceresian: reaching perfect normality now, are we?
[19:27] Unsticky Caps: No.
[19:27] Unsticky Caps: Achieving maximum doom levels.
[19:27] sceresian: huh
[19:27] sceresian: there're minimal doom levels?
[19:27] Unsticky Caps: Yeah.
[19:27] sceresian: how many ways can a person be doomed?
[19:27] Unsticky Caps: As school ends.
[19:27] Unsticky Caps: XD.
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: A little bit, or a lot.
[19:28] sceresian: nevermind
[19:28] sceresian: nevermind
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: And everything in between.
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: XD
[19:28] sceresian: I realized
[19:28] sceresian: what I just said
[19:28] sceresian: besides I'm taking a class on the history of the end of the world
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: ^_^
[19:28] sceresian: and yeah
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: O-o
[19:28] sceresian: doom comes
[19:28] sceresian: in all forms
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: The history of the end of the world?
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: W00t.
[19:28] Unsticky Caps: Any rains of frogs yet?
[19:28] sceresian: no, we just have people being torn from limb to limb and having their houses razed to the ground
[19:29] sceresian: oh and God's planning to burn up the world one day
[19:29] sceresian: just so you know
[19:29] Unsticky Caps: Oh.
[19:29] Unsticky Caps: Well...
[19:29] sceresian: since I thought you liked the burning thing
[19:29] Unsticky Caps: I'll get there first.
...

And then, the greatest line:

[19:54] Unsticky Caps: You're safe still.
[19:54] Unsticky Caps: Moo ha ha ha ha.

Lo and behold, it's Darth Bovine!

Recap: Untitled

Statement of the day: 10AM is a very early time to be thinking about the end of the world.

I've reached the conclusion that eating lunch 'on time' works better if you go to the DC either early or late, so long that you don't go on the actual time. I've also concluded that when entering the DC and searching for good food, you can either read the menu-stand or just walk around and stand in the longest line.
I usually opt out on the line thing. They can get very long.

Went and got my psychology book from the store today because I couldn't find a 7th edition online and the book was scarily expensive...but this is college, so I'm not quite sure why I'm even mentioning this. Today's also sort of windy and I've discovered the extreme usefulness of wearing glasses while riding a bike for it keeps a good percentage of the countryside right where it's suppose to be--outside of my eyes.

Still struggling with the names. Too many people, I tell you, too many people.

Recap: Separating Variables

After some thought I've come to the conclusion that home, in terms of sentimentality (wait, is that a word?), is any place that you can go back to and feel like you've never left at all.

I'm happy to say that my dorm is 'starting to feel a lot like a home'.

Meanwhile, for reasons and circumstances that has not yet been made entirely clear to me, I found myself earning 15 credits this quarter and possibly enjoying all of my classes (yes, maybe even math-- que horrible!). According to the stats this means that I'm well on my way to graduating in four years. Also according to the stats UC Davis has more bikes that it does students, which I'm starting to believe after I was forced to acknowledge that it's the next thing to impossible to try to get a good shot of campus without ending up with at least one or two bikes (with or without riders) in the picture. Believe me, I've tried, in the spirit of scientific interest, if nothing else.

Speaking of bikes, I got my 'registered' today (missed the office building the first time, noted, navigation is hard while riding a bike), which involved receiving two hopefully water-proof stickers to stick on my bike. I have a pink bike. Pink, as in dark magenta. Amused yet? Mother got it for me when I was...either in elementary or first year at jr. high, so go figure.

People were also looking at me strangely this morning because I tried one of the donuts and ended up picking off the sprinkles because I found them too sweet.

My identity: first year student, amateaur writer/artist, despiser (again, not sure if it's a word) of all things trig, and/or college board related, drinker of iced tea, weirdo.
Never will have an identity crises. Nope.

Recap: Temporal Displacement

Whenever I'm in a position where I technically live at two places (i.e. is able to call two different places 'home' simultaneously) I get the odd feeling that whenever I am at one of those places the other place is surreal. It probably isn't just me who get these feelings either, but I'm just being my usual weird self and taking the time to analyze it.

Anyway...was home yesterday and yes it was very nice. My parents seemed to think that one week at college is enough for me to become thoroughly familiar with every single place and system there and in the interrogation (no, it's more of an endlessly friendly questioning session) that followed I was forced to say "I really don't know" many, many times, much to their disappointment.
I had a week at school, I've had two days of classes, how much would I really know about the system that the teachers work around?

Going back to Davis today...bringing more clothes...some other odd ends (such as my Rubik's cube because, you know, there's such memories associated with that thing) along. Here's to another week!