Someone asked me that when she heard that I was from Hawaii. She was from Greece and laughed when she realized that I didn't understand a word she was saying (she was fluent in Spanish) and told her dryly, "No habla Espanol."
Anyway, it feels like I'm sometimes an ESL student. Lord knows I talk like one anyway, but it feels like I'm a "foreign" student in an entirely new world.
"Do you have your Hunters on?" my hallmate yelled down the hall at me this morning. When she saw I was in my usual, beat-up sneakers, she frowned. "Do you have Hunters? Why aren't you wearing them?"
(As I mentioned before, I just recently found out that "Hunters" are a brand of rain boots. Who knew?)
It feels like I know the language here, but I don't understand. Somehow, some way, people talk differently in different situations. When it's raining, their voices are subdued, as if allowing them to be washed away by the rain. In thunderstorms they're loud indoors but outdoors they're quiet, as if afraid the lightning will "see" them and shock them.
When I was walking back up to Upper Cents, I found a guy in a yellow rain jacket trying to get into the laundry room. I had seen him head down from Leavitt and get stuck at the door. He turned and looked sheepishly at me as I approached. "I can't get in," he mumbled.
I blinked at him. "It won't let you in?"
"No. I heard there was a problem with the door lock a few days ago, but it was supposed to be fixed. I live in Leavitt." he assured me, misinterpreting my quiet frown.
It had taken me a while to get the gist of what he was saying. Not only did he have an accent (New Jersey, maybe?), but his voice was muffled and he spoke softly. I swiped him in and he flashed me a quick grin, shaking his head. He gave me a quick thanks! and slipped into the laundry room, pulling his laundry bag after him. It was gonna suck to carry it inside after he had dried it. I hope he had an umbrella.
In that time it took me to figure out what he was saying, I felt like a foreign student with only a bare grasp of English.
Usually accents don't bother me, unless they're very strong, enough that they entirely change the sound of the word or letters of it. Even then I only have trouble with a few words but can pick up the rest from context clues. But...it seems like people talk differently for different situations. It's weird.
Also, I've been told that I switch accents. I totally don't notice it, but they mentioned that when I say certain things, depending how often I've heard them, I'll say them in a certain accent. They say it's slight, but enough that they find it very amusing. I want to go home with a strong New York accent, but I doubt it'll happen. :/
~E
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Just What the Doctor Ordered
I've noticed lately that I've been having trouble concentrating. It's not because I'm sleepy - it's because my mind wanders. My mind is constantly jumping from topic to topic, creating a convoluted web of thoughts and images. Usually when it gets bad, I'd sit down and either let them play out in my mind while drawing aimlessly, or I'd sit down and write it out until I have a chunk of a story that unwound in my mind.
Since I've started college, I don't have much time for this. I'm always doing work and I find myself sitting and staring into space more often than not. In lectures, when my professors are going over something I'm somewhat familiar with (thank God for small blessings) I'd find myself thinking about something else until I had completely deviated from the original thought and am staring blankly at the board. As my "condition" worsens, I find it harder to refocus my eyes on the board and not the soap opera in my mind.
I wish I could just do this - cut out the top of my head and bleed out the thoughts and ideas until I can concentrate again. Sometime this week I'll have to find time to bleed it out or I won't be able to study for my 4 o'clocks. :/
~E
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Color Guard~
Emery Room E315
24:07
On the Events of This Night:
Tonight was something the band calls "midweeks". Basically they drive in a group to an outside place and have a midnight meal. I decided not to go this week, as I had to do some Physics work. However...
I was introduced to this guy via Lauren and her roommate Mei-Fan. He was in color guard for five years in high school and we both agreed to flag together sometime. When he found out that I had never used a rifle before, he offered to teach me. My first lesson was earlier, at 10-ish in the courtyard area of his housing complex.
Apparently the "simple" and "basic" moves he taught me aren't what I can do; the ones I did get, he told me were the more difficult and complex ones that I somehow managed to grasp quicker. And I was apparently able to toss a "double" rather than a "single" which was pretty funny; usually it's the other way around. He taught me a short routine he came up with on the spot, basically a compilation of a bunch of moves I could grasp so that it would be a pattern I could practice often. :3
I know I'm going to be in pain tomorrow, and I think I'm going to have at least a bruise on my right palm (I smacked it pretty hard when trying to do a "single") and my wrist (same as the palm). My shoulders are tight and my bicep hurts, but it feels nice to be exercising with a flag-ish thing. He taught me parts of dance, too, so it gave my moves "character" as he puts it.
I'm thrilled. And super tired.
Sleeping now.
~E
24:07
On the Events of This Night:
Tonight was something the band calls "midweeks". Basically they drive in a group to an outside place and have a midnight meal. I decided not to go this week, as I had to do some Physics work. However...
I was introduced to this guy via Lauren and her roommate Mei-Fan. He was in color guard for five years in high school and we both agreed to flag together sometime. When he found out that I had never used a rifle before, he offered to teach me. My first lesson was earlier, at 10-ish in the courtyard area of his housing complex.
Apparently the "simple" and "basic" moves he taught me aren't what I can do; the ones I did get, he told me were the more difficult and complex ones that I somehow managed to grasp quicker. And I was apparently able to toss a "double" rather than a "single" which was pretty funny; usually it's the other way around. He taught me a short routine he came up with on the spot, basically a compilation of a bunch of moves I could grasp so that it would be a pattern I could practice often. :3
I know I'm going to be in pain tomorrow, and I think I'm going to have at least a bruise on my right palm (I smacked it pretty hard when trying to do a "single") and my wrist (same as the palm). My shoulders are tight and my bicep hurts, but it feels nice to be exercising with a flag-ish thing. He taught me parts of dance, too, so it gave my moves "character" as he puts it.
I'm thrilled. And super tired.
Sleeping now.
~E
Monday, September 27, 2010
Just a Thought...
Somehow the weirdest thoughts come out when I'm in the shower. :/
I was thinking about choices and pre-destiny. I had met two people from different countries: a girl from Greece and a boy from Kenya and they were both in my Engineering 005 class. We had lunch together and later on I thought about what we talked about. It wasn't much, and they asked me more questions than I asked them, but it got me thinking what if.
What if I hadn't looked into Lehigh University?
What if I hadn't been accepted?
What if I hadn't even applied?
Certainly I would be going to an east-coast school - maybe George Washington University because after Lehigh, it was my first choice. Or maybe University of Maryland, or Old Dominion as an honor student. What if I hadn't listened to mom and looked into Lehigh?
Let's go back a bit further.
What if I hadn't gone to summer school and taken Career/Life Guidance? (year before freshman year) I probably wouldn't know my major.
What if I had stuck with artisan? Or a job that only required trade school? I obviously wouldn't be here. But of course, to me the choice was clear: I would go to college.
What if I hadn't gone to the National Youth Leadership Forum? What if I had just told mom nah, I don't wanna go? I wouldn't have realized how strangely beautiful the east coast was. I wouldn't have realized that I wanted to help, not just go into engineering because I liked it. What if I hadn't gone? I wouldn't know what to do with my life.
Here's one that's making me think hard: what if I hadn't met Tokes, Donnelly, Kennedy, Miyashiro? What if I hadn't met Jenna, Richard, Erin, Jennifer, Connie, Nani, Christian? What then?
Tokes. He was hands-down the most inspirational. He showed me through his actions that the world wasn't about books. He made me be aware of what's going on around me and encouraged me to pursue my interests, especially in random facts - he seemed to know them all!
Donnelly. Well, even though she was only a recent addition to my list, her kind words were inspirational to me. Nuff said.
Kennedy. Now here's a conundrum. His teaching style wasn't like other teachers'. In fact, nothing about him was like anyone else that I had ever met. I know that when I first met him, I didn't quite know what to make of him. He stood outside the door and greeted us by name, shaking our hands with a smile on his face. When he wrote "letters" to us with our assignments on them, he always wrote "Dear Friends". He showed me that the little things count and that there is more than one way to look at a problem. He showed me patience and made me laugh, especially when we practiced our argument essays. He found ways to make the class fun and seemed to have an endless supply of patience.
Miyashiro. She looked like a student and acted like someone on a perpetual caffeine high. But she was willing to stop and listen - and she knew what was going on with me! There were around 300 people in our class but she knew us all by name and could, usually very accurately, ask about an aspect of our school lives.
Jenna. I don't even know. I mean, she had slipped so easily into my life as if she belonged there and now I can't ever imagine her not. Same goes for all my other friends. I almost expect them to be there when I head out of my room. Sometimes I find myself about to call them to join me for breakfast or some other meal only to remember that they're not even in the same state as me, or even within a hundred-mile radius.
I can list more. What if this, what if that. But somehow everything worked out. Yet...
I can never grasp the idea of predestination. To me, everything seems like chance. I can't imagine how everything like this that's happened to me is planned out. Every second, every minute, every hour...
~E
I was thinking about choices and pre-destiny. I had met two people from different countries: a girl from Greece and a boy from Kenya and they were both in my Engineering 005 class. We had lunch together and later on I thought about what we talked about. It wasn't much, and they asked me more questions than I asked them, but it got me thinking what if.
What if I hadn't looked into Lehigh University?
What if I hadn't been accepted?
What if I hadn't even applied?
Certainly I would be going to an east-coast school - maybe George Washington University because after Lehigh, it was my first choice. Or maybe University of Maryland, or Old Dominion as an honor student. What if I hadn't listened to mom and looked into Lehigh?
Let's go back a bit further.
What if I hadn't gone to summer school and taken Career/Life Guidance? (year before freshman year) I probably wouldn't know my major.
What if I had stuck with artisan? Or a job that only required trade school? I obviously wouldn't be here. But of course, to me the choice was clear: I would go to college.
What if I hadn't gone to the National Youth Leadership Forum? What if I had just told mom nah, I don't wanna go? I wouldn't have realized how strangely beautiful the east coast was. I wouldn't have realized that I wanted to help, not just go into engineering because I liked it. What if I hadn't gone? I wouldn't know what to do with my life.
Here's one that's making me think hard: what if I hadn't met Tokes, Donnelly, Kennedy, Miyashiro? What if I hadn't met Jenna, Richard, Erin, Jennifer, Connie, Nani, Christian? What then?
Tokes. He was hands-down the most inspirational. He showed me through his actions that the world wasn't about books. He made me be aware of what's going on around me and encouraged me to pursue my interests, especially in random facts - he seemed to know them all!
Donnelly. Well, even though she was only a recent addition to my list, her kind words were inspirational to me. Nuff said.
Kennedy. Now here's a conundrum. His teaching style wasn't like other teachers'. In fact, nothing about him was like anyone else that I had ever met. I know that when I first met him, I didn't quite know what to make of him. He stood outside the door and greeted us by name, shaking our hands with a smile on his face. When he wrote "letters" to us with our assignments on them, he always wrote "Dear Friends". He showed me that the little things count and that there is more than one way to look at a problem. He showed me patience and made me laugh, especially when we practiced our argument essays. He found ways to make the class fun and seemed to have an endless supply of patience.
Miyashiro. She looked like a student and acted like someone on a perpetual caffeine high. But she was willing to stop and listen - and she knew what was going on with me! There were around 300 people in our class but she knew us all by name and could, usually very accurately, ask about an aspect of our school lives.
Jenna. I don't even know. I mean, she had slipped so easily into my life as if she belonged there and now I can't ever imagine her not. Same goes for all my other friends. I almost expect them to be there when I head out of my room. Sometimes I find myself about to call them to join me for breakfast or some other meal only to remember that they're not even in the same state as me, or even within a hundred-mile radius.
I can list more. What if this, what if that. But somehow everything worked out. Yet...
I can never grasp the idea of predestination. To me, everything seems like chance. I can't imagine how everything like this that's happened to me is planned out. Every second, every minute, every hour...
~E
The Day Dawned Cold and Rainy
Emery Room E315
17:05
On the events of Today:
I only put the title like that because, for some reason, it is my favorite phrase in any given novel. I have NO idea why. But it DID dawn cold and rainy. AND I LOVED IT xD.
But anyway, I wanted to use some of this time to address something I believe I mentioned once earlier, I think in the blog about the diet of freshmen (don't remember the title).
When talking to Jenna, we've discussed how we've changed. She says she swears more. I've become impatient and sometimes aggressive. Not too bad, but I've noticed while I'm still rather quiet, I've taken to telling people point-blank that I have to go, kthanksbai. I don't necessarily talk back to people, but I will now tell them no, I cannot go to/do _______. I think it's mostly because I don't have much time anyway, so I can't "waste" much on doing "trivial" things. If I need to study, I will tell people (usually just my friends or my hall mates unless they're here for Bianca): get out of my room. NOW.
It also may be a sort of "defense mechanism" in addition to the fact that I have very little time left to myself. Even while it's still difficult for me to "loosen up", it's a lot easier for me now, especially since it's more for survival now rather than an actual choice. Meaning, if I DON'T loosen up, I'd go crazy without fail.
I'm not sure what more to add, so I'll end it here. I have to do some work. :(
~E
17:05
On the events of Today:
I only put the title like that because, for some reason, it is my favorite phrase in any given novel. I have NO idea why. But it DID dawn cold and rainy. AND I LOVED IT xD.
But anyway, I wanted to use some of this time to address something I believe I mentioned once earlier, I think in the blog about the diet of freshmen (don't remember the title).
When talking to Jenna, we've discussed how we've changed. She says she swears more. I've become impatient and sometimes aggressive. Not too bad, but I've noticed while I'm still rather quiet, I've taken to telling people point-blank that I have to go, kthanksbai. I don't necessarily talk back to people, but I will now tell them no, I cannot go to/do _______. I think it's mostly because I don't have much time anyway, so I can't "waste" much on doing "trivial" things. If I need to study, I will tell people (usually just my friends or my hall mates unless they're here for Bianca): get out of my room. NOW.
It also may be a sort of "defense mechanism" in addition to the fact that I have very little time left to myself. Even while it's still difficult for me to "loosen up", it's a lot easier for me now, especially since it's more for survival now rather than an actual choice. Meaning, if I DON'T loosen up, I'd go crazy without fail.
I'm not sure what more to add, so I'll end it here. I have to do some work. :(
~E
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Terauchi, you LIED to me
I distinctly remember him teaching about uniform circular motion. He described that there were two forces: a centripetal force (a force pointing inward) and a centrifugal force (a force pointing outward supposedly according Newton's Third Law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction). Here is what my textbook says:
Figure 5.30b is incorrect because it includes an extra outward force of magnitude m(v^2/R) to "keep the body out there" or "to keep it in equilibrium". There are three reasons not to include such an outward force, usually called centrifugal force ("centrifugal" means "fleeing from the center"). First, the body does not "stay out there": It is in constant motion around its circular path. Because its velocity is constantly changing in direction, the body accelerates and is not in equilibrium. Second, if there were an additional outward force that balanced the inward force, the net force would be zero and the body would move in a straight line, not a circle. And third, the quantity m(v^2/R) is not a force; it corresponds to the ma side of net force F=ma and does not appear in the sum of F. It's true that when you ride in a car that goes around a circular path, you tend to slide to the outside of the turn as though there was a "centrifugal force". But we saw in Section 4.2 that what really happens is that you tend to keep moving in a straight line, and the outer side of the car "runs into" you as the car turns. In an inertial frame of reference there is no such thing as "centrifugal force". We won't mention this term again, and we strongly advise you to avoid using it as well.
Also, as a side note, I noticed that the ways he taught us to measure parabolic motion of falling bodies, while very simple and creative, does not help here. We use trig, not measurements and drawings, as sad as I am to say. And my professor actually cares if I went up to him and told him I was concerned, he'd make an appointment with me and discuss it with me like I was his equal rather than a student he was paid to teach. And even if I am supposedly "wasting my money" coming here because I "have bad study skills and will only end up wasting money", I will at least have a quality education in a social and communal environment where teachers are kind and willing to talk to students as if they were real people.
I'm half-tempted to bring it up to him next time I see him. See what he says. :/ But then again, he'd only tell me that I'm not studying well enough or something.
I like my professor that supposedly doesn't care about me according to Terauchi but actually does and has stories that make sense and isn't about inflating his ego.
Sorry.
That is all.
~E
Figure 5.30b is incorrect because it includes an extra outward force of magnitude m(v^2/R) to "keep the body out there" or "to keep it in equilibrium". There are three reasons not to include such an outward force, usually called centrifugal force ("centrifugal" means "fleeing from the center"). First, the body does not "stay out there": It is in constant motion around its circular path. Because its velocity is constantly changing in direction, the body accelerates and is not in equilibrium. Second, if there were an additional outward force that balanced the inward force, the net force would be zero and the body would move in a straight line, not a circle. And third, the quantity m(v^2/R) is not a force; it corresponds to the ma side of net force F=ma and does not appear in the sum of F. It's true that when you ride in a car that goes around a circular path, you tend to slide to the outside of the turn as though there was a "centrifugal force". But we saw in Section 4.2 that what really happens is that you tend to keep moving in a straight line, and the outer side of the car "runs into" you as the car turns. In an inertial frame of reference there is no such thing as "centrifugal force". We won't mention this term again, and we strongly advise you to avoid using it as well.
Also, as a side note, I noticed that the ways he taught us to measure parabolic motion of falling bodies, while very simple and creative, does not help here. We use trig, not measurements and drawings, as sad as I am to say. And my professor actually cares if I went up to him and told him I was concerned, he'd make an appointment with me and discuss it with me like I was his equal rather than a student he was paid to teach. And even if I am supposedly "wasting my money" coming here because I "have bad study skills and will only end up wasting money", I will at least have a quality education in a social and communal environment where teachers are kind and willing to talk to students as if they were real people.
I'm half-tempted to bring it up to him next time I see him. See what he says. :/ But then again, he'd only tell me that I'm not studying well enough or something.
I like my professor that supposedly doesn't care about me according to Terauchi but actually does and has stories that make sense and isn't about inflating his ego.
Sorry.
That is all.
~E
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Freshman's Dilemma
Emery Room E315 (because apparently the E matters :/ )
9:45a
23 September 2010
As a freshman, we're usually terrified of college. We're so paranoid that we're going to fail, to fall behind that early in the year we study hard, become caffeine addicts, forget meals, and lock ourselves in our room or in the library just studying, studying, studying...
After the second week we start realizing that it's not as...difficult as we expected. It's hard, yes, but we get it into our little heads that we can have fun, too. (Apparently Lehigh is a party school but it's just not known as one) Not that we neglect our studies, but we start to relax and "go with the flow". And then you're like, damnit I forgot to do this or get that.
But that's a topic for another day. I actually wanted to talk about the importance of diet to a freshman, especially a female freshman.
We're all terrified of getting the famed "Freshman 15". It's common knowledge here that it's very hard to get the Freshman 15 here. We're built on the side of a mountain and to get back to your dorm means you have to climb uphill. Or, if you're lazy, you take the TRACS bus. But even with the TRACS bus, you have to climb up and down a lot of stairs to get to your room or your class - few buildings have elevators, after all and it sucks to break your leg on campus. :/
For me, at least, I don't worry about the Freshman 15 because, quite frankly, I could care less. If someone dares to call me fat, it will not be pretty. (I guess in another blog I should talk about attitude changes in college...) :/ Anyway, I don't worry much because I usually eat healthy, especially in the mornings. My breakfast usually consists of:
-a full plate of watermelon
-bacon if they have, no meat if they don't
-sometimes a bagel with cream cheese
-a cup of coffee with lots of cream (2% just doesn't cut it for me) and three packets of Equal
-sometimes a bowl of cereal with milk
-sometimes a small bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar
I don't usually eat lunch because a lot of my classes are around then. This Saturday I'm going down to S. Bethlehem and getting a box of poptarts, granola bars and other essentials (as well as a few gifts for the fam - they have some really nice stuff here). That way I have something to munch on in my bag other than senbei.
Dinner depends on where I eat. When I eat in the Hawk's Nest, which is fairly rare, I get a burger and fries or a quesadilla. In Rathbone, the dining hall across the street from me, I usually get a slice of pizza, pasta with marinara sauce, whatever meat is offered, mashed potatoes if they have, and the "vegetable du jour".
I eat fairly healthy, really, and I get a lot of exercise ( :/ ). Stupid hills.
But every once in a while my stomach acts up and I have to run to the bathroom. (It's really embarrassing to run across your recitation class and out the door, especially since there are less than 20 people there). Which leads me to my point: it's hard to be really healthy as a Hawaiian freshman in college.
I know partially why my stomach acts up - it's not used to the plentiful and potent spices these mainland people put on their meat (the offered meat I eat for dinner in Rathbone) and the fact that I absolutely cannot drink the water here. I have to scrounge for bottle water or take only very small sips of the water. On occasion, when I get desperate enough, I hold my breath and gulp down a lot of it from a water fountain (which is somehow better, especially the one in Lewis Lab, which is really weird).
Because we weren't raised in the mainland where they put fluoride in their water like it's no joke, we're not used to the harsh, chemical taste of the water. Sometimes I find myself coughing because the chemicals burn my throat. The other day, I had considered going to talk to the Red Cross volunteers about giving blood (but this is another story for another day). Knowing this, I went to the water dispenser (I was in Rathbone at the time) and filled my cup with water. Getting back to my seat, I forgot it was chemicalized (it's a word now >( ) and gulped down some. Steph looked a little worried when I immediately started coughing. I told her the water tasted bad and hurt my throat sometimes. She asked if I was sick and I told her no, I wasn't even though she kept coughing at me; it was because the water tastes like chlorine. She told me rather bluntly that they don't put chlorine in the water - it's fluoride - and the water tastes just fine. My water sat untouched for the rest of the meal.
As a freshman I, at least, became an opportunistic eater. If there's food, I'd nibble on it. If there's bottled water, I'd drink it. I'd only go to the dining hall if I had time (which is usually why I don't eat lunch) and usually when I leave, it'd be straight back to my next class or activity. Sometimes I'd eat late at night (last night, for example, I ate dinner at around 8:30, 8:45 at Rathbone after Swing Dance.
Another reason it sucks to be a freshman from Hawaii. :/
~E
As a freshman, we're usually terrified of college. We're so paranoid that we're going to fail, to fall behind that early in the year we study hard, become caffeine addicts, forget meals, and lock ourselves in our room or in the library just studying, studying, studying...
After the second week we start realizing that it's not as...difficult as we expected. It's hard, yes, but we get it into our little heads that we can have fun, too. (Apparently Lehigh is a party school but it's just not known as one) Not that we neglect our studies, but we start to relax and "go with the flow". And then you're like, damnit I forgot to do this or get that.
But that's a topic for another day. I actually wanted to talk about the importance of diet to a freshman, especially a female freshman.
We're all terrified of getting the famed "Freshman 15". It's common knowledge here that it's very hard to get the Freshman 15 here. We're built on the side of a mountain and to get back to your dorm means you have to climb uphill. Or, if you're lazy, you take the TRACS bus. But even with the TRACS bus, you have to climb up and down a lot of stairs to get to your room or your class - few buildings have elevators, after all and it sucks to break your leg on campus. :/
For me, at least, I don't worry about the Freshman 15 because, quite frankly, I could care less. If someone dares to call me fat, it will not be pretty. (I guess in another blog I should talk about attitude changes in college...) :/ Anyway, I don't worry much because I usually eat healthy, especially in the mornings. My breakfast usually consists of:
-a full plate of watermelon
-bacon if they have, no meat if they don't
-sometimes a bagel with cream cheese
-a cup of coffee with lots of cream (2% just doesn't cut it for me) and three packets of Equal
-sometimes a bowl of cereal with milk
-sometimes a small bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar
I don't usually eat lunch because a lot of my classes are around then. This Saturday I'm going down to S. Bethlehem and getting a box of poptarts, granola bars and other essentials (as well as a few gifts for the fam - they have some really nice stuff here). That way I have something to munch on in my bag other than senbei.
Dinner depends on where I eat. When I eat in the Hawk's Nest, which is fairly rare, I get a burger and fries or a quesadilla. In Rathbone, the dining hall across the street from me, I usually get a slice of pizza, pasta with marinara sauce, whatever meat is offered, mashed potatoes if they have, and the "vegetable du jour".
I eat fairly healthy, really, and I get a lot of exercise ( :/ ). Stupid hills.
But every once in a while my stomach acts up and I have to run to the bathroom. (It's really embarrassing to run across your recitation class and out the door, especially since there are less than 20 people there). Which leads me to my point: it's hard to be really healthy as a Hawaiian freshman in college.
I know partially why my stomach acts up - it's not used to the plentiful and potent spices these mainland people put on their meat (the offered meat I eat for dinner in Rathbone) and the fact that I absolutely cannot drink the water here. I have to scrounge for bottle water or take only very small sips of the water. On occasion, when I get desperate enough, I hold my breath and gulp down a lot of it from a water fountain (which is somehow better, especially the one in Lewis Lab, which is really weird).
Because we weren't raised in the mainland where they put fluoride in their water like it's no joke, we're not used to the harsh, chemical taste of the water. Sometimes I find myself coughing because the chemicals burn my throat. The other day, I had considered going to talk to the Red Cross volunteers about giving blood (but this is another story for another day). Knowing this, I went to the water dispenser (I was in Rathbone at the time) and filled my cup with water. Getting back to my seat, I forgot it was chemicalized (it's a word now >( ) and gulped down some. Steph looked a little worried when I immediately started coughing. I told her the water tasted bad and hurt my throat sometimes. She asked if I was sick and I told her no, I wasn't even though she kept coughing at me; it was because the water tastes like chlorine. She told me rather bluntly that they don't put chlorine in the water - it's fluoride - and the water tastes just fine. My water sat untouched for the rest of the meal.
As a freshman I, at least, became an opportunistic eater. If there's food, I'd nibble on it. If there's bottled water, I'd drink it. I'd only go to the dining hall if I had time (which is usually why I don't eat lunch) and usually when I leave, it'd be straight back to my next class or activity. Sometimes I'd eat late at night (last night, for example, I ate dinner at around 8:30, 8:45 at Rathbone after Swing Dance.
Another reason it sucks to be a freshman from Hawaii. :/
~E
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My Pocket Has Subspace
Seriously.
It was a joke with Erin H. and I in intermediate that my red jacket (it was a hand-me-down from Mich) had pockets that opened into a subspace compartment. Because I could fit three hibiscus into them without them bulging too far outward. Sometimes I would find snacks or candy in my pocket, which is funny because I wouldn't remember putting them there. So Erin concluded that I had subspace access through my pockets.
Fast forward to now, I just found out that my brown hoodie also has subspace access: I found a packet of li hing powder (no idea how it got there), a flower I had picked up a few days ago, and my swipe card. The funny thing is that in the mornings when I walk to class, my hands are in my pocket. O__o Subspace indeed!
~E
It was a joke with Erin H. and I in intermediate that my red jacket (it was a hand-me-down from Mich) had pockets that opened into a subspace compartment. Because I could fit three hibiscus into them without them bulging too far outward. Sometimes I would find snacks or candy in my pocket, which is funny because I wouldn't remember putting them there. So Erin concluded that I had subspace access through my pockets.
Fast forward to now, I just found out that my brown hoodie also has subspace access: I found a packet of li hing powder (no idea how it got there), a flower I had picked up a few days ago, and my swipe card. The funny thing is that in the mornings when I walk to class, my hands are in my pocket. O__o Subspace indeed!
~E
Monday, September 20, 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some commonly-asked questions:
Where are you from?
Hawaii
Why did you want to come here of all places?
It's complicated, but I wanted to experience college away from home.
What's it like in Hawaii?
Next question.
Can you help me with my math homework?
Uh, I hardly understand it myself - I don't think I should be helping you.
Did I do this right?
I think so...
Do you live on the beach?
No. Right now I live on a mountain. In Hawaii I lived near Pearl Harbor.
You're serious? You're from Hawaii?
As a heart attack. Here. Look at my driver's license.
Have you seen snow before?
Yes. Once.
Is it hot in Hawaii?
Yes.
Does it snow?
....no
Do the leaves change colors?
If they're dying.
So you've never seen autumn before?
No
Are you cold?
Yes.
Why are you so cold?
Because where I'm from, it never gets this cold. If it did, everyone would die.
How did you and Bianca [my room mate] get paired together? Aren't you like total opposites?
Yes, we are total opposites. No, we don't have any clue why we were paired together. We get along fine and that's all that matters.
Have you seen/do you know where _____________ is?
No
Why do you walk so fast?
Because I have class
Why didn't you tell me that?!
1. Tell you what? 2. You didn't ask.
You know what?
No, I don't know what.
Where were you?
Probably at class.
Are you doing anything tonight?
My homework.
Are you coming out tonight?
No.
Why not?
I'm doing my work and I have class at 8 in the morning.
Will you remember to wake me up tomorrow?
Yes.
Do you have your music?
No, I wasn't given any at all.
Well, do you want to copy off mine?
Nah, it's all right. I can't play anyway.
~E
Where are you from?
Hawaii
Why did you want to come here of all places?
It's complicated, but I wanted to experience college away from home.
What's it like in Hawaii?
Next question.
Can you help me with my math homework?
Uh, I hardly understand it myself - I don't think I should be helping you.
Did I do this right?
I think so...
Do you live on the beach?
No. Right now I live on a mountain. In Hawaii I lived near Pearl Harbor.
You're serious? You're from Hawaii?
As a heart attack. Here. Look at my driver's license.
Have you seen snow before?
Yes. Once.
Is it hot in Hawaii?
Yes.
Does it snow?
....no
Do the leaves change colors?
If they're dying.
So you've never seen autumn before?
No
Are you cold?
Yes.
Why are you so cold?
Because where I'm from, it never gets this cold. If it did, everyone would die.
How did you and Bianca [my room mate] get paired together? Aren't you like total opposites?
Yes, we are total opposites. No, we don't have any clue why we were paired together. We get along fine and that's all that matters.
Have you seen/do you know where _____________ is?
No
Why do you walk so fast?
Because I have class
Why didn't you tell me that?!
1. Tell you what? 2. You didn't ask.
You know what?
No, I don't know what.
Where were you?
Probably at class.
Are you doing anything tonight?
My homework.
Are you coming out tonight?
No.
Why not?
I'm doing my work and I have class at 8 in the morning.
Will you remember to wake me up tomorrow?
Yes.
Do you have your music?
No, I wasn't given any at all.
Well, do you want to copy off mine?
Nah, it's all right. I can't play anyway.
~E
Title Under Debate
I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life...and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
~Henry David Thoreau
One of the most-often asked questions other than why are you so cold? and have you even seen snow before? in addition to the leaves don't change color in Hawaii?! (the last isn't so much a question as it is an expression of surprise) is why did you come here/leave Hawaii for here/Pennsylvania?
Thus far, my answers have been really simple - no one had really wanted to know the full reason, after all. I just...wanted to get away from home, experience new things.
Their reply had been somewhat sarcastic: well, you've certainly accomplished that.
This morning as I lay between sleep and wakefulness, I thought of why I was here, thousands of miles from home. What possessed me to come this far? To leave everything that was familiar and trade palm trees for oak trees and sand and surf for mountains and hills and endless valleys?
Lehigh is known for their engineering program, as Lehigh used to "provide" the engineers for the railroads and Bethlehem Steel which is well within walking distance from campus. Their mascot used to be the Engineers until the Business and Arts and Sciences started to grow and became somewhat unhappy to be called 'The Engineers' when they clearly weren't. And so that is how we got our mascot to be The Mountain Hawks and not The Engineers.
And yet...4000+ miles from Hawaii. It's a joke between me and my friend Jose that I'm 2 North America's away from Hawaii. It's cold, there's no sand and hardly any clouds, the wind is cold and the stairs are steep and plentiful. Yet I can't imagine being anywhere else.
There's a 6-hour time difference between PA and Hawaii, and yet...even though it's irritating as heck, I don't mind it as much. Yes, it's a pain to time it so that when I call or text anyone it's at least noon here (and even then it's like 6am there). The weather is cold and in the 50's every morning, but the sun comes out in the afternoon and it gets very warm, in the 70's or 80's. I live on the side of a mountain (I shouldn't have to elaborate much on that). Parts of South Bethlehem are "sketchy", so when I go out down there I have to take at least one person with me to be on the safe side. My math professors are Chinese and speak with a strong accent, and so is my Physics Lab professor. When I don't have my umbrella or a rain jacket, it rains. When I do, it's hot out and I look ridiculous carrying it. When I do something "from Hawaii" like give out omiyage, I am told that I am "too nice". When I accidentally slip up and say I'm "half ha'ole", they look at me funny. When I wear my sweater even inside the building and tell them I don't have/know about Hunter boots (it's a brand of rain boots, apparently) or ski jackets (they're apparently Northface or something similar) or glittens or something similar, they look at me funny. When I asked this morning what a toboggan was (it was in the Physics homework due), they kind of frowned and looked at me like they pitied me.
Yet...
The professors are willing to stop their lecture and answer any question, even if it's a "stupid" one. They don't laugh at you and they don't tell you the answer directly, asking patient questions to help you find the answer yourself. They're willing to talk to you on the side if you have questions or concerns and openly share their office hours. If you ask anyone on campus for directions or the time, they will stop what their doing and help you. If you look injured they will ask if you are okay. If you fall, they will help you up.
Here I get a quality education with qualified professors. I heard that the hiring process for professors here are rigorous. It was joked that we get a higher education by being on the side of South Mountain and also because Lehigh is just that good.
There are campus involvement centers, a Women's Center, LGBTQA, Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs, free psychological services, doctors and nurses on campus, an entire force of trained policemen specifically for Lehigh, quality food, and more. there are so many opportunities on campus for involvement and academic success. There are free tutoring sessions and in the department buildings there are offered Q&A sessions for small problems that don't require a tutoring session.
The people here are different, and so is the weather, but isn't that what college is about? Trying new things? Finding ourself?
I feel that when I was in Hawaii, I didn't know who I was. Now, even after about four weeks of college, everything feels perfect. Like I fit in. It took me two years of High School to do that and even then I felt like an oddball. Here, even if I am alone, I know that I'm not entirely. Because Lehigh is a caring community. We look after each other.
And that is why I'm here.
~E
~Henry David Thoreau
One of the most-often asked questions other than why are you so cold? and have you even seen snow before? in addition to the leaves don't change color in Hawaii?! (the last isn't so much a question as it is an expression of surprise) is why did you come here/leave Hawaii for here/Pennsylvania?
Thus far, my answers have been really simple - no one had really wanted to know the full reason, after all. I just...wanted to get away from home, experience new things.
Their reply had been somewhat sarcastic: well, you've certainly accomplished that.
This morning as I lay between sleep and wakefulness, I thought of why I was here, thousands of miles from home. What possessed me to come this far? To leave everything that was familiar and trade palm trees for oak trees and sand and surf for mountains and hills and endless valleys?
Lehigh is known for their engineering program, as Lehigh used to "provide" the engineers for the railroads and Bethlehem Steel which is well within walking distance from campus. Their mascot used to be the Engineers until the Business and Arts and Sciences started to grow and became somewhat unhappy to be called 'The Engineers' when they clearly weren't. And so that is how we got our mascot to be The Mountain Hawks and not The Engineers.
And yet...4000+ miles from Hawaii. It's a joke between me and my friend Jose that I'm 2 North America's away from Hawaii. It's cold, there's no sand and hardly any clouds, the wind is cold and the stairs are steep and plentiful. Yet I can't imagine being anywhere else.
There's a 6-hour time difference between PA and Hawaii, and yet...even though it's irritating as heck, I don't mind it as much. Yes, it's a pain to time it so that when I call or text anyone it's at least noon here (and even then it's like 6am there). The weather is cold and in the 50's every morning, but the sun comes out in the afternoon and it gets very warm, in the 70's or 80's. I live on the side of a mountain (I shouldn't have to elaborate much on that). Parts of South Bethlehem are "sketchy", so when I go out down there I have to take at least one person with me to be on the safe side. My math professors are Chinese and speak with a strong accent, and so is my Physics Lab professor. When I don't have my umbrella or a rain jacket, it rains. When I do, it's hot out and I look ridiculous carrying it. When I do something "from Hawaii" like give out omiyage, I am told that I am "too nice". When I accidentally slip up and say I'm "half ha'ole", they look at me funny. When I wear my sweater even inside the building and tell them I don't have/know about Hunter boots (it's a brand of rain boots, apparently) or ski jackets (they're apparently Northface or something similar) or glittens or something similar, they look at me funny. When I asked this morning what a toboggan was (it was in the Physics homework due), they kind of frowned and looked at me like they pitied me.
Yet...
The professors are willing to stop their lecture and answer any question, even if it's a "stupid" one. They don't laugh at you and they don't tell you the answer directly, asking patient questions to help you find the answer yourself. They're willing to talk to you on the side if you have questions or concerns and openly share their office hours. If you ask anyone on campus for directions or the time, they will stop what their doing and help you. If you look injured they will ask if you are okay. If you fall, they will help you up.
Here I get a quality education with qualified professors. I heard that the hiring process for professors here are rigorous. It was joked that we get a higher education by being on the side of South Mountain and also because Lehigh is just that good.
There are campus involvement centers, a Women's Center, LGBTQA, Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs, free psychological services, doctors and nurses on campus, an entire force of trained policemen specifically for Lehigh, quality food, and more. there are so many opportunities on campus for involvement and academic success. There are free tutoring sessions and in the department buildings there are offered Q&A sessions for small problems that don't require a tutoring session.
The people here are different, and so is the weather, but isn't that what college is about? Trying new things? Finding ourself?
I feel that when I was in Hawaii, I didn't know who I was. Now, even after about four weeks of college, everything feels perfect. Like I fit in. It took me two years of High School to do that and even then I felt like an oddball. Here, even if I am alone, I know that I'm not entirely. Because Lehigh is a caring community. We look after each other.
And that is why I'm here.
~E
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tired and Sore but Very Happy :)
Emery Room 315
19 September 2010
9:56a
On the Events of yesterday, 18 September 2010:
Even though it was Saturday, I dragged my sorry butt out of bed at my usual time (6:45a), got ready, and headed down to Rathbone for breakfast. It being Saturday morning, I was the very first one inside and chatted a bit with the chefs scattered around as I ate a large bowl of fruit and gulped down a few mugs of hazelnut coffee. Finally feeling some semblance of wakefulness, I patted my pockets to make sure I had everything before giving my plates to the cleaning crew, I walked back out and down the stairs to Zoellner. Plopping myself down on a random granite bench, I waited.
Call time was at 8:30a, but I thought it was 8 - so I was there since 7:56a.
To keep myself from freezing to death, I got up and walked around, only to run into one of the officers driving up to Goodman Campus carrying the food and drinks for us before the game. He offered and I accepted the ride and helped him carry milk crates of drinks and platters of sandwiches up to the loft in the indoor track.
I set up my instrument and using my old and ugly neck strap, hung it from my neck like a ridiculous necklace. Because there were other people in the loft and trickling in through the doors, I didn't want to try and play for fear that I would squeak. I put my lyre on my sax and followed everyone to the practice field.
The first person I met in my rank was Alex. She helped me set up my sax, gave me a reed, my neck strap, a sax, my lyre, music, my "poop", etc. She's my main mentor but after the first day she doesn't hang around much. I don't blame her because she's busy but she does find some time during the show to count off at certain points that give me difficulty. She's really supportive and helps me understand certain things around me.
We practiced the show a few times including march-on, march-off, and the way we go on for the national anthem. At one point they had us stop playing because they wanted us to save ourselves for the halftime show. So we had to sing. x)
The next person I met is Matt. When Alex is away, he helps me. He is always next to me when we march (Alex is on my other side) and on occasion will explain things to me if Alex isn't there. He's nice and really helpful and doesn't seem bothered that I'm a freshman, even if everyone else jeered when the freshman band members had to march around the stadium as a sort of initiation.
Once practice was finished, we all went back to the loft and got ready. I got some sandwiches and then got fitted for my uniform, hat, gloves, and marching shoes. Our jumper things are brown with a yellow stripe and our jackets are cream with yellow epaulettes and a brown and white sash with LEHIGH on it. We have yellow berets we tuck in our hats which are white with a bright yellow plume at the top. Our gloves and shoes are white.
Behind Alex are Eamon and Dan. Dan is the "ass" of our section, meaning he is the last person in the line. Eamon is nice and sometimes talks to me when Matt or Alex doesn't. I haven't had much of a meaningful conversation with Dan. In front of Matt is Hope and in front of her is our "lead", Lauren, I think her name was. I forgot. :/
The band got ready and dressed and lined up in two long lines by rank order and we all marched out together. Drumline played a cadence and in the pause of the cadence, we all yelled out 'HERE KITTY, KITTY' (Princeton's mascot is the Tiger x) ) We marched through the tailgaters and stopped every once in a while with the cheerleaders to play a fight song or two.
It was around 4 when I got back to the dorm, hauling my alto sax in. I checked my messages and found that the swing dance outing was at 6:15, I called mom for advice on what to wear and then showered, changed, and hauled myself painfully down to the bottom of campus.
I got back around 1-ish, changed, slapped some Salonpas on my sore shoulders, and collapsed on the bed. I need a nap. Tutoring at 2. Will sleep after. :(
Soooooooooooooo tired
~E
19 September 2010
9:56a
On the Events of yesterday, 18 September 2010:
Even though it was Saturday, I dragged my sorry butt out of bed at my usual time (6:45a), got ready, and headed down to Rathbone for breakfast. It being Saturday morning, I was the very first one inside and chatted a bit with the chefs scattered around as I ate a large bowl of fruit and gulped down a few mugs of hazelnut coffee. Finally feeling some semblance of wakefulness, I patted my pockets to make sure I had everything before giving my plates to the cleaning crew, I walked back out and down the stairs to Zoellner. Plopping myself down on a random granite bench, I waited.
Call time was at 8:30a, but I thought it was 8 - so I was there since 7:56a.
To keep myself from freezing to death, I got up and walked around, only to run into one of the officers driving up to Goodman Campus carrying the food and drinks for us before the game. He offered and I accepted the ride and helped him carry milk crates of drinks and platters of sandwiches up to the loft in the indoor track.
I set up my instrument and using my old and ugly neck strap, hung it from my neck like a ridiculous necklace. Because there were other people in the loft and trickling in through the doors, I didn't want to try and play for fear that I would squeak. I put my lyre on my sax and followed everyone to the practice field.
The first person I met in my rank was Alex. She helped me set up my sax, gave me a reed, my neck strap, a sax, my lyre, music, my "poop", etc. She's my main mentor but after the first day she doesn't hang around much. I don't blame her because she's busy but she does find some time during the show to count off at certain points that give me difficulty. She's really supportive and helps me understand certain things around me.
We practiced the show a few times including march-on, march-off, and the way we go on for the national anthem. At one point they had us stop playing because they wanted us to save ourselves for the halftime show. So we had to sing. x)
The next person I met is Matt. When Alex is away, he helps me. He is always next to me when we march (Alex is on my other side) and on occasion will explain things to me if Alex isn't there. He's nice and really helpful and doesn't seem bothered that I'm a freshman, even if everyone else jeered when the freshman band members had to march around the stadium as a sort of initiation.
Once practice was finished, we all went back to the loft and got ready. I got some sandwiches and then got fitted for my uniform, hat, gloves, and marching shoes. Our jumper things are brown with a yellow stripe and our jackets are cream with yellow epaulettes and a brown and white sash with LEHIGH on it. We have yellow berets we tuck in our hats which are white with a bright yellow plume at the top. Our gloves and shoes are white.
Behind Alex are Eamon and Dan. Dan is the "ass" of our section, meaning he is the last person in the line. Eamon is nice and sometimes talks to me when Matt or Alex doesn't. I haven't had much of a meaningful conversation with Dan. In front of Matt is Hope and in front of her is our "lead", Lauren, I think her name was. I forgot. :/
The band got ready and dressed and lined up in two long lines by rank order and we all marched out together. Drumline played a cadence and in the pause of the cadence, we all yelled out 'HERE KITTY, KITTY' (Princeton's mascot is the Tiger x) ) We marched through the tailgaters and stopped every once in a while with the cheerleaders to play a fight song or two.
It was around 4 when I got back to the dorm, hauling my alto sax in. I checked my messages and found that the swing dance outing was at 6:15, I called mom for advice on what to wear and then showered, changed, and hauled myself painfully down to the bottom of campus.
I got back around 1-ish, changed, slapped some Salonpas on my sore shoulders, and collapsed on the bed. I need a nap. Tutoring at 2. Will sleep after. :(
Soooooooooooooo tired
~E
Friday, September 17, 2010
To My Wife, Jenna
It has come to my attention (i.e. Mom texting me during marching band) that you're about to leave for Cal. Poly. I wish I was there to physically see you off and to give you a big hug. Sadly, as several thousand miles separate us, I can only offer this...somewhat hug. So there you go, love.
And another thing: here are some tips I thought may either make you laugh or help you to embarrass yourself less and keep you from being run over by crowds of students and/or cars.
1) Don't eat yellow snow (but you already knew that)
2) Cars here are NASTY. If you cross the street, make sure they're not even remotely close to you. If there within a radius of around 30 meters/yards, STOP AND WAIT FOR THEM TO PASS BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS STOP FOR YOU!!
2.5) As an off-shot of number 2, be aware of the road conditions. If the road is smooth and it's rainy, wait until the roads are clear before you cross. And watch out for the paint on the roads (the lane dividers/crosswalk stripe things) as they get slippery when wet. :/
2.75) An off-shoot of number 2...again. A lot of times college students Jay-walk. So too do pedestrians. Be smart where you Jay-walk and be aware of the traffic laws (and the presence of police officers) around you/in your area.
3) Talk with your roommate. Get to know her. Make sure you set some basic rules like no drinking or smoking in the dorm, ask before inviting a guest over, etc. etc. Trade phone numbers in case either of you get locked out of the room (because it really sucks) and so you can call her if you don't want to get fined by your RA.
4) Make friends with your RA. They're usually nice. Mine is. x) And make friends with your hall because you'll be spending a large chunk of your semester with/around them. Better to be on friendly terms than awkward ones. :/
5) In class, sit in the first row, especially in math. The professors probably won't have assigned seating, so go as far up as you can. Sometimes they won't talk loud (and to the board) so it's an advantage to sit in the first row. And you don't have any obstructions of freakishly-tall white guys' heads in your way blocking the professor's explanation of how to use the precise definition of a limit to prove that it exists. :/
6) When sitting in class, especially in a lecture, if you sit at the end of the row, be ready to haul butt out of there once the lecture's over. As an unspoken rule of impatient, tired, and bored college students, they usually clean up within a few minutes of the end of the lecture and get really antsy, especially if they have a class to go to right afterward. Sometimes all you can do is scoop up your notes, your notebook, and your bag and pencil and eraser and dash out of there (unless you're gonna talk to the professor - in that case, dash down to him). Because people won't wait for you - they'll walk over you or growl because you're holding them up.
7) Only do what you're comfortable doing. If you don't want to party, just say 'no'.
8) Don't be afraid to experiment. And no, not necessarily in that way. What I mean is that don't be afraid to try new things. Try a musical instrument or try a new way of organizing. (on that note, make sure you buy a planner with the times on it - it helps a lot) Don't try to skimp when it comes to classes. Go big or go home, as you told me once. Don't be afraid to try new ways of organization - buy different planners and see how it works for you. Use a big color-coded desk calendar or a picture one on your wall to remind you of due dates or classes.
9) Be careful of the food and water. Take it slow because the food and water here are crazy - and Pennsylvania has some pretty clean water. Cal's water isn't so good. Take little sips if you must but if you can, go to the dining hall and get water there (if you're lucky it won't be as chlorinated there) but try to rely on bottled water. The food in the mainland has a lot of spices that our stomach might not like so much. Be careful of rosemary and other weird things they put in their food. It's delicious, but take it only in moderation: if you have herb-crusted something, only eat a little bit of the herbs but not a lot or you'll get an upset stomach.
10) Be a ninja about laundry. Scope out the place when you move in and see how many washers and driers there are and how much they cost. Keep a stash of coins or if CalPoly is like Lehigh, your credit on your ID card ready. Explore your residence area - sometimes there's a hidden laundry room so if you play your cards right, you may not have to drag your clothes all the way over to the shared laundry room of the complex (but this may only be my problem). Get a feel about your schedule and check out the times on the washers and driers. It works best if you go between classes but don't leave your clothes in too long or people might pull them out and put them on the side so they could use the machine. Try to go during weekdays as it won't be as busy, but try to avoid nights and weekends, as people usually do their laundry then (I've seen people here starting their first load around 11p).
11) I don't know what else to add, but I do have this one last bit of advise. They always say that you'll miss home and you'll be homesick. Not always true. Yes, you'll miss home and you'll miss the weather, but you'll find that once you open up and to an extent forget about home, you'll find that you actually really like it there. Don't think about what other people say, be yourself. You'll find good friends in college that makes it worthwhile to be there. Research your counseling center on campus - sometimes they offer a really good program for homesickness and psychological help. If you feel you need to talk to someone, just go to them. :)
So I think that's all I got for now. I wish I could give you a hug and see you off to the airport.
So I wish you well, J. I know you'll do well in anything you put your mind to. I trust your judgment on the matter, too. Don't feel pressured to go - you can always change your mind. I will never think less of you - if anyone does, I will make them go boom for you. ;)
Luv ya hun,
~E
And another thing: here are some tips I thought may either make you laugh or help you to embarrass yourself less and keep you from being run over by crowds of students and/or cars.
1) Don't eat yellow snow (but you already knew that)
2) Cars here are NASTY. If you cross the street, make sure they're not even remotely close to you. If there within a radius of around 30 meters/yards, STOP AND WAIT FOR THEM TO PASS BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS STOP FOR YOU!!
2.5) As an off-shot of number 2, be aware of the road conditions. If the road is smooth and it's rainy, wait until the roads are clear before you cross. And watch out for the paint on the roads (the lane dividers/crosswalk stripe things) as they get slippery when wet. :/
2.75) An off-shoot of number 2...again. A lot of times college students Jay-walk. So too do pedestrians. Be smart where you Jay-walk and be aware of the traffic laws (and the presence of police officers) around you/in your area.
3) Talk with your roommate. Get to know her. Make sure you set some basic rules like no drinking or smoking in the dorm, ask before inviting a guest over, etc. etc. Trade phone numbers in case either of you get locked out of the room (because it really sucks) and so you can call her if you don't want to get fined by your RA.
4) Make friends with your RA. They're usually nice. Mine is. x) And make friends with your hall because you'll be spending a large chunk of your semester with/around them. Better to be on friendly terms than awkward ones. :/
5) In class, sit in the first row, especially in math. The professors probably won't have assigned seating, so go as far up as you can. Sometimes they won't talk loud (and to the board) so it's an advantage to sit in the first row. And you don't have any obstructions of freakishly-tall white guys' heads in your way blocking the professor's explanation of how to use the precise definition of a limit to prove that it exists. :/
6) When sitting in class, especially in a lecture, if you sit at the end of the row, be ready to haul butt out of there once the lecture's over. As an unspoken rule of impatient, tired, and bored college students, they usually clean up within a few minutes of the end of the lecture and get really antsy, especially if they have a class to go to right afterward. Sometimes all you can do is scoop up your notes, your notebook, and your bag and pencil and eraser and dash out of there (unless you're gonna talk to the professor - in that case, dash down to him). Because people won't wait for you - they'll walk over you or growl because you're holding them up.
7) Only do what you're comfortable doing. If you don't want to party, just say 'no'.
8) Don't be afraid to experiment. And no, not necessarily in that way. What I mean is that don't be afraid to try new things. Try a musical instrument or try a new way of organizing. (on that note, make sure you buy a planner with the times on it - it helps a lot) Don't try to skimp when it comes to classes. Go big or go home, as you told me once. Don't be afraid to try new ways of organization - buy different planners and see how it works for you. Use a big color-coded desk calendar or a picture one on your wall to remind you of due dates or classes.
9) Be careful of the food and water. Take it slow because the food and water here are crazy - and Pennsylvania has some pretty clean water. Cal's water isn't so good. Take little sips if you must but if you can, go to the dining hall and get water there (if you're lucky it won't be as chlorinated there) but try to rely on bottled water. The food in the mainland has a lot of spices that our stomach might not like so much. Be careful of rosemary and other weird things they put in their food. It's delicious, but take it only in moderation: if you have herb-crusted something, only eat a little bit of the herbs but not a lot or you'll get an upset stomach.
10) Be a ninja about laundry. Scope out the place when you move in and see how many washers and driers there are and how much they cost. Keep a stash of coins or if CalPoly is like Lehigh, your credit on your ID card ready. Explore your residence area - sometimes there's a hidden laundry room so if you play your cards right, you may not have to drag your clothes all the way over to the shared laundry room of the complex (but this may only be my problem). Get a feel about your schedule and check out the times on the washers and driers. It works best if you go between classes but don't leave your clothes in too long or people might pull them out and put them on the side so they could use the machine. Try to go during weekdays as it won't be as busy, but try to avoid nights and weekends, as people usually do their laundry then (I've seen people here starting their first load around 11p).
11) I don't know what else to add, but I do have this one last bit of advise. They always say that you'll miss home and you'll be homesick. Not always true. Yes, you'll miss home and you'll miss the weather, but you'll find that once you open up and to an extent forget about home, you'll find that you actually really like it there. Don't think about what other people say, be yourself. You'll find good friends in college that makes it worthwhile to be there. Research your counseling center on campus - sometimes they offer a really good program for homesickness and psychological help. If you feel you need to talk to someone, just go to them. :)
So I think that's all I got for now. I wish I could give you a hug and see you off to the airport.
So I wish you well, J. I know you'll do well in anything you put your mind to. I trust your judgment on the matter, too. Don't feel pressured to go - you can always change your mind. I will never think less of you - if anyone does, I will make them go boom for you. ;)
Luv ya hun,
~E
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
It's All About Trust
It is. Swing dancing, anyway.
The follower has to trust the lead explicitly because what the lead does, the follower must also do. To do a move, the lead must initiate it, and the follower must trust him to lead them into the right motion for the right move. It's like how a blind man must trust his seeing-eye dog to lead him and to obey his directions, a follower must trust her lead to direct her - and her lead must trust her to follow his direction. On occasion it is possible for a follower to "back lead" (like back-seat driving) but it is rare and usually used when the lead is unsure of how to complete a move.
A good follower is only as good as her lead. A good follower has complete and total trust in her partner enough to follow his lead wherever it takes them, even if their arms end up tangled. This puts more pressure on the lead to know what the heck he's doing.
Last night one of the senior dancers came up to me during the dance sessions offered after the actual "lesson" is over. I was standing on the side, watching everyone dance because like a few other people, I didn't have a partner. And so he dragged me out on the dance floor and assured me that he wouldn't do anything too complicated before pulling me into a spin. We hardly ever stood still, as he pulled me into "inside turns" and "outside turns", "arm slides" and "washing machines". He improvised a few times, to see how I would follow, and I did what I thought was right. At the end of the song he tucked me and we did a lean dip. I messed up a lot, but I hardly fumbled because my lead had good confidence and knew exactly what he was doing and when he wanted to do it. I was a good dance partner that hardly fumbled because my lead had that confidence.
When the song was over, someone else danced with me, someone who was just learning, like me. Together we fumbled and stumbled and got our arms tangled because he was unsure of himself and either panicked or got confused with the music. His confidence, or lack of, carried over to me and made me nervous and jittery and resulted in tangled arms and running into each other during turns.
A follower and a lead must have perfect confidence in themselves and each other. The dip at the end of the song punctuates this fact. The lead must trust the follower to follow his lead and lean with him; the follower must trust the lead to not drop her and also to support her when she does her portion of the lean.
Dancing opens you up, and dancing with a partner teaches you to trust.
~E
The follower has to trust the lead explicitly because what the lead does, the follower must also do. To do a move, the lead must initiate it, and the follower must trust him to lead them into the right motion for the right move. It's like how a blind man must trust his seeing-eye dog to lead him and to obey his directions, a follower must trust her lead to direct her - and her lead must trust her to follow his direction. On occasion it is possible for a follower to "back lead" (like back-seat driving) but it is rare and usually used when the lead is unsure of how to complete a move.
A good follower is only as good as her lead. A good follower has complete and total trust in her partner enough to follow his lead wherever it takes them, even if their arms end up tangled. This puts more pressure on the lead to know what the heck he's doing.
Last night one of the senior dancers came up to me during the dance sessions offered after the actual "lesson" is over. I was standing on the side, watching everyone dance because like a few other people, I didn't have a partner. And so he dragged me out on the dance floor and assured me that he wouldn't do anything too complicated before pulling me into a spin. We hardly ever stood still, as he pulled me into "inside turns" and "outside turns", "arm slides" and "washing machines". He improvised a few times, to see how I would follow, and I did what I thought was right. At the end of the song he tucked me and we did a lean dip. I messed up a lot, but I hardly fumbled because my lead had good confidence and knew exactly what he was doing and when he wanted to do it. I was a good dance partner that hardly fumbled because my lead had that confidence.
When the song was over, someone else danced with me, someone who was just learning, like me. Together we fumbled and stumbled and got our arms tangled because he was unsure of himself and either panicked or got confused with the music. His confidence, or lack of, carried over to me and made me nervous and jittery and resulted in tangled arms and running into each other during turns.
A follower and a lead must have perfect confidence in themselves and each other. The dip at the end of the song punctuates this fact. The lead must trust the follower to follow his lead and lean with him; the follower must trust the lead to not drop her and also to support her when she does her portion of the lean.
Dancing opens you up, and dancing with a partner teaches you to trust.
~E
Dear Mr. Higginson, It's me, Delilah's Lawyer...
...I am writing to inform you
there's a third restraining order in effect.
~Hey There Delilah Parody, Stalker. Google it. It's HILARIOUS.
Anyway.
The Marching '97 originally got their name because they formed 12 ranks of 8 plus one drum major, thus totaling 97 people. There is no color guard and no pit. :( Also, they march using a different style than high school's "roll-step" and they don't compete. Instead, they march a new show every home game. AN ENTIRELY NEW SHOW. But they don't have to march or memorize the music - they have it on their...uh, are they called lutes? (they didn't teach me instrument parts/terminology). Also, they don't have original "dots" as we did in high school. Instead, they march in ranks so it's not individualized and thus a lot easier to make and memorize.
In every rank, there's a "lead" and, I kid you not, an "ass". On our marching sheets, which they call here "poop"s (in High school it was our Life), the counts are written along with the moves. However, they are all acronyms which are confusing:
MT is Mark Time
FM is Forward March
FH is FAce Home
SS is Stand Still (ie, no marching)
BM is Backwards March
CPCW is [something] Pivot Counter-Clockwise (it looks pretty cool)
FTL is Follow The Leader
FTA is Follow The Ass
SOB2R is Step Off By 2 to the Right (we use this to form straight diagonal lines)
BMB2R is Backwards March By 2 to the Right (forms a straight line if used after SOB2R)
LF is Left Face
EPL is End Pivot Left (I'm pretty sure it's pivot around the "ass")
RS is Right Spin* (I'll get to this)
AF is About Face
STOMP is ...uh...Stomp. It's the ending with a flourish.
As mentioned, the Marching '97 don't march with "roll-steps". Instead, they "high-step", which looks like military marching. I like it because it's easier than the roll-step, and it's a lot like doing a backwards roll-step with high knees.
They have no pit and no color guard.
Every home game they have a new show and new music. There are two practices per week and a practice the day of the game. They have us go over it a few times per practice so we get the hang of it, but it's actually pretty simple.
Okay. So about that Right Spin*. Another weird quirk the Marching '97 has is that they NEVER turn right. They don't have a Right Face, only a Left Face, About Face and Face Home. Whenever they have to make a right turn, they do a really cool pivot-spin type thing. Basically, they step left, plant right, pivot on right and step again with their left, so it's like an almost-About Face minus about 90 degrees. x) It's really fun and fairly simple to do once you get the hang of it. And it looks really cool when you march because you add an extra flourish to your steps.
Now I have to make another pouch for me so I can hold my stuff. :/
~E
there's a third restraining order in effect.
~Hey There Delilah Parody, Stalker. Google it. It's HILARIOUS.
Anyway.
The Marching '97 originally got their name because they formed 12 ranks of 8 plus one drum major, thus totaling 97 people. There is no color guard and no pit. :( Also, they march using a different style than high school's "roll-step" and they don't compete. Instead, they march a new show every home game. AN ENTIRELY NEW SHOW. But they don't have to march or memorize the music - they have it on their...uh, are they called lutes? (they didn't teach me instrument parts/terminology). Also, they don't have original "dots" as we did in high school. Instead, they march in ranks so it's not individualized and thus a lot easier to make and memorize.
In every rank, there's a "lead" and, I kid you not, an "ass". On our marching sheets, which they call here "poop"s (in High school it was our Life), the counts are written along with the moves. However, they are all acronyms which are confusing:
MT is Mark Time
FM is Forward March
FH is FAce Home
SS is Stand Still (ie, no marching)
BM is Backwards March
CPCW is [something] Pivot Counter-Clockwise (it looks pretty cool)
FTL is Follow The Leader
FTA is Follow The Ass
SOB2R is Step Off By 2 to the Right (we use this to form straight diagonal lines)
BMB2R is Backwards March By 2 to the Right (forms a straight line if used after SOB2R)
LF is Left Face
EPL is End Pivot Left (I'm pretty sure it's pivot around the "ass")
RS is Right Spin* (I'll get to this)
AF is About Face
STOMP is ...uh...Stomp. It's the ending with a flourish.
As mentioned, the Marching '97 don't march with "roll-steps". Instead, they "high-step", which looks like military marching. I like it because it's easier than the roll-step, and it's a lot like doing a backwards roll-step with high knees.
They have no pit and no color guard.
Every home game they have a new show and new music. There are two practices per week and a practice the day of the game. They have us go over it a few times per practice so we get the hang of it, but it's actually pretty simple.
Okay. So about that Right Spin*. Another weird quirk the Marching '97 has is that they NEVER turn right. They don't have a Right Face, only a Left Face, About Face and Face Home. Whenever they have to make a right turn, they do a really cool pivot-spin type thing. Basically, they step left, plant right, pivot on right and step again with their left, so it's like an almost-About Face minus about 90 degrees. x) It's really fun and fairly simple to do once you get the hang of it. And it looks really cool when you march because you add an extra flourish to your steps.
Now I have to make another pouch for me so I can hold my stuff. :/
~E
Monday, September 13, 2010
Clothes and Colors
As was evidenced by yesterday's blog, I went out into South Bethlehem to run a few errands. While I walked back to campus, I did some thinking.
I was wearing my brown Lehigh hoodie and as I walked, I watched people. It was starting to get warm in my hoodie, but I knew that if I took it off, then I'd feel cold unless I power-walked. Which got me thinking that I need to find a zip-up jacket that's as warm as my hoodie. I reviewed my wardrobe and remembered that I MAY have a zip-up jacket, but it probably wasn't as warm as my hoodie, and it made me look a little weird, as it probably had flowers on it. :/
My thoughts drifted to my fluffy red jacket and I had to smile to myself - it was warm, for one, and it was a zip-up. Not as warm as my hoodie, but it was warmer than the other jackets I had. As I was considering wearing it the next time I wandered off-campus, I had to stop and think.
I had seen a large handful of people by then and only the people driving in their cars or working in the shops wore any bright colors like red or violet. Everyone else had white, grey, army green, brown, or black, colors that blended in with the mocha-russet colored brick around us. They blended in with grimy sidewalks and rough-barked trees, with black wrought-iron railings and ancient wooden doors and dark alleys and the featureless, bland windows staring blankly at each other, locked in a perpetual staring contest. I walked for about three blocks and I watched everyone I passed and everyone in their cars and everyone on the other side of the street.
The people in their cars blasted their music and their horns at pedestrians in their way but they wore bright clothes, bright violets and reds and greens (but not all at once). I saw red and floral and bright, lively blue. The people walking, those without jackets, wore grey or white or brown with equally-drab jeans or khaki-colored pants. With jackets, they hunched into army-green hoodies or grey jackets, or brown coats and the some such. They blended in with the street and the mud-colored buildings and I wondered if it was a "defense mechanism", that they didn't wear anything bright so that they didn't attract attention to themselves.
Indeed, some people walked like predators, scowling at the ground or the air like a lion or a tiger ready to attack. People who walked in pairs huddled together even though it wasn't cold, and guys walking with girls wrapped their arms around her shoulders. The only people I saw wearing relatively bright shirts were two old men sitting on a stoop and a bench.
The first one wore a weird, faded red that turned it an almost salmon-pink shade. He scowled at the world but I wondered if it was just that his face had frozen that way and he was merely staring blandly at the world to see the goings-on of the people walking by. He turned his head when I approached and I smiled at him, just to be kind, and was rewarded when his scowl cracked and he offered me a tiny smile in return.
The second one was wearing a blue shirt a few shades above navy, bright against the russet-mud color of the brick behind him. He sat on a stoop and smoked and like the first man, seemed to scowl at the world. The lines of his scowl were carved deeply in his face, for all he was many years younger than the old man on the bench. As with the first man, he turned his head when I approached and looked me over as if to ask 'what are you doing here?' I smiled at him, just to be polite, and he seemed amused by it, his eyes crinkling upwards slightly as, just with the other man, his scowl cracked and breathing out a small plume of steam like an old train, he waved the hand he held his cigarette in with the tiniest of smiles. As if realizing that he had just broken his scowl, he gave a low humph and stuck his cigarette back in his mouth and took a long drag, turning away from me.
The only two people who wore colors brighter than brown, grey, white, or army green were old men scowling at the changing world around them. Everyone, I noticed, either gave them a wide berth as if they were about to suddenly lunge and attack them, or walked past as if drawn by an invisible thread, head firmly fixed forward like a horse with blinkers on.
I wonder if the changing season brings about change in the colors of clothes. Perhaps, perhaps. I will have to look out for this. Perhaps, though, as winter approaches a LACK of color would become apparent as coats are drab and boring, blacks and greys and browns with an occasional army green. Hats are sometimes bright, and so are gloves, but it is all in moderation and depending on what is worn.
Hmm... I shall have to look out for it.
~E
I was wearing my brown Lehigh hoodie and as I walked, I watched people. It was starting to get warm in my hoodie, but I knew that if I took it off, then I'd feel cold unless I power-walked. Which got me thinking that I need to find a zip-up jacket that's as warm as my hoodie. I reviewed my wardrobe and remembered that I MAY have a zip-up jacket, but it probably wasn't as warm as my hoodie, and it made me look a little weird, as it probably had flowers on it. :/
My thoughts drifted to my fluffy red jacket and I had to smile to myself - it was warm, for one, and it was a zip-up. Not as warm as my hoodie, but it was warmer than the other jackets I had. As I was considering wearing it the next time I wandered off-campus, I had to stop and think.
I had seen a large handful of people by then and only the people driving in their cars or working in the shops wore any bright colors like red or violet. Everyone else had white, grey, army green, brown, or black, colors that blended in with the mocha-russet colored brick around us. They blended in with grimy sidewalks and rough-barked trees, with black wrought-iron railings and ancient wooden doors and dark alleys and the featureless, bland windows staring blankly at each other, locked in a perpetual staring contest. I walked for about three blocks and I watched everyone I passed and everyone in their cars and everyone on the other side of the street.
The people in their cars blasted their music and their horns at pedestrians in their way but they wore bright clothes, bright violets and reds and greens (but not all at once). I saw red and floral and bright, lively blue. The people walking, those without jackets, wore grey or white or brown with equally-drab jeans or khaki-colored pants. With jackets, they hunched into army-green hoodies or grey jackets, or brown coats and the some such. They blended in with the street and the mud-colored buildings and I wondered if it was a "defense mechanism", that they didn't wear anything bright so that they didn't attract attention to themselves.
Indeed, some people walked like predators, scowling at the ground or the air like a lion or a tiger ready to attack. People who walked in pairs huddled together even though it wasn't cold, and guys walking with girls wrapped their arms around her shoulders. The only people I saw wearing relatively bright shirts were two old men sitting on a stoop and a bench.
The first one wore a weird, faded red that turned it an almost salmon-pink shade. He scowled at the world but I wondered if it was just that his face had frozen that way and he was merely staring blandly at the world to see the goings-on of the people walking by. He turned his head when I approached and I smiled at him, just to be kind, and was rewarded when his scowl cracked and he offered me a tiny smile in return.
The second one was wearing a blue shirt a few shades above navy, bright against the russet-mud color of the brick behind him. He sat on a stoop and smoked and like the first man, seemed to scowl at the world. The lines of his scowl were carved deeply in his face, for all he was many years younger than the old man on the bench. As with the first man, he turned his head when I approached and looked me over as if to ask 'what are you doing here?' I smiled at him, just to be polite, and he seemed amused by it, his eyes crinkling upwards slightly as, just with the other man, his scowl cracked and breathing out a small plume of steam like an old train, he waved the hand he held his cigarette in with the tiniest of smiles. As if realizing that he had just broken his scowl, he gave a low humph and stuck his cigarette back in his mouth and took a long drag, turning away from me.
The only two people who wore colors brighter than brown, grey, white, or army green were old men scowling at the changing world around them. Everyone, I noticed, either gave them a wide berth as if they were about to suddenly lunge and attack them, or walked past as if drawn by an invisible thread, head firmly fixed forward like a horse with blinkers on.
I wonder if the changing season brings about change in the colors of clothes. Perhaps, perhaps. I will have to look out for this. Perhaps, though, as winter approaches a LACK of color would become apparent as coats are drab and boring, blacks and greys and browns with an occasional army green. Hats are sometimes bright, and so are gloves, but it is all in moderation and depending on what is worn.
Hmm... I shall have to look out for it.
~E
Sunday, September 12, 2010
To the Pedestrians of the Universe...
To the Pedestrians of the Universe thinking about moving to the mainland...
WATCH OUT.
To be a Pedestrian of the Universe is simple. To be a LIVING Pedestrian of the Universe is a little difficult.
Take for example the nature of the drivers in South Bethlehem and New York City. They are downright nasty and so are the pedestrians in their actions. You do not wait for the signal to turn. Rather, you wait until there are no cars and then you dart across the street. I kid you not. Nobody cares if you're in a crosswalk or not. If they have to stop for you, THEN they care.
I was out with my friend Jose and we had to cross a few streets. He dragged me across the street when there were no cars and no crosswalk in sight. When I protested, he agreed that next time we crossed, we would wait for the light to turn, the crossing sign to come on, and then cross. We had a car honk their horn at us because we were in his way when he was trying to make a turn. -__-
The rules of the road are hectic here.
That is all.
~E
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Just called to tell you that your daughter almost ate raw chicken...
True story. Seriously.
So if you saw my previous blog, you'd see that I had a Global Citizenship Induction dinner. So basically the older GC students put together a program that made us realize that there is more than one perspective. We were given cards with a name, country of origin, age, gender, and reason for coming to the US. Then we were separated and sent to the "DMV" and given forms in different languages. I think mine was in German, but I was from India, and the person there yelled at me in Russian or something.
Then we were taken to a separate room where two guys acted out the perspective of the "Afghani bombers" who wanted revenge for America killing their entire family.
Then we were taken to another room with three girls dressed as Afghani villagers who acted like host families to us. They made a "special dinner" for us (which was in the middle of the rug) and offered it to us. They said that they spent hours at the market and paid a lot of money for meat, which they hadn't had for months. The lights in the room were off but the windows were open, so it was a little murky and when I looked at the platter, it looked like chunks of pork (like the ones Nana uses for pinakbet) and super-lumpy-coagulated gravy next to it.
So they offered it around and the first girl said "sorry, I'm a vegetarian". The second and third person said 'no thank you'. There are two "foreign" students in the GC program: me, and Chuanfeng, who is from China. (Gisella and I agree that I am "foreign" because we were discussing the similarities between Hawaii and Italy and the fact that it is very different from the mainland US - almost a separate culture) So Chuanfeng and I are looking at everyone else like, 'why aren't you even trying it?' So when the platter came to me, I tried to make polite conversation while I figured out what to grab and asked: "What type of meat is it?" The girl looked startled and said "uh...chicken".
Since the room was so "murky", I couldn't see what to grab so when I was about to take, she moved away. She went to Chuanfeng next and he took a piece and popped it into his mouth. This is the funny part. "No don't eat it!!" they shouted and surprised, he spit it back out. It was raw chicken. I couldn't see that it was raw and they were so surprised that Chuanfeng actually picked it up and even more shocked when he popped it in his mouth.
Later when I was talking with Gisella, she asked me, "you were going to eat it, weren't you?"
I was totally going to eat it. I just couldn't see it clearly enough to figure out what to grab and what was "gravy" (turns out the "gravy" was liver or lung or some such and the chunks of "pork" was the chopped portions with the fat). Some part of my mind recognized what it was because when I was going to reach for it, I was prepared to swallow a chunk of the "gravy" whole. :/
So Gisella and I were talking and she said that only two of the entire program were prepared for it: Chuanfeng and I. She said that though I didn't actually reach for it, I was prepared to and she said she saw the intent, but could tell I was confused. So when I told her that I didn't grab it because I couldn't see it, she laughed.
-
Right afterwards I had the first lesson/meeting for the Swing Dance Club, so I went to that. It was great. We're learning "East Coast Swing" right now, and they taught us the basics last night: the "basic step" (or just "basic"), inside turn, outside turn, close position, "basic" in closed position, and a tuck turn. There weren't enough guys for the girls, so we had to switch every few practice times. I had about five partners (wow that sounds weird) and three or four times I went without one. One of my partners was my from Jose so we can practice our steps later - we both have issues with timing and some of the turns so we can work on that. One of my partners was a 6' Russian dude. He had a name that sounded French (Felipe, or something that started with an F - I keep forgetting it...was it Francois? :/ ) but when we talked about the steps (and how tall he was compared to me), he spoke with a Russian accent. He was a pretty good partner. x)
The interesting thing is that the "lead" (aka the guy - so sexist, yeah? x) ) leads with one hand. We use one hand when we dance, which is pretty cool. The president explained that the girls are like Barbies (:/) so we had to keep our arms somewhat rigid, so that when the guys make small motions with the hand holding us, we turn. The "follower" (aka the girl) had to be able to interpret the signs given by the lead and act accordingly. The only time we have two hands on our partner (wow that also sounds weird) is when we're in close position, when it looks like we're about to do the tango.
Anyway, when we were finished with swing, I went back to the dorm and called mom to tell her that I almost ate raw chicken. That's where the blog title came from. I was super tired, so I'm not sure if she said this or if I dreamed it, but I think she said "I'm glad...sort of..." x)
Jya!
~E
So if you saw my previous blog, you'd see that I had a Global Citizenship Induction dinner. So basically the older GC students put together a program that made us realize that there is more than one perspective. We were given cards with a name, country of origin, age, gender, and reason for coming to the US. Then we were separated and sent to the "DMV" and given forms in different languages. I think mine was in German, but I was from India, and the person there yelled at me in Russian or something.
Then we were taken to a separate room where two guys acted out the perspective of the "Afghani bombers" who wanted revenge for America killing their entire family.
Then we were taken to another room with three girls dressed as Afghani villagers who acted like host families to us. They made a "special dinner" for us (which was in the middle of the rug) and offered it to us. They said that they spent hours at the market and paid a lot of money for meat, which they hadn't had for months. The lights in the room were off but the windows were open, so it was a little murky and when I looked at the platter, it looked like chunks of pork (like the ones Nana uses for pinakbet) and super-lumpy-coagulated gravy next to it.
So they offered it around and the first girl said "sorry, I'm a vegetarian". The second and third person said 'no thank you'. There are two "foreign" students in the GC program: me, and Chuanfeng, who is from China. (Gisella and I agree that I am "foreign" because we were discussing the similarities between Hawaii and Italy and the fact that it is very different from the mainland US - almost a separate culture) So Chuanfeng and I are looking at everyone else like, 'why aren't you even trying it?' So when the platter came to me, I tried to make polite conversation while I figured out what to grab and asked: "What type of meat is it?" The girl looked startled and said "uh...chicken".
Since the room was so "murky", I couldn't see what to grab so when I was about to take, she moved away. She went to Chuanfeng next and he took a piece and popped it into his mouth. This is the funny part. "No don't eat it!!" they shouted and surprised, he spit it back out. It was raw chicken. I couldn't see that it was raw and they were so surprised that Chuanfeng actually picked it up and even more shocked when he popped it in his mouth.
Later when I was talking with Gisella, she asked me, "you were going to eat it, weren't you?"
I was totally going to eat it. I just couldn't see it clearly enough to figure out what to grab and what was "gravy" (turns out the "gravy" was liver or lung or some such and the chunks of "pork" was the chopped portions with the fat). Some part of my mind recognized what it was because when I was going to reach for it, I was prepared to swallow a chunk of the "gravy" whole. :/
So Gisella and I were talking and she said that only two of the entire program were prepared for it: Chuanfeng and I. She said that though I didn't actually reach for it, I was prepared to and she said she saw the intent, but could tell I was confused. So when I told her that I didn't grab it because I couldn't see it, she laughed.
-
Right afterwards I had the first lesson/meeting for the Swing Dance Club, so I went to that. It was great. We're learning "East Coast Swing" right now, and they taught us the basics last night: the "basic step" (or just "basic"), inside turn, outside turn, close position, "basic" in closed position, and a tuck turn. There weren't enough guys for the girls, so we had to switch every few practice times. I had about five partners (wow that sounds weird) and three or four times I went without one. One of my partners was my from Jose so we can practice our steps later - we both have issues with timing and some of the turns so we can work on that. One of my partners was a 6' Russian dude. He had a name that sounded French (Felipe, or something that started with an F - I keep forgetting it...was it Francois? :/ ) but when we talked about the steps (and how tall he was compared to me), he spoke with a Russian accent. He was a pretty good partner. x)
The interesting thing is that the "lead" (aka the guy - so sexist, yeah? x) ) leads with one hand. We use one hand when we dance, which is pretty cool. The president explained that the girls are like Barbies (:/) so we had to keep our arms somewhat rigid, so that when the guys make small motions with the hand holding us, we turn. The "follower" (aka the girl) had to be able to interpret the signs given by the lead and act accordingly. The only time we have two hands on our partner (wow that also sounds weird) is when we're in close position, when it looks like we're about to do the tango.
Anyway, when we were finished with swing, I went back to the dorm and called mom to tell her that I almost ate raw chicken. That's where the blog title came from. I was super tired, so I'm not sure if she said this or if I dreamed it, but I think she said "I'm glad...sort of..." x)
Jya!
~E
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Tuesday...
Blog outline (it's a long one):
Tuesdays are pretty chill for me.
8:20-9:10: Physics Recitation in Lewis Lab 309
1:10-2:00: Calculus Recitation in Christmas-Saucon 402
2:35-3:50: Introduction to Global Citizenship in Christmas-Saucon 303
At 5 I had an Engineers Without Borders meeting in STEPS 101. They're building water-purifying tanks in Pueblo Nueva
On a whim between Calculus and GC, I send messages to a bunch of friends and we all met for dinner at 6 at the Hawk's Nest for dinner. We ended up staying there for two hours, sharing stories and jokes and laughing really hard. The Hawk's Nest has REALLY GOOD food. Like, no joke. My bacon cheeseburger was BLISS. And it was huge. They serve everything 24-hours, so Yi Liu had an omelette which was pretty cool.
~
Today is pretty chill too. This is the last day of the week that I have 3 or more classes - Thursday and Friday I have 2 classes, which is pretty awesome.
8:10-9:00 is Calculus in Chandler-Ullmann 270
9:10-10:00 was Physics 011 in Lewis Lab 270
at 1:10-3:00 is my Introduction to Engineering Practice lab*, which I will get to in a minute.
These aren't classes, but there was a study-abroad fair which I stopped by to check out. Got a few papers and stuff and it was only a little helpful. Didn't care for it too much, but I got a lot of fliers and opportunities for internships and stuff, which was pretty cool. :/ I have a meeting with a lady named Courtney Jones in the University Center at 3:30 for about a half-hour. After that I might head up to the Hawk's Nest to go to the "Getting Started" session for Studying Abroad. After that, I have a Global Citizenship Induction at 5:30. At 7:00 is the first meeting for the swing dance club, so I'm definitely going to that. :)
*So the engineering lab. I think in all the other classes, too, there are labs that students have to sign up for to get hands-on practice and a grade. There are a bunch of projects that we can choose from, each one in different fields so that we have a variety to choose from for our interests.
There is: Omnidirectional Holonomic Platform; Computer animation; Sensing toxic lead in water through color changes; Risk and return - Portfolio Management; Hovercraft; Peeps; Composites Medley; and Water: the New Oil? A device to sense soil moisture content. I'm in the Omnidirectional Holonomic Platform project. Basically I'm building a Lego robot that can tell follow a painted line, sense a wall, back up, turn around, and follow the line away from the wall and back to the start.
I GOT MY FIRST CARE PACKAGE TODAY!!!!! :D
I got an e-mail from the post office saying I had a parcel to pick up so I walked over and got a medium-sized flat-rate box from dad. Back at the room, I opened it: It was filled with senbei and nori!!! I already ate around 5 packets of senbei and I'm on my eighth packet of nori. ^^; I'm gonna stop after this, but it's SOO good to have yummy snacks. :D
xie xie, dad!!
~E
-Tuesday Schedule
-Wednesday Schedule
-Engineering Lab info
-Post Office
Tuesdays are pretty chill for me.
8:20-9:10: Physics Recitation in Lewis Lab 309
1:10-2:00: Calculus Recitation in Christmas-Saucon 402
2:35-3:50: Introduction to Global Citizenship in Christmas-Saucon 303
At 5 I had an Engineers Without Borders meeting in STEPS 101. They're building water-purifying tanks in Pueblo Nueva
On a whim between Calculus and GC, I send messages to a bunch of friends and we all met for dinner at 6 at the Hawk's Nest for dinner. We ended up staying there for two hours, sharing stories and jokes and laughing really hard. The Hawk's Nest has REALLY GOOD food. Like, no joke. My bacon cheeseburger was BLISS. And it was huge. They serve everything 24-hours, so Yi Liu had an omelette which was pretty cool.
~
Today is pretty chill too. This is the last day of the week that I have 3 or more classes - Thursday and Friday I have 2 classes, which is pretty awesome.
8:10-9:00 is Calculus in Chandler-Ullmann 270
9:10-10:00 was Physics 011 in Lewis Lab 270
at 1:10-3:00 is my Introduction to Engineering Practice lab*, which I will get to in a minute.
These aren't classes, but there was a study-abroad fair which I stopped by to check out. Got a few papers and stuff and it was only a little helpful. Didn't care for it too much, but I got a lot of fliers and opportunities for internships and stuff, which was pretty cool. :/ I have a meeting with a lady named Courtney Jones in the University Center at 3:30 for about a half-hour. After that I might head up to the Hawk's Nest to go to the "Getting Started" session for Studying Abroad. After that, I have a Global Citizenship Induction at 5:30. At 7:00 is the first meeting for the swing dance club, so I'm definitely going to that. :)
*So the engineering lab. I think in all the other classes, too, there are labs that students have to sign up for to get hands-on practice and a grade. There are a bunch of projects that we can choose from, each one in different fields so that we have a variety to choose from for our interests.
There is: Omnidirectional Holonomic Platform; Computer animation; Sensing toxic lead in water through color changes; Risk and return - Portfolio Management; Hovercraft; Peeps; Composites Medley; and Water: the New Oil? A device to sense soil moisture content. I'm in the Omnidirectional Holonomic Platform project. Basically I'm building a Lego robot that can tell follow a painted line, sense a wall, back up, turn around, and follow the line away from the wall and back to the start.
I GOT MY FIRST CARE PACKAGE TODAY!!!!! :D
I got an e-mail from the post office saying I had a parcel to pick up so I walked over and got a medium-sized flat-rate box from dad. Back at the room, I opened it: It was filled with senbei and nori!!! I already ate around 5 packets of senbei and I'm on my eighth packet of nori. ^^; I'm gonna stop after this, but it's SOO good to have yummy snacks. :D
xie xie, dad!!
~E
Monday, September 6, 2010
It's Just Another Manic Monday...
Emery Room 315
6 September 2010
10:16a:
Oh. My. God. I have a new reason to hate Mondays. I just got through two back-to-back classes. @__@
Anyway, here's some of what I had today. One weekend I will walk around campus with my camera and show y'all what I walk every day. :/
Monday morning:
-6:45a: wake up and get ready
-7:25a: pack bag and walk down hall to wake Stephanie
-7:32a: walk with Stephanie to breakfast in Rathbone
-7:53a: leave Rathbone and head down to Chandler-Ullmann 230 for first class (Calculus 021)
-8:10a: start of Calculus lecture. Maybe Professor He isn't that good of a teacher, but I admire him because he is honestly passionate about math. He always talks with a smile on his face even though we can hardly understand when he says "logarithm" or "theta" ("noggrithmmm" or "shayta"). He jumps around a bit and he doesn't entirely explain why or how he got his values, but when asked, he is willing to stop for a moment to try and help.
-9:00a: theoretical end of Calculus lecture. Sometimes he goes over :/
-9:10a: time for Physics in Lewis Lab 270. Gotta power-walk it there. Professor Licini (he says is pronounced like "listen-to-me", which unfortunately we all will have to do as he says) is pretty cool. Today he had a lounge chair and a towel in the front and said that he didn't know about us, but his mind is still on vacation - he's sitting in his lounge chair at the Jersey Shore x). He's a nice professor and jokes around sometimes. He's open to questions and doesn't seem bothered by the fact that most of us are asleep and not exactly in the best of moods. Whenever talking about topics, he tries to have relevant examples or displays for us, like throwing a wad of paper in the air, or this weird contraption he had today that showed that though a ball dropped straight down and a ball propelled off an edge have different x-directions (side-to-side motions), their y-direction, acceleration, and magnitude are the same (they land at the same time).
-10:00a: End of Physics 011 lecture.
-10:10a: somehow made it back up to Emery Room 315
-10:16a: started to type this
-10:26a: still typing this
-at 10:48a: will leave Emery 315 to head down to GC Practicum in Rauch.
Because I have not had any of my other classes, I will end this for now. When I come back, I'll discuss how the other half of my four day-classes went and growl about my late-night lab. :(
Until then,
~E
Emery Room 315
6 September 2010
3:02pm
Returning to the events of my classes today.
10:45a: packed my things and left the dorm
10:46a: left the building and realized that I had left my swipe-card in my jacket pocket - which was in my room
10:52a: got lost but made it to Rauch for Practicum
11:10a: Practicum started. It wasn't a very...practical thing we learned as I had guessed. It was more like "what is China's economic system like right now?" :/ Maybe we'll learn more about our trip later...?
12:02p: lecture finished and left Rauch to head to Packard for Introduction to Engineering Practices.
12:10p: Intro to Eng Practices started. Nothing really to report, other than I love this professor. He is awesome. He's like a British Tokes :D
1:10p: lecture finished and got lost in mob of students leaving the auditorium
1:25p: returned to room to do some online Physics work
2:35p: Took a shower
3:09p: typing this
at 3:30p: I will go down to have dinner/lunch at Rathbone, then come back up to the room and do some of my homework stuff
at 6:50p: I will leave the dorm to go down to my Physics lab in Lewis Lab 220
at ~10:00p: I will leave the lab and either catch a TRACS bus up or call for security escort :/
at ~10:15p: I will return to my room (finally)
And that is my day.
~E
6 September 2010
10:16a:
Oh. My. God. I have a new reason to hate Mondays. I just got through two back-to-back classes. @__@
Anyway, here's some of what I had today. One weekend I will walk around campus with my camera and show y'all what I walk every day. :/
Monday morning:
-6:45a: wake up and get ready
-7:25a: pack bag and walk down hall to wake Stephanie
-7:32a: walk with Stephanie to breakfast in Rathbone
-7:53a: leave Rathbone and head down to Chandler-Ullmann 230 for first class (Calculus 021)
-8:10a: start of Calculus lecture. Maybe Professor He isn't that good of a teacher, but I admire him because he is honestly passionate about math. He always talks with a smile on his face even though we can hardly understand when he says "logarithm" or "theta" ("noggrithmmm" or "shayta"). He jumps around a bit and he doesn't entirely explain why or how he got his values, but when asked, he is willing to stop for a moment to try and help.
-9:00a: theoretical end of Calculus lecture. Sometimes he goes over :/
-9:10a: time for Physics in Lewis Lab 270. Gotta power-walk it there. Professor Licini (he says is pronounced like "listen-to-me", which unfortunately we all will have to do as he says) is pretty cool. Today he had a lounge chair and a towel in the front and said that he didn't know about us, but his mind is still on vacation - he's sitting in his lounge chair at the Jersey Shore x). He's a nice professor and jokes around sometimes. He's open to questions and doesn't seem bothered by the fact that most of us are asleep and not exactly in the best of moods. Whenever talking about topics, he tries to have relevant examples or displays for us, like throwing a wad of paper in the air, or this weird contraption he had today that showed that though a ball dropped straight down and a ball propelled off an edge have different x-directions (side-to-side motions), their y-direction, acceleration, and magnitude are the same (they land at the same time).
-10:00a: End of Physics 011 lecture.
-10:10a: somehow made it back up to Emery Room 315
-10:16a: started to type this
-10:26a: still typing this
-at 10:48a: will leave Emery 315 to head down to GC Practicum in Rauch.
Because I have not had any of my other classes, I will end this for now. When I come back, I'll discuss how the other half of my four day-classes went and growl about my late-night lab. :(
Until then,
~E
Emery Room 315
6 September 2010
3:02pm
Returning to the events of my classes today.
10:45a: packed my things and left the dorm
10:46a: left the building and realized that I had left my swipe-card in my jacket pocket - which was in my room
10:52a: got lost but made it to Rauch for Practicum
11:10a: Practicum started. It wasn't a very...practical thing we learned as I had guessed. It was more like "what is China's economic system like right now?" :/ Maybe we'll learn more about our trip later...?
12:02p: lecture finished and left Rauch to head to Packard for Introduction to Engineering Practices.
12:10p: Intro to Eng Practices started. Nothing really to report, other than I love this professor. He is awesome. He's like a British Tokes :D
1:10p: lecture finished and got lost in mob of students leaving the auditorium
1:25p: returned to room to do some online Physics work
2:35p: Took a shower
3:09p: typing this
at 3:30p: I will go down to have dinner/lunch at Rathbone, then come back up to the room and do some of my homework stuff
at 6:50p: I will leave the dorm to go down to my Physics lab in Lewis Lab 220
at ~10:00p: I will leave the lab and either catch a TRACS bus up or call for security escort :/
at ~10:15p: I will return to my room (finally)
And that is my day.
~E
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I Miss You My Hawaii...
Emery Room 315
5 September 2010:
Today it's been around the low low 70's and high 60's. Kind of nice, a little chilly. My dorm mates tease me because it'll just get "worse" from here.
I miss Hawaii, but only a little. I miss the people more. :/
I miss senbei crackers and taro chips and dried aku. I miss li hing powder and people that smile back at you when you smile at them. I miss Jenna and Ri and Christian and Nani and my family. I miss the Highlander and the cats, all five of the silly things. I miss Nana and Mom and Wayne and Dad. I miss Connie and Jennifer and James and Mary and Shawnie and Kristine. I miss Mr. Tokuhama (and am sad I didn't get a chance to say good-bye) and Mr. Yoshimoto and Dr. G and Mrs. Donnelly and Mr. Nishizawa. I miss the mongoose and the debates of the plural form of their name. I miss Pearlridge and Ala Moana and Windward Mall. I miss Aiea Chop Suey and Chinese food and Youngs Kal-Bee and Kabuki and kulolo and poi and Hawaiian food. I miss Orange Ears and Uncle Allan and Lance and Wanda and Anuhea and Joshua and Malia and Keola and Alika and Michelle and all my uncles and all my aunties. I miss chlorine-free water and our tiny kitchen. I miss my mural in my room and my paints under my desk. I miss the dry-erase board Sasha drew on and the Inverter and the way the clock sings at every hour. I miss Children's Ark and the kids there and Aunty Teri (bless her heart, she works so hard!) and Aunty Annie and Lisa Lee (though I think that's not her name anymore) and Kristen Skelton and Aunty SaraLee and Jo and Kristy and Uncle Jim and Aunty Chondra and Uncle Alan. I miss Jerard (though I hardly saw him) and Ashley and Angel and Jewel and AJ (though I suspect he never really liked me).
I better go back to the cool air and the humid dorm and the murmur of voices outside my window. Back to the only view of the beach being the calendar on my wall and the only way to see my friends being through Skype and through my map. Back to oak trees and acorns and squirrels and cicadas that whistle and hiss all the time. Back to alien bugs and thin air and pale skies and only a few dots of clouds throughout the day. Back to classes of 100+ students and forgotten meals and dorms across the dining hall. Back to dry books and dryer homework.
But even though I miss all this, I am not homesick. Weird.
~E
5 September 2010:
Today it's been around the low low 70's and high 60's. Kind of nice, a little chilly. My dorm mates tease me because it'll just get "worse" from here.
I miss Hawaii, but only a little. I miss the people more. :/
I miss senbei crackers and taro chips and dried aku. I miss li hing powder and people that smile back at you when you smile at them. I miss Jenna and Ri and Christian and Nani and my family. I miss the Highlander and the cats, all five of the silly things. I miss Nana and Mom and Wayne and Dad. I miss Connie and Jennifer and James and Mary and Shawnie and Kristine. I miss Mr. Tokuhama (and am sad I didn't get a chance to say good-bye) and Mr. Yoshimoto and Dr. G and Mrs. Donnelly and Mr. Nishizawa. I miss the mongoose and the debates of the plural form of their name. I miss Pearlridge and Ala Moana and Windward Mall. I miss Aiea Chop Suey and Chinese food and Youngs Kal-Bee and Kabuki and kulolo and poi and Hawaiian food. I miss Orange Ears and Uncle Allan and Lance and Wanda and Anuhea and Joshua and Malia and Keola and Alika and Michelle and all my uncles and all my aunties. I miss chlorine-free water and our tiny kitchen. I miss my mural in my room and my paints under my desk. I miss the dry-erase board Sasha drew on and the Inverter and the way the clock sings at every hour. I miss Children's Ark and the kids there and Aunty Teri (bless her heart, she works so hard!) and Aunty Annie and Lisa Lee (though I think that's not her name anymore) and Kristen Skelton and Aunty SaraLee and Jo and Kristy and Uncle Jim and Aunty Chondra and Uncle Alan. I miss Jerard (though I hardly saw him) and Ashley and Angel and Jewel and AJ (though I suspect he never really liked me).
I better go back to the cool air and the humid dorm and the murmur of voices outside my window. Back to the only view of the beach being the calendar on my wall and the only way to see my friends being through Skype and through my map. Back to oak trees and acorns and squirrels and cicadas that whistle and hiss all the time. Back to alien bugs and thin air and pale skies and only a few dots of clouds throughout the day. Back to classes of 100+ students and forgotten meals and dorms across the dining hall. Back to dry books and dryer homework.
But even though I miss all this, I am not homesick. Weird.
~E
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Yep...this is my school...
I've been meaning to post this for a while. You get to see my campus.
Lehigh Lipdub 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Ji75Aaed4
Anyway, everyone in Lehigh's a little crazy to one extent or another. And apparently the guy that invented the escalator went here...but seeing all the stairs, it doesn't surprise me too much. :/ Go figure.
IT'S TOO HOT!!!! D:
~E
Lehigh Lipdub 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Ji75Aaed4
Anyway, everyone in Lehigh's a little crazy to one extent or another. And apparently the guy that invented the escalator went here...but seeing all the stairs, it doesn't surprise me too much. :/ Go figure.
IT'S TOO HOT!!!! D:
~E
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