Well, tomorrow is the day! The day when I begin pharmacy classes and a life as a pharmacy student. Today, I hung out with three of my baddy teammates, and it made me, once again, think of the days of the past year. I'm glad that I made last year so memorable, and I actually feel that I accomplished making it the best last year of undergrad I could have made it. Sure, there were still some days when I'd sit in my apartment all day (seriously, there were days when I wouldn't leave the apartment at all. They were the days I didn't even get out of my pajamas.), and there were days when I felt I wasted time browsing the internet for nothing in particular. But, they were few compared to the days when I was busy the whole day with something to do: class, research, work, baddy, hangouts, food, lab, etc. Loved the balance it came down to.
But now, I have to move on to balancing a new schedule. One thing I dislike about being in school is the difference every year is, although this is also one thing I like about being in school. The people who graduated that year are no longer back the next year, and you probably won't be able to hang out with them anymore. It makes me sad when the number of people you got to know and hang out with diminish. It's so hard for me to meet new people and establish that feel of familiarity in a quick amount of time. I usually take months (give it about 3 to a year), and before I know it, the year is over and they're gone. I dislike having to part with them, but what can I do except try to keep updated about their lives. It's exciting to meet new people and a new class, but I still long to be back with the people I've already gotten to know. I'm always finding myself in these kinds of dilemmas. Who will I choose to hang out with: people I can get to know (and will get to know for the next 4 years) or people I already know (and may not see much of anymore)?
No matter how much I tell myself that my undergrad days are over and that I have to start this new professional graduate life, I still feel pulled to spend time being an undergrad, hanging with my friends still there, being at the undergrad campus. It's probably because I graduated a year early, but people also are staying a year more to get their masters. Would I feel the same way as I do now if I had stayed one more year? I am lost between this want to still be an undergrad and this want to become a professional. How about being an undergrad professional? haha. I'm so greedy to want both.
Although, now I do feel more strongly that I want to be a professional.
Showing posts with label badminton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label badminton. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
LXIV : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 17
I really wanted to clump this last update about my last days of undergrad into one entry after all my finals were done (last one is Monday), but I've just been distracted so easily, even when I turn off my wireless so that I have to study. This time, however, the distraction was not what I was expecting. I logged onto my lj account, which I've ignored for at least a year now. And I went on my friends list and found entries from a friend I thought was always so cheery. So optimistic. So full of fun and smiles. But the most recent entry (today) was about leaving high school and going on to college, leaving friends, feeling lonely, and feeling like what bonds that have been built since childhood (or even since high school) will shake because of the next journey. It was saddening reading those thoughts, but I found myself completely understanding those feelings. I had them, too, but I was oblivious to what I was feeling like, as I still am still. Back then, and still now, I trick myself into thinking "smile. You're okay. You're happy. So smile" when I know something is definitely bothering me. Yet I can't ever pinpoint what exactly is it, until someone explains it to me. Why do I have to wait for someone to explain these feelings I have to me? Why am I unable to figure them out myself? Why can't I put my own feelings into words before people tell me what exactly is going on in my own mind? Why can't I understand myself still? Maybe one more reason I always feel like I'm lagging behind others is because I don't discuss these feelings, so I can't unravel them myself. Then I'm just stuck with them. Sure, they eventually pass, but when they come back again, I still don't know what they're from and what they mean.
For instance, this week, I had my first two finals on the same day (first day of finals). Those were the last days I would see my physio and pchem professors. Those were the last days I would go to those classrooms and take exams. Then, Friday was my last day at work at the USC Pharmacy. I got pictures of the workers I spent so much time with each week. I wanted to hope that I might be working there as a pharm student one day, but it would be different probably. I wanted them to know how much I loved working there as a cashier and how much I would miss helping them out at their busiest hours. I promised I would see them one last time during graduation, but I still had that feeling of sadness on leaving. After the pharmacy, I went to my last day with my research group. I gave them "Popping Candy" (or whatever it's called. From Taiwan) as a present and thank you for having me in the group. I will miss their jokes, smiles, laughs, and incredible knowledge. I may not be missing the actual research topic as much, but I will be missing seeing how research in progress looks like, and how frustrating or joyful it can be. I wonder if I was any help to them, but I hope I can drop by when I'm in Pharm school.
Then today was the last practice/training with the few baddy members who could make it. And I didn't feel all that cheery for some reason. I made egg tarts to give to them. I hope they know just how much I loved the team this year, and I hope they loved it too. The friendships, the meals, and random conversations about anything. I hope they enjoyed every bit of it. I wanted the lasts to be sweet and happy, but it just seems like I wasn't up for putting on that carefree, joyfulness at practice today. I felt frustration and sadness that I couldn't play my best at the last practice. I felt "blah" that I didn't contribute to the conversations during the post-training dinner. What am I thinking inside? Why am I not enjoying my lasts with the people I enjoyed being around this year? Maybe this graduation somberness finally hit me. I'm leaving. I'm starting again. My life won't be the same yet again. I've got to change my mindset, prepare it better, and, most importantly, know myself better.
I still can't understand how other people can know me more than I know myself. Is it because people ultimately go through the same experiences with the same feelings? Or do people really know how I think? How is that possible? I feel like I don't really know how anyone thinks. I don't think about it. Or does it come naturally? Like a feeling? And don't people tend to not want to follow what others think they will do? So what exactly makes one "know" another?
I teared up when my roommate left for home today. It's so weird because I thought I wanted her to leave soon. It's not like we didn't get along. Maybe I just wanted my own room? Why am I so confused with myself.
I think I'm going to cry during graduation. I think.
For instance, this week, I had my first two finals on the same day (first day of finals). Those were the last days I would see my physio and pchem professors. Those were the last days I would go to those classrooms and take exams. Then, Friday was my last day at work at the USC Pharmacy. I got pictures of the workers I spent so much time with each week. I wanted to hope that I might be working there as a pharm student one day, but it would be different probably. I wanted them to know how much I loved working there as a cashier and how much I would miss helping them out at their busiest hours. I promised I would see them one last time during graduation, but I still had that feeling of sadness on leaving. After the pharmacy, I went to my last day with my research group. I gave them "Popping Candy" (or whatever it's called. From Taiwan) as a present and thank you for having me in the group. I will miss their jokes, smiles, laughs, and incredible knowledge. I may not be missing the actual research topic as much, but I will be missing seeing how research in progress looks like, and how frustrating or joyful it can be. I wonder if I was any help to them, but I hope I can drop by when I'm in Pharm school.
Then today was the last practice/training with the few baddy members who could make it. And I didn't feel all that cheery for some reason. I made egg tarts to give to them. I hope they know just how much I loved the team this year, and I hope they loved it too. The friendships, the meals, and random conversations about anything. I hope they enjoyed every bit of it. I wanted the lasts to be sweet and happy, but it just seems like I wasn't up for putting on that carefree, joyfulness at practice today. I felt frustration and sadness that I couldn't play my best at the last practice. I felt "blah" that I didn't contribute to the conversations during the post-training dinner. What am I thinking inside? Why am I not enjoying my lasts with the people I enjoyed being around this year? Maybe this graduation somberness finally hit me. I'm leaving. I'm starting again. My life won't be the same yet again. I've got to change my mindset, prepare it better, and, most importantly, know myself better.
I still can't understand how other people can know me more than I know myself. Is it because people ultimately go through the same experiences with the same feelings? Or do people really know how I think? How is that possible? I feel like I don't really know how anyone thinks. I don't think about it. Or does it come naturally? Like a feeling? And don't people tend to not want to follow what others think they will do? So what exactly makes one "know" another?
I teared up when my roommate left for home today. It's so weird because I thought I wanted her to leave soon. It's not like we didn't get along. Maybe I just wanted my own room? Why am I so confused with myself.
I think I'm going to cry during graduation. I think.
Friday, April 23, 2010
LXI : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 14 and 15
Tuesday (4/13), I watched Mononoke Hime in Japanese Anime class, but we didn't finish it. So I found the whole movie uploaded somewhere on the internet and finished it. It probably remains my favorite film by Miyazaki. The first time I ever watched it, I remember suddenly realizing how there could be a perfectly well-written story with no villain. Well, I guess no villain as I'm used to stories and animated films having. On top of that, I realized how people and nature keep clashing. In addition to loving the story and the characters, I love love LOVE the music. Hisaishi is amazing at composing music that touches the heart, at least it touches mine. Mononoke Hime, Spirited Away, Kikujiro, Laputa, etc. I think genius means being able to reach through to someone's heart, getting passed all walls that could be there and hitting the emotions. In one word: WOW.
I think every time I've watched Mononoke Hime, I've always lingered on it for the next three days or so. It has that strong of an impact on my mind. Truly amazing. Anyway, these two weeks were "rest" weeks because I didn't have any exams. But then, it also meant I was supposed to catch up on work. Of course, I am still behind, but I have a very good excuse: my birthday!!
Saturday was hanging out with Phoebe, Steph, Lint, and Monica at the Stinking Rose and pigging out on their delicious bread. We demolished the first plate when it came and shocked the waiter refilling the bread when he gave us the second plate. It was hilarious because after probably 4 plates, he came over and was like "oh..." and walked away cuz we weren't done yet. Apparently, he only took the plate when there was 1 or 2 left. And by plate 4, we finally decided to "eat smart" and wait for our meals. We had an appetizer (garlic fries ish) that kept making us lose our focus to leave room for the real meal. But oh well, it was a fun dinner. Garlic ice cream is pretty delicious. Like tofu cheesecake (Hayward!). ahh.. lovely. And miso ice cream (Japan...).
Sunday was dimsumming with roomies and Lint. We wanted to go to Yi Mei, but this is what we found when we got there:
It was sad for us, but what made me feel even sadder was seeing two more Asian vans driven by daddies pass by slowly and seeing a grandpa and daddy walk up to the sign. The families that go to the restaurant weekly must've been more devastated than we were. In the end, we went to Elite, right next to Yi Mei. It was a bit pricey, but it's worth it because the portions are big! I very much enjoyed stuffing myself full with their dimsum.
Monday was dinnering with a few of the baddy team members. We ate at a Taiwanese restaurant called Pa Pa Walk. Very delicious and, once again, I pretty much over-filled my stomach. I loved these signs they had for the kitchen and the bathroom:
But food didn't stop there. We went to Kelvin's apartment afterward and Irene brought me a huge cake!
I didn't get pictures, but I blow torched (for creme brulee) the Hello Kitty candle and then literally defaced it. Seriously, sometimes I think I should get over my dislike for Hello Kitty, but I sleep with a Pochacco blanket every night so how can I? We played BANG! (they had to teach me first) until around 1am. What in the world is the renegade supposed to win at that game?! I managed to trick one vice into killing the other vice, but then by the time it gets down to the sheriff, vice, and renegade, I think we pretty much know who's who. -,- Unless the renegade is persuasive enough to get the sheriff to believe he is the vice... I have no such skills. *sad* There was one surprise for my birthday. Jeremy managed to stuff a beer can into my baddy bag without my noticing, and I only found it when I got back to my apartment and unloaded my bag. Now I have a random beer can in the fridge, which I honestly forgot about until yesterday... whoops.
Tuesday was interesting. It started off with Lynn giving me a shirt and my mom sending me package that had a shirt from my sis and Helen (among other lovely things). Shirts together:
Because I slept so late on Monday and couldn't fall asleep until 4am because I was thinking about my first phone interview (for a biotech company internship), I convinced myself that I would skip Japanese Anime class. So I did. And it was wonderful, though I got up early enough that I could have rushed to class... nah. I went to research, but got out early because I told Russell it was my birthday. It was funny conversation:
M: Can I leave early today?
R: Of course not! You have to stay the whole time.
M: It's my birthday.
R: What? What are you doing here! Get out of here!
I'm going to miss researching with the group. I know they'll probably all finish their PhDs soon and whatnot, so eventually we'll disperse. But sometimes, can't time just feel longer when we're having fun? Anyway, dinner was with Kit, who took me to an El Salvadorian restaurant near campus. It was surprisingly filling and delicious, but I still love my Asian foods.
So birthday was super awesome and I'm glad I got to spend it with so many different people I love hanging out with. Love love love.
Now there is one week of classes left and then finals. My last ones of my undergraduate career. I will miss it, but look forward to Pharmacy school! I get excited when I talk to pharm students. So much to know! So much I want to do! Little my little, life will fall into place. But for now (I always have to pull myself back into the NOW), I will go at the pace I am comfortable with.
I think every time I've watched Mononoke Hime, I've always lingered on it for the next three days or so. It has that strong of an impact on my mind. Truly amazing. Anyway, these two weeks were "rest" weeks because I didn't have any exams. But then, it also meant I was supposed to catch up on work. Of course, I am still behind, but I have a very good excuse: my birthday!!
Saturday was hanging out with Phoebe, Steph, Lint, and Monica at the Stinking Rose and pigging out on their delicious bread. We demolished the first plate when it came and shocked the waiter refilling the bread when he gave us the second plate. It was hilarious because after probably 4 plates, he came over and was like "oh..." and walked away cuz we weren't done yet. Apparently, he only took the plate when there was 1 or 2 left. And by plate 4, we finally decided to "eat smart" and wait for our meals. We had an appetizer (garlic fries ish) that kept making us lose our focus to leave room for the real meal. But oh well, it was a fun dinner. Garlic ice cream is pretty delicious. Like tofu cheesecake (Hayward!). ahh.. lovely. And miso ice cream (Japan...).
Sunday was dimsumming with roomies and Lint. We wanted to go to Yi Mei, but this is what we found when we got there:
It was sad for us, but what made me feel even sadder was seeing two more Asian vans driven by daddies pass by slowly and seeing a grandpa and daddy walk up to the sign. The families that go to the restaurant weekly must've been more devastated than we were. In the end, we went to Elite, right next to Yi Mei. It was a bit pricey, but it's worth it because the portions are big! I very much enjoyed stuffing myself full with their dimsum.
Monday was dinnering with a few of the baddy team members. We ate at a Taiwanese restaurant called Pa Pa Walk. Very delicious and, once again, I pretty much over-filled my stomach. I loved these signs they had for the kitchen and the bathroom:
But food didn't stop there. We went to Kelvin's apartment afterward and Irene brought me a huge cake!
I didn't get pictures, but I blow torched (for creme brulee) the Hello Kitty candle and then literally defaced it. Seriously, sometimes I think I should get over my dislike for Hello Kitty, but I sleep with a Pochacco blanket every night so how can I? We played BANG! (they had to teach me first) until around 1am. What in the world is the renegade supposed to win at that game?! I managed to trick one vice into killing the other vice, but then by the time it gets down to the sheriff, vice, and renegade, I think we pretty much know who's who. -,- Unless the renegade is persuasive enough to get the sheriff to believe he is the vice... I have no such skills. *sad* There was one surprise for my birthday. Jeremy managed to stuff a beer can into my baddy bag without my noticing, and I only found it when I got back to my apartment and unloaded my bag. Now I have a random beer can in the fridge, which I honestly forgot about until yesterday... whoops.
Tuesday was interesting. It started off with Lynn giving me a shirt and my mom sending me package that had a shirt from my sis and Helen (among other lovely things). Shirts together:
Because I slept so late on Monday and couldn't fall asleep until 4am because I was thinking about my first phone interview (for a biotech company internship), I convinced myself that I would skip Japanese Anime class. So I did. And it was wonderful, though I got up early enough that I could have rushed to class... nah. I went to research, but got out early because I told Russell it was my birthday. It was funny conversation:
M: Can I leave early today?
R: Of course not! You have to stay the whole time.
M: It's my birthday.
R: What? What are you doing here! Get out of here!
I'm going to miss researching with the group. I know they'll probably all finish their PhDs soon and whatnot, so eventually we'll disperse. But sometimes, can't time just feel longer when we're having fun? Anyway, dinner was with Kit, who took me to an El Salvadorian restaurant near campus. It was surprisingly filling and delicious, but I still love my Asian foods.
So birthday was super awesome and I'm glad I got to spend it with so many different people I love hanging out with. Love love love.
Now there is one week of classes left and then finals. My last ones of my undergraduate career. I will miss it, but look forward to Pharmacy school! I get excited when I talk to pharm students. So much to know! So much I want to do! Little my little, life will fall into place. But for now (I always have to pull myself back into the NOW), I will go at the pace I am comfortable with.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
LIX : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 13
This week was horrible up until Friday night because I had a Physio exam on Friday. I realized how much I despised having big exams on Fridays because of this week. I work the hardest for Physio, and I dread Physio tests the most, but I completely enjoy all the things Herrera teaches in Physio. Anyway, week 13 was a tough week mentally and physically. Apparently, I had been lacking proper nutrition because my lips were super dry and the skin kept flaking off, and on top of that, I felt like my lips were slightly swelling outward such that they were getting thicker-like. It was horrible, but I bought some Emergen-C (which I was surprised that it didn't just contain Vit C! It has a bunch of the Vit. B and necessary yummies) and took that toward the end of the week. I'm glad that my body's feeling much more normal, but not completely just yet. It might be due to the strange weather here, too. Hot and then so cold!
Random little cheer-upper while studying:
Super tiny red velvet cupcake! :)
Its deliciousness in one bite revived my motivation to study longer. yay for sugar!
Anyway, studied my butt off and then the weekend came! Relay for life, where I donated 9 inches of my hair, but it was measured from the longest strand, so I kind of cheated. I probably averaged 7 inches... whoops. The minimum was 8 inches. :P I still had shoulder-length hair that night when I went to badminton training. And I don't know how to capture my feelings for the badminton team members, but I love how hilarious some of them can be. We went to a pretty expensive Hong Kong-nese restaurant (Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant or something) because we wanted to try it out and use some of the club money~ social event y'know! It disappointed us when the waiter kept coming back to tell us "oh, we ran out of [blahblah]" for at least 3 dishes that I could understand (why so many cantonese-speakers on our team?!). Also, the dishes were so small! 13 of us went and we each paid $16 for that dinner... but many of us went to In-n-Out afterward cuz it really did not fill us up. I was too tired to eat even though I was only "satisfied," so I just hung out with them since my driver wanted to get a burger. I found out that I get excited talking about science-y topics. He asked me "So would you get atrophy if you only ate 1 meal one day?" But apparently you eat normally for the other days. And we talked about the physiological conditions that go with just having a meal one day of the week. No problem for the body, right? It just super uncomfortable to feel your stomach gurgling all the time.
Then, on Sunday, I went to visit my friend's apartment in Alhambra, which I'll be next year! I am going to USC Pharmacy School!!! :D *proud to be a complete Trojan* And then, that night, I started studying for my Monday Pchem exam... but I felt chill about it. So weird. I wish I could feel chill about all my exams even when I know I haven't completely studied for it. But, unfortunately, I freaked out studying for Physio. when it was only Monday. and the exam was Friday. *sigh* Our mind and body are WEIRD sometimes.
Random little cheer-upper while studying:
Super tiny red velvet cupcake! :)
Its deliciousness in one bite revived my motivation to study longer. yay for sugar!
Anyway, studied my butt off and then the weekend came! Relay for life, where I donated 9 inches of my hair, but it was measured from the longest strand, so I kind of cheated. I probably averaged 7 inches... whoops. The minimum was 8 inches. :P I still had shoulder-length hair that night when I went to badminton training. And I don't know how to capture my feelings for the badminton team members, but I love how hilarious some of them can be. We went to a pretty expensive Hong Kong-nese restaurant (Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant or something) because we wanted to try it out and use some of the club money~ social event y'know! It disappointed us when the waiter kept coming back to tell us "oh, we ran out of [blahblah]" for at least 3 dishes that I could understand (why so many cantonese-speakers on our team?!). Also, the dishes were so small! 13 of us went and we each paid $16 for that dinner... but many of us went to In-n-Out afterward cuz it really did not fill us up. I was too tired to eat even though I was only "satisfied," so I just hung out with them since my driver wanted to get a burger. I found out that I get excited talking about science-y topics. He asked me "So would you get atrophy if you only ate 1 meal one day?" But apparently you eat normally for the other days. And we talked about the physiological conditions that go with just having a meal one day of the week. No problem for the body, right? It just super uncomfortable to feel your stomach gurgling all the time.
Then, on Sunday, I went to visit my friend's apartment in Alhambra, which I'll be next year! I am going to USC Pharmacy School!!! :D *proud to be a complete Trojan* And then, that night, I started studying for my Monday Pchem exam... but I felt chill about it. So weird. I wish I could feel chill about all my exams even when I know I haven't completely studied for it. But, unfortunately, I freaked out studying for Physio. when it was only Monday. and the exam was Friday. *sigh* Our mind and body are WEIRD sometimes.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
LVIII : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 11 and 12
Whoops, I fell behind in my weekly updates for this supposed-to-be awesome semester. Week 11 was class stuff on weekdays, which had this surprise me on Tuesday:
Extra large agar plates! Compared to Week 9's extra tiny agar plates.
Other than that, the only really exciting event was Saturday (3/27). CHIP (health club at USC, Community Health Involvement Project) had it's own health fair set up for the first time, and I volunteered to help keep it organized by being crowd control, directing people to the site, and helping just move things along. At first, we were worried that people wouldn't be coming because we started at around 10am and there were no crowds on campus (we were situated inside campus, unfortunately a bit). I helped trying to get people interested, and we were lucky that other events were happening on campus. One was the Easter event by the volunteering program at USC, and their advertising was much better than ours at getting community families to come. We got the volunteers there to direct the families to our health site afterward so they could get free blood pressure screenings, free blood glucose screenings, information on health issues and what you can do to avoid them, and fun kids activities revolved around health. In the end, I say it was a success. There were finally crowds of people by noonish, and we provided lunch which was probably one of the incentives to coming to the health site. Food really is a powerful object/notion. Very powerful. Beware of food.
Week 12, however, seemed much more fun, and much faster. On Monday, I had a micro exam, so I skipped physio lecture, which meant that when I went on Wednesday to physio lecture, it had been a whole week since I last sat in on my physio class. I'm positive I was not lazy. Wednesday was canceled though the prof. pre-recorded the lecture for us, Friday I always skip except for next week, and Monday's time was used very wisely. I hope. We'll see how well I did because for the first time ever, I started studying for a big exam the day before the exam. Yipes. I hope I learned my lesson and gained this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Horrible one.
Wednesday was Physio lab, and I wish I could post my video up! We looked at the leg muscle of a frog. More frogs were killed two-ish hours before we cut them apart. It was gruesome and gross having to pull the leg away from the body and cut the skin off (pretty much rip it off) to expose the muscle, tendon, and nerves. Sometimes the frog's leg was impulsively twitch because the organs and nerves were still functional. The frog was only brain-dead. It blinked sometimes while we were cutting it's body apart. Horrid. It was like watching a bloody gory film to me. yuck. But watching the dissected muscle twitching was awesome.
Just yesterday (Friday, 4/2), I went to the Ahmanson Theater in LA to watch the musical Dreamgirls. We met the female singer of The Miracles, and I wish I knew more about American pop culture. Unfortunately, I know very little. Extremely little. To give you an idea of my knowledge: I know Diana Ross only because she sang "If We Hold On Together" for Land Before Time, which I love. From there, I researched a bit about her and the Supremes. I know nothing more. Anyway, it was an awesome musical, very audience-engaging. Loved it, and hope to watch the movie some day soon. Here is the hallway to a building across from the Ahmanson, where we listened to the lady speak. She was a great speaker. One person from our group told her she was a legend in her eyes and just wanted to let her know. Hearing that was touching to me too, even though I knew nothing about the speaker. Fans truly are amazing as well.
Last thing for this week is today's Post-Season. It was the last tournament for this badminton season, and was held at UCLA. I'm sad that so few people attended, but I still enjoyed my games. I only wish I could make it further into the winners bracket more often, rather than always having to end up in cons or losing my second game. I enjoy the main bracket games more. Intense, frustrating, yet rewarding. I will miss badminton because I know I will have to play it less and less, eventually having to put badminton into my schedule rather than scheduling around badminton. Also, I will miss team dinners and lunches, or rather, I will miss the team gatherings. I can't express how much I love my team, but I hope that the team will always be here, though the members will keep changing. We ate together at a Persian restaurant called Sherazade(sp?) in Westwood. I ordered a Lubio Polo or something. Chicken kabob, rice mixed with beef and stuff... yellow long rice too. Anyway here:
It was a large plate, but I finished ALL of it. Cleaned it. Delicious, filling, but a bit too pricey for me. I paid $17 (Dish was $14ish). I'm satisfied for this week. Now to wind up and focus on studying for a week, before continuing to have fun outside of studying. I will try my best to not let loose until finals are over.
Oh yeah, last thing: Bloody Monday (and season 2) is an incredible drama. I'm sad it's over and I have no Japanese drama to follow now. I will find one eventually, I hope. I'm getting more and more picky. ;)
Extra large agar plates! Compared to Week 9's extra tiny agar plates.
Other than that, the only really exciting event was Saturday (3/27). CHIP (health club at USC, Community Health Involvement Project) had it's own health fair set up for the first time, and I volunteered to help keep it organized by being crowd control, directing people to the site, and helping just move things along. At first, we were worried that people wouldn't be coming because we started at around 10am and there were no crowds on campus (we were situated inside campus, unfortunately a bit). I helped trying to get people interested, and we were lucky that other events were happening on campus. One was the Easter event by the volunteering program at USC, and their advertising was much better than ours at getting community families to come. We got the volunteers there to direct the families to our health site afterward so they could get free blood pressure screenings, free blood glucose screenings, information on health issues and what you can do to avoid them, and fun kids activities revolved around health. In the end, I say it was a success. There were finally crowds of people by noonish, and we provided lunch which was probably one of the incentives to coming to the health site. Food really is a powerful object/notion. Very powerful. Beware of food.
Week 12, however, seemed much more fun, and much faster. On Monday, I had a micro exam, so I skipped physio lecture, which meant that when I went on Wednesday to physio lecture, it had been a whole week since I last sat in on my physio class. I'm positive I was not lazy. Wednesday was canceled though the prof. pre-recorded the lecture for us, Friday I always skip except for next week, and Monday's time was used very wisely. I hope. We'll see how well I did because for the first time ever, I started studying for a big exam the day before the exam. Yipes. I hope I learned my lesson and gained this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Horrible one.
Wednesday was Physio lab, and I wish I could post my video up! We looked at the leg muscle of a frog. More frogs were killed two-ish hours before we cut them apart. It was gruesome and gross having to pull the leg away from the body and cut the skin off (pretty much rip it off) to expose the muscle, tendon, and nerves. Sometimes the frog's leg was impulsively twitch because the organs and nerves were still functional. The frog was only brain-dead. It blinked sometimes while we were cutting it's body apart. Horrid. It was like watching a bloody gory film to me. yuck. But watching the dissected muscle twitching was awesome.
Just yesterday (Friday, 4/2), I went to the Ahmanson Theater in LA to watch the musical Dreamgirls. We met the female singer of The Miracles, and I wish I knew more about American pop culture. Unfortunately, I know very little. Extremely little. To give you an idea of my knowledge: I know Diana Ross only because she sang "If We Hold On Together" for Land Before Time, which I love. From there, I researched a bit about her and the Supremes. I know nothing more. Anyway, it was an awesome musical, very audience-engaging. Loved it, and hope to watch the movie some day soon. Here is the hallway to a building across from the Ahmanson, where we listened to the lady speak. She was a great speaker. One person from our group told her she was a legend in her eyes and just wanted to let her know. Hearing that was touching to me too, even though I knew nothing about the speaker. Fans truly are amazing as well.
Last thing for this week is today's Post-Season. It was the last tournament for this badminton season, and was held at UCLA. I'm sad that so few people attended, but I still enjoyed my games. I only wish I could make it further into the winners bracket more often, rather than always having to end up in cons or losing my second game. I enjoy the main bracket games more. Intense, frustrating, yet rewarding. I will miss badminton because I know I will have to play it less and less, eventually having to put badminton into my schedule rather than scheduling around badminton. Also, I will miss team dinners and lunches, or rather, I will miss the team gatherings. I can't express how much I love my team, but I hope that the team will always be here, though the members will keep changing. We ate together at a Persian restaurant called Sherazade(sp?) in Westwood. I ordered a Lubio Polo or something. Chicken kabob, rice mixed with beef and stuff... yellow long rice too. Anyway here:
It was a large plate, but I finished ALL of it. Cleaned it. Delicious, filling, but a bit too pricey for me. I paid $17 (Dish was $14ish). I'm satisfied for this week. Now to wind up and focus on studying for a week, before continuing to have fun outside of studying. I will try my best to not let loose until finals are over.
Oh yeah, last thing: Bloody Monday (and season 2) is an incredible drama. I'm sad it's over and I have no Japanese drama to follow now. I will find one eventually, I hope. I'm getting more and more picky. ;)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
LVII : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 10
Spring break week! :) Too bad it's the end of it and tomorrow classes start again. But the good thing is, if it is a good thing, I will be getting things done because classes are starting soon. I thought break would be productive, but unfortunately, it wasn't too academically productive.
I started it off going home on Friday night instead of Saturday night because I thought Bay Area Open would happen, but it was canceled the week before the event was scheduled. Apparently, San Jose State couldn't rent out its gym to BAO... so I didn't get my badminton during break. Instead, I agreed to go skiing with my friend on Saturday. Just a one day ski trip. My mom drove us to Milpitas at around 4am. We went with a bus [from NACSKI.COM] to Sugar Bowl. I want to remind myself now, never do this again. A one day trip is just not for me. I need time to "get into the zone" as in, I need time to get adjusted to the snow (I had been wearing shorts to sleep before going home!) and start feeling like I really do want to ski, which means I have to stay in that kind of ski-lovely weather for at least a day. Anyway, I went really trying to enjoy myself. The slopes were beautiful, I must admit.
But in the end, after not skiing for 3 years, I really forgot how scared I was of the moguls. It took me who-knows-how-many-years to get used to going down them, and just 3 years to get that fear back. And, I'll just complain now, it really irks me when someone repetitively says "Weren't you better before?" in different ways. Why keep thinking that what was before is the same as now? Sure, some things really don't change, but if you notice that something HAS changed (and it isn't anything dangerously bad), why keep focusing on that bit negatively? *sigh* I feel like I shouldn't get annoyed because people's perceptions are just that different from each others, and I understand how shocking it is if one's perception for so long is proven false.
Anyway, got back tired, but had a little bit of fun... falling in the comfy soft snow and losing my skis each time. I still have that special ability to go over that last bump before the slope evens out, and fall terribly. Very skilled.
Sunday was I-get-to-drive-around day! My mom let me take the freeway to the mall where we went shopping-- my mom, dad, and me. I love hanging out with my family and I wish I could find the time to do so more when I'm back home.
Skip a few days, and Wednesday, the day before I come back to LA, I met up with USC friends in SF. I didn't know that the buses had these for the disabled and old people:
I watched curiously as the platform came down, the bus tilted a bit, and an old man got on and the platform was brought up like an elevator so that the old man could just walk straight into the bus. Then the bus tilted back again and I took a pic of the platform receding back into the bus. Public transportation can be might cool. If only LA had such transportation... *hopes*
We ate at a friend's parent's restaurant of Asian Fusion-ness, called The Home. Cute name isn't it? :) I felt warm when I read the name of the store. haha. And the place mats (paper) had a little house hole-punched in the bottom-middle of it. So cute. Food was awesome as well. This was the Sea Bass special, so wonderfully decorated and presented:
And this is what I got, the Unagi and Avocado Sandwich:
Delicious. And for dessert, we had so many things--apple pie, strawberry (?) pie, creme brulee, mango pudding with tiny pearly things (picture below), and heavy chocolate cake slice. So mouth-watering, so delicious, so full afterward.
I love food outings and badminton-ing with my badminton friends. Although it's rare that we eat together without having played badminton, I cherish it. I'm hoping I won't lose these college friends, but I know it'll be hard to stay in contact with them once we all go on after our undergraduate studies. I wonder where we'll all be? I wonder if we'd still be able to eat randomly together? Love really revolves around food easily. I love it.
I started it off going home on Friday night instead of Saturday night because I thought Bay Area Open would happen, but it was canceled the week before the event was scheduled. Apparently, San Jose State couldn't rent out its gym to BAO... so I didn't get my badminton during break. Instead, I agreed to go skiing with my friend on Saturday. Just a one day ski trip. My mom drove us to Milpitas at around 4am. We went with a bus [from NACSKI.COM] to Sugar Bowl. I want to remind myself now, never do this again. A one day trip is just not for me. I need time to "get into the zone" as in, I need time to get adjusted to the snow (I had been wearing shorts to sleep before going home!) and start feeling like I really do want to ski, which means I have to stay in that kind of ski-lovely weather for at least a day. Anyway, I went really trying to enjoy myself. The slopes were beautiful, I must admit.
But in the end, after not skiing for 3 years, I really forgot how scared I was of the moguls. It took me who-knows-how-many-years to get used to going down them, and just 3 years to get that fear back. And, I'll just complain now, it really irks me when someone repetitively says "Weren't you better before?" in different ways. Why keep thinking that what was before is the same as now? Sure, some things really don't change, but if you notice that something HAS changed (and it isn't anything dangerously bad), why keep focusing on that bit negatively? *sigh* I feel like I shouldn't get annoyed because people's perceptions are just that different from each others, and I understand how shocking it is if one's perception for so long is proven false.
Anyway, got back tired, but had a little bit of fun... falling in the comfy soft snow and losing my skis each time. I still have that special ability to go over that last bump before the slope evens out, and fall terribly. Very skilled.
Sunday was I-get-to-drive-around day! My mom let me take the freeway to the mall where we went shopping-- my mom, dad, and me. I love hanging out with my family and I wish I could find the time to do so more when I'm back home.
Skip a few days, and Wednesday, the day before I come back to LA, I met up with USC friends in SF. I didn't know that the buses had these for the disabled and old people:
I watched curiously as the platform came down, the bus tilted a bit, and an old man got on and the platform was brought up like an elevator so that the old man could just walk straight into the bus. Then the bus tilted back again and I took a pic of the platform receding back into the bus. Public transportation can be might cool. If only LA had such transportation... *hopes*
We ate at a friend's parent's restaurant of Asian Fusion-ness, called The Home. Cute name isn't it? :) I felt warm when I read the name of the store. haha. And the place mats (paper) had a little house hole-punched in the bottom-middle of it. So cute. Food was awesome as well. This was the Sea Bass special, so wonderfully decorated and presented:
And this is what I got, the Unagi and Avocado Sandwich:
Delicious. And for dessert, we had so many things--apple pie, strawberry (?) pie, creme brulee, mango pudding with tiny pearly things (picture below), and heavy chocolate cake slice. So mouth-watering, so delicious, so full afterward.
I love food outings and badminton-ing with my badminton friends. Although it's rare that we eat together without having played badminton, I cherish it. I'm hoping I won't lose these college friends, but I know it'll be hard to stay in contact with them once we all go on after our undergraduate studies. I wonder where we'll all be? I wonder if we'd still be able to eat randomly together? Love really revolves around food easily. I love it.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
XLVIII : Last Semester of Undergrad - Week 4
The little things that I love...
1- The warmth of clothes that just came out of the dryer
2- The deliciousness of home-made food
3- The purely happy smiles from complete strangers
4- The random messages and drop-ins from friends
5- The passing greeting, even if it's just a simple smile and a nod, from people I've met somewhere. Or even from people I've never met before and had mistaken them for someone else.
6- The sound of pouring rain when I am warm and dry in my bed.
7- The comforting sounds of mommy snoring in the master bedroom on the other side of my wall back home.
8- The clean and rejuvenated feeling after a nice, steaming hot shower.
9- The presence of a trusty person.
There are probably more, but those came to me this past week. I had my first exam of the semester on Friday, and because the TA forgot to tell us nine people in the class that he was going to give the exam during the afternoon discussion period, we all sat there during the morning lecture period wondering where he was. Strangely, one of us had the TA's cell phone number, and that's how we found out we had sat there wasting half an hour. But we did make conversations with each other, finally. As a class of nine. One would think with so few people in the class, we would be fine with talking to each other, but we usually just sit in our seats waiting for the class to begin. I love bonding.
Just like I love team bonding with the badminton team. We went to Irvine for our first game this semester, but it was cut short because their volleyball team had a tournament that day too. Sucks, but what can we do. It always cheers me up so much to eat with the baddy team. Delicious places, wonderful times.
And, though I have a physio exam tomorrow, I watched the concert of one of my favorite j-pop groups: Tegomass! :) I still find it interesting that Japan has "idols" such as these two who form Tegomass and, with other members, form NEWS. Still love their songs and their passion for their fans. Whenever I watch their concerts (DVDs and documentaries!), I see their hard work and devotion in making their fans enjoy the concerts and songs. And I still wonder to myself, when have I really, truly given it my all? To see people around my age, though in the entertainment industry, working so hard every day and enjoying their work makes me motivated to find that feeling too. Enjoy hard work. I hope pharmacy school will be exactly like that. From what I've heard, it seems so. I'm excited. But I still get so easily off track. If I say I want to do something, I should do it without getting distracted. I tell myself that every semester... I wonder if it's possible to accomplish?
1- The warmth of clothes that just came out of the dryer
2- The deliciousness of home-made food
3- The purely happy smiles from complete strangers
4- The random messages and drop-ins from friends
5- The passing greeting, even if it's just a simple smile and a nod, from people I've met somewhere. Or even from people I've never met before and had mistaken them for someone else.
6- The sound of pouring rain when I am warm and dry in my bed.
7- The comforting sounds of mommy snoring in the master bedroom on the other side of my wall back home.
8- The clean and rejuvenated feeling after a nice, steaming hot shower.
9- The presence of a trusty person.
There are probably more, but those came to me this past week. I had my first exam of the semester on Friday, and because the TA forgot to tell us nine people in the class that he was going to give the exam during the afternoon discussion period, we all sat there during the morning lecture period wondering where he was. Strangely, one of us had the TA's cell phone number, and that's how we found out we had sat there wasting half an hour. But we did make conversations with each other, finally. As a class of nine. One would think with so few people in the class, we would be fine with talking to each other, but we usually just sit in our seats waiting for the class to begin. I love bonding.
Just like I love team bonding with the badminton team. We went to Irvine for our first game this semester, but it was cut short because their volleyball team had a tournament that day too. Sucks, but what can we do. It always cheers me up so much to eat with the baddy team. Delicious places, wonderful times.
And, though I have a physio exam tomorrow, I watched the concert of one of my favorite j-pop groups: Tegomass! :) I still find it interesting that Japan has "idols" such as these two who form Tegomass and, with other members, form NEWS. Still love their songs and their passion for their fans. Whenever I watch their concerts (DVDs and documentaries!), I see their hard work and devotion in making their fans enjoy the concerts and songs. And I still wonder to myself, when have I really, truly given it my all? To see people around my age, though in the entertainment industry, working so hard every day and enjoying their work makes me motivated to find that feeling too. Enjoy hard work. I hope pharmacy school will be exactly like that. From what I've heard, it seems so. I'm excited. But I still get so easily off track. If I say I want to do something, I should do it without getting distracted. I tell myself that every semester... I wonder if it's possible to accomplish?
Monday, November 16, 2009
XXX : What I Like
I feel like I've been complaining too often about some of the issues in life, and it might be making my mentality as a whole gear towards pessimistic thoughts. It's much too tiring doing that. So, some of the things over the past weekend that I have encountered to make me enjoy this life.
Friday 11.13.09
Ate at a Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo called Honda-Ya LT on Alameda St. Delicious, but as usual, tiny dishes. I got the Poki Bowl (such a cute name) which was sashimi on rice in spicy miso sauce. It came with a bowl of miso soup too. Mighty delicious, but once I finished the meal, the spiciness really hit. Food enjoyment. Food + Baddy team = BONDING. It's love.
Saturday 11.14.09
Badminton at UC Riverside. The USC team was invited to play against the Riverside team, and we found out it was the graduate team at Riverside. Way too cool that they have a graduate and undergrad team! We don't. Anyway, played very well that day for some reason. Didn't play much the day before and felt out of practice, but ended up playing one of the best times I've ever played. And most of the grad students were from China (strong badminton players! Though they too lacked women players). :\ One memorable statement I heard that day was from my first-time partner, Justin (who learned how to play mixed that day. haha), when we were playing. Because he was still learning how to play mixed, he told me "tell me what I'm doing wrong. I love criticism." That last sentence really made me think, I wish I loved criticism too. I can take it, and though I know I improve after taking in criticism, I still don't welcome it. And I wish I did. I feel like that is one thing that makes me quite introverted. I dislike criticizing (and when I do, I tend to regret it for a while) and I don't enjoy the feeling of being criticized most times.
Sunday 11.15.09
Watched the dance performance my roomie, Ari, was in and in which a lot of USC's dance group's were involved, so it was called "Dialects of Dance." Something like that. Enjoyable to see so many different styles (hip-hop, traditional chinese dance, contemporary dance, Latin dance, breakdancing, and ballet) in one performance. I really think that dancing is an expression of one's feelings. To be able to dance is like letting go of one's constraints and be able to express the freedom one's body has. As I watched that performance, I would occasionally think, if I could let myself loose from time to time, I could dance without any concern for what others think, even if they say something out loud to me. It's the same way for singing. When I walk passed someone on campus who is singing to their ipod, I smile because they are usually confidently singing along, and I envy that. When I start singing around campus and in the car, I usually use an extremely soft voice, sometimes so soft that I myself can't hear it. lalala~ I would really like NEWS (Japanese idol group I am obsessed with moreso than any other group I listen to) to hold a performance here in Cali. It makes me excited to see them dance and sing at the same time. I would like to have that talent. It's like double freeing oneself!
Monday 11.16.09
Not a day of the weekend. I had my nap during physics and half an hour after in the library before going to work. It was a good nap. Dreamed much, but forgot them all. shucks. Sad that when I came home from work at around 7pm, no one was home. It was pitch dark. I'll be sad when I grow up and live away from home. Every time I enter the house, if I am the first one home, there will be no warming "Hello!" or "Welcome home!" *sigh* Far too far from how I am now, that kind of life is. I still call my guy peers "boys" instead of "men". 私はまだ甘いね。 Still so inexperienced.
But, had cute little tacos from Bull Kogi truck outside. Spicy chicken and the other one is tofu. Not bad. But not super delicious.
Also, for the NY Times crossword in the Daily Trojan today, there was "Mount where Noah landed" and when I went online, Yahoo (my homepage) had an article that I can't find anymore about Ararat. And, on the puzzle, I had A_AR_ _ so I was thinking, "coincidence?" And I looked it up. WOWz. coincidence? very cool.
Looking forward to REAL Home. But unfortunately, there will be one last exam before then. Shucks.
Friday 11.13.09
Ate at a Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo called Honda-Ya LT on Alameda St. Delicious, but as usual, tiny dishes. I got the Poki Bowl (such a cute name) which was sashimi on rice in spicy miso sauce. It came with a bowl of miso soup too. Mighty delicious, but once I finished the meal, the spiciness really hit. Food enjoyment. Food + Baddy team = BONDING. It's love.
Saturday 11.14.09
Badminton at UC Riverside. The USC team was invited to play against the Riverside team, and we found out it was the graduate team at Riverside. Way too cool that they have a graduate and undergrad team! We don't. Anyway, played very well that day for some reason. Didn't play much the day before and felt out of practice, but ended up playing one of the best times I've ever played. And most of the grad students were from China (strong badminton players! Though they too lacked women players). :\ One memorable statement I heard that day was from my first-time partner, Justin (who learned how to play mixed that day. haha), when we were playing. Because he was still learning how to play mixed, he told me "tell me what I'm doing wrong. I love criticism." That last sentence really made me think, I wish I loved criticism too. I can take it, and though I know I improve after taking in criticism, I still don't welcome it. And I wish I did. I feel like that is one thing that makes me quite introverted. I dislike criticizing (and when I do, I tend to regret it for a while) and I don't enjoy the feeling of being criticized most times.
Sunday 11.15.09
Watched the dance performance my roomie, Ari, was in and in which a lot of USC's dance group's were involved, so it was called "Dialects of Dance." Something like that. Enjoyable to see so many different styles (hip-hop, traditional chinese dance, contemporary dance, Latin dance, breakdancing, and ballet) in one performance. I really think that dancing is an expression of one's feelings. To be able to dance is like letting go of one's constraints and be able to express the freedom one's body has. As I watched that performance, I would occasionally think, if I could let myself loose from time to time, I could dance without any concern for what others think, even if they say something out loud to me. It's the same way for singing. When I walk passed someone on campus who is singing to their ipod, I smile because they are usually confidently singing along, and I envy that. When I start singing around campus and in the car, I usually use an extremely soft voice, sometimes so soft that I myself can't hear it. lalala~ I would really like NEWS (Japanese idol group I am obsessed with moreso than any other group I listen to) to hold a performance here in Cali. It makes me excited to see them dance and sing at the same time. I would like to have that talent. It's like double freeing oneself!
Monday 11.16.09
Not a day of the weekend. I had my nap during physics and half an hour after in the library before going to work. It was a good nap. Dreamed much, but forgot them all. shucks. Sad that when I came home from work at around 7pm, no one was home. It was pitch dark. I'll be sad when I grow up and live away from home. Every time I enter the house, if I am the first one home, there will be no warming "Hello!" or "Welcome home!" *sigh* Far too far from how I am now, that kind of life is. I still call my guy peers "boys" instead of "men". 私はまだ甘いね。 Still so inexperienced.
But, had cute little tacos from Bull Kogi truck outside. Spicy chicken and the other one is tofu. Not bad. But not super delicious.
Also, for the NY Times crossword in the Daily Trojan today, there was "Mount where Noah landed" and when I went online, Yahoo (my homepage) had an article that I can't find anymore about Ararat. And, on the puzzle, I had A_AR_ _ so I was thinking, "coincidence?" And I looked it up. WOWz. coincidence? very cool.
Looking forward to REAL Home. But unfortunately, there will be one last exam before then. Shucks.
Monday, July 20, 2009
IV : Assumptions
I got into the elevator of my apartment complex today just as a classmate walked out of it with her group of friends. When I was about to press my floor number, she shouted "hey! You're in my Chemistry class! No, not Chemistry, Physics!! Hey!" and I looked up and reflected her enthusiasm with a "hey there!" She asked, "how did you do on the midterm?" and just as the door was sliding closed, I showed her the so-so gesture and went "nyeahh, it was okay." and she nodded, saying "Yeah, it had it's difficult parts didn't it. Well, see you soon!" and I shouted back, "see ya!" A quick conversation, sprouted from hyperness being so contagious. It's so strange how feelings can be contagious for some people and totally blocked for others. When I'm in high spirits, I want to pass on the feeling, and hope to infect those around me, like a hyper joy-spreading virus. But, the down side is, just as I can be easily induced to be overly happy, I can be easily brought back down. I don't know if that part spreads as easily, but maybe. I don't notice. I know my feelings can be easily read. See this:
one of my loves. I regripped it last night, instead of studying for my physics exam, which I took this morning. I probably started over about six or seven times before I was satisfied enough to hold and swing it. There were so many airy bumps in the beginning, and there still are a few, but I can deal with it. My first time regripping a racket. The racket, once I hold it, makes me feel energized somehow. Mentally, of course. And when all that epinephrine courses through my mind (just by being instigated by my mental image of the badminton court), I swing the racket around the apartment. Madly in love with badminton--my stress-reliever, my relaxation, my mental growth (and I guess some muscle-building, too). Can I assume I rely too much on it?
Surprise of the day:
It's a new back design for the penny! 2009 penny. The head still looks the same, but the back!! It looks fake. Too shiny. Too light-colored. Too bold. But a good surprise, nonetheless. At least, from the point of view of a collector; but isn't this penny showing us how far the financial crisis is going down? That we need to issue more (fake-looking) newly designed coins to hopefully jump start the country? They are, well, more suitable for chemistry experiments to turn them into "gold" zinc-coated coins.
one of my loves. I regripped it last night, instead of studying for my physics exam, which I took this morning. I probably started over about six or seven times before I was satisfied enough to hold and swing it. There were so many airy bumps in the beginning, and there still are a few, but I can deal with it. My first time regripping a racket. The racket, once I hold it, makes me feel energized somehow. Mentally, of course. And when all that epinephrine courses through my mind (just by being instigated by my mental image of the badminton court), I swing the racket around the apartment. Madly in love with badminton--my stress-reliever, my relaxation, my mental growth (and I guess some muscle-building, too). Can I assume I rely too much on it?
Surprise of the day:
It's a new back design for the penny! 2009 penny. The head still looks the same, but the back!! It looks fake. Too shiny. Too light-colored. Too bold. But a good surprise, nonetheless. At least, from the point of view of a collector; but isn't this penny showing us how far the financial crisis is going down? That we need to issue more (fake-looking) newly designed coins to hopefully jump start the country? They are, well, more suitable for chemistry experiments to turn them into "gold" zinc-coated coins.
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