:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Sunday, June 11, 2006 ::

Today, I slept in and then had lunch. I watched some Will and Grace on TV, and then my sister and I went to SLO-town to go see Disney/Pixar’s latest release, Cars.

I really want to get a pet now that I’ll be home, since I’ve never had one growing up, but my parents keep saying no. My sister and I still went to the county’s animal services department, though, in the afternoon to pretend to pick out a dog. They all looked so sad!!! In sixth grade I volunteered at the animal shelter, but I had forgotten how lonely they all looked in their cages. I wanted to adopt them all so they’d smile again.

We also saw the cutest puppy that had just been brought in by the people right in front of us. It had worms and a distended belly. Poor puppy. Aww. I wanted to adopt him right there. My mother would kill me, though. We played with some other dogs, and then one super jumpy one (think Jessi’s dog Aphodite) started humping my leg, and I was so weirded out I had to leave.

We then went to see Cars downtown. It was a great movie. I didn’t think I’d like a movie about cars and racing, but Pixar’s done it again with great animation and a story that’s filled with heart. It was funny because the film’s themes sum up a lot of the things I learned this past semester in Positive Psychology… Life is about the journey, not the end result. It’s ok to lose your way sometimes because it will end up giving you more direction in your life.

My sister then met up with her friends from high school, and we went to a Japanese restaurant for sushi. It was a cool restaurant, but overpriced. I like how for birthdays, they turn off the lights, turn on these flashing colored lights, and play a techno remix of some woman singing in an accent “Happy Birrsss-day to yooo… Happy Birrsss-day to yooo…!” Hilarity! It was like a birthday rave and it totally made my entire life.

We then went to get ice cream at Bali’s frozen yogurt and Coldstone Creamery. At Coldstone I got a cake batter ice cream with black cherry mix in. Yum. My sister and I then drove back home, and I watched some TV, organized things, and watched some more television.

Tomorrow we’re getting up early to go to Disneyland for a couple of days!

Quote(s) of the Day: “The Diva Cup??? That just sounds like a recipe for TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME!!!”

“I don’t know… you seem like the kind of person who would use the Diva Cup…” [Audible gasps] “What’s that supposed to mean?!?!” “I think, um, clean? The latest technology? Sleek? Smells nice?”

“Stop pushing me into the old people!!!” “They’re not old; they’re Asian!!!”

:: SL 1:26 AM [+] ::
...

Thursday was the longest day ever, filled with emotional highs and goodbyes…

Thursday was Commencement Day, and we all had to get up at 6 a.m. to meet in the dining hall for a champagne breakfast. It was definitely too early to be drinking alcohol, but the breakfast was really nice. I enjoyed the croissant egg and cheese sandwich and all the fresh fruit.

During the breakfast my friend was sitting next to me, and she had a croissant sandwich that was cut in half. I asked her if she was going to eat it, and she said she wasn’t going to eat the other half. She started to hand me one half of the sandwich but then withdrew her hand, saying, “Oh, I think I took a bite from that half; here, I didn’t eat from this half.” And I said, “Wow, it’s like Russian roulette with oral herpes!” And my friend snapped at me, saying, “I don’t have oral herpes!” Sensing that she was offended, I said, “Oh, is it too early to be making oral herpes jokes?” And my other friend at the table turned around and said, “It’s never too early to be making oral herpes jokes!!!” Ah, my last hurrah in the Leverett Dining Hall. Good times.

Close to 7, our house master began screaming at us to line up for the procession to Harvard Yard. His usage of the German word “Schnell! Schnell!” was, um, interesting. “I thought these iron-fisted verbal techniques fell out of popularity following the fall of the Third Reich in the 1940s, but I guess a revival of Nazi Germany is in order!!!” A Dixieland jazz band led our procession into the yard, and it was fun and festive while we made our way to the ceremony.

We were led into Memorial Church for a service with Reverend Gomes, but our house got there very early, and all the students from the other houses had not yet arrived, so we waited there in the church. At least we had really great seats. After they all came and settled into the church, Reverend Gomes delivered a speech called “The Multitude of the Wise,” based on the Bible quote “The multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world.” It was an inspirational speech about how with more educated people in society, the better off it is. He also talked about the doubt and regrets we graduates may feel about our four years at Harvard and reassured us that we were prepared to take on the challenges of the world. Then he said, “And anyways, they had to give these Harvard degrees to somebody… it might as well be all of you.”

We then headed outside again and watched the procession of faculty members, led by Harvard University President Larry Summers. We then were seated in Tercentenary Theater in Harvard Yard, where we waited for the Commencement Exercises to begin. It was still a very wet day, although thank goodness it didn’t rain as hard as it did the day before during Class Day. There was light rain throughout the ceremony, but we were all prepared with umbrellas and ponchos worn underneath our gowns. The mortarboards also deflected much of the rain from our faces.

All traditional protocol was followed, with Harvard hymns and rousing anthems performed by the Harvard University Band and Choir. There were also the traditional orations delivered in Latin and English by students. Then the university president and the deans of the various schools that make up Harvard University conferred degrees to the graduating classes of 2006. It was fun to see what the students of the various graduate schools held up in the air when their degrees were announced. For example, the graduating students of the Harvard School of Dentistry held up tubes of toothpaste when their degree was conferred, and the students of the Graduate School of Education held up children’s books at their announcement. My family had gotten up early to get good seats for the ceremony. Finally, the university conferred honorary Harvard degrees to various faculty members.

After the Morning Exercises, we headed to our residential houses for smaller ceremonies to actually receive our diplomas. The ceremony was held indoors because of the rain. It got really emotional because we were finally getting our diplomas and it was the last time the senior class of Leverett House would be all together. Our names were announced one by one to pick up our diplomas in front of friends and family members, and then we said goodbye to our house masters, senior tutor, and residential tutors. A box lunch in the dining hall with our families followed. The diploma is really nice. I’ll have to find a nice frame for it.

My family and I then headed to Sanders Theater for the Afternoon Exercises. Larry Summers gave a speech about the state of the university, talking about his accomplishments as president and his hopes of continued improvements even after he leaves the university. Our commencement speaker was broadcast journalist Jim Lehrer of the News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. His speech proposed mandatory public service for all US citizens in order to create a shared experience for everyone in the country. And with that, I was all done with Harvard.

My family and I wandered about the Harvard campus one last time to take pictures, and then we went to the Coop to return my cap and gown and for my mother to get some more souvenirs. We then had Thai food for dinner at 9 Tastes and then I used the $25 gift certificate I received at Finale, where we got 5 mini desserts to split among our family. We got cheesecake, tiramisu, crème brulee, Boston cream pie, and chocolate cake.

That evening, I was sad to be leaving the next day, so I was listening to sad goodbye songs like “I will remember you; will you remember me?” and “I hope you had the time of your life” and “Here’s to the night we felt alive… here’s to goodbye tomorrow’s gonna come too soon…” while looking at pictures of my friends on my computer from the past four years of college. SAD TEAR!!! I then decided I would start the rounds of saying goodbye, so I went to visit my friend Molly, who was also sad to have to be saying goodbye. We chatted for a bit and then proceeded to go to the 6th floor U, where we said goodbye to more people. A bunch of others visited, and we chatted one last time.

I then went with Marion and Angela and Molly and Mike to the Charles where we proceeded to burn lists of unsatisfactory people and things from our time at Harvard, a sort of cathartic release of the negative feelings so we won’t carry them away with us. I then went to the Kong for one last snack at that venerable restaurant where I spent so many Friday and Saturday nights. Ah, I’m going to miss the surly waiters… and the grease. I said goodbye to my friends Marion, Fran, and Kayt, and Caroline and Melissa. I then went and said goodbye to more people on the 6th floor U and proceeded to Mather to say goodbye to Kayt again along with her roommates. We chatted some more, but everyone was exhausted from getting up so early for commencement, so we all went to sleep early.

Friday, I got up early and Kayt came over. I had to finish packing and send things over to the donation bin, and Kayt ever so kindly helped me. We went to have lunch at Pinocchio’s Pizza one last time, in memory of all our late-night trips to get food from there freshman year when we lived across the hall from each other. Who knew then at the beginning of freshman year when Kayt and I first met to awkwardly watch fuzzy programming on MTV2 with the rest of our roommates that we’d end up being best friends at Harvard?

We then visited our friends Ben and Scott and said goodbye to them. Kayt then helped me get my stuff down to the sidewalk and waited with me for my taxi. We said goodbye one last time, and I rode off to the airport to fly back to California.

It was such a sad evening/morning… I said goodbye to so many good friends. I kept thinking to myself that I’d see them again sometime, but it wasn’t very consoling because I wouldn’t see them all the time anymore. I’m going to miss all the good company… the good times. Sad tear.

At the airport, I dropped off luggage with my family, since I was on a different flight. It was storming pretty heavily in Boston that last day, so my flight was delayed for a couple of hours. There were also delays in my stopovers in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. Las Vegas was nice, in the 15 minutes I spent there. The airport is right next to the Strip, and the city is lit up so nicely at night. The temperature was a nice 90 degrees in the middle of the night, too. I’m going to have to visit Las Vegas again sometime. I finally arrived back at home at about 2:30 a.m., tired and sad from all the last minute packing and saying goodbye to everyone. Alas. Time for sleep.

Thus begins a new chapter in my life. The real world awaits with new adventures and possibilities. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

“Sam J: You just graduated from Harvard, what are you going to do next?!?”
“I’m going to Disneyland!!!”

Quote(s) of the Day: “I’m disconcerted!” “Oh, poo poo.” [in unison] “PLATTER!!!” [still in unison] “We are the same person!!!”

“I am in no way racist against Asians, as evidenced by my roommates. I’ve got a South Asian, a half-Asian, a regular Asian…”
“What are regular Asians?”
“Oh, you know… the ones that aren’t South Asian or half Asian…”

“Sit down unless you want a degree in dentistry!!!”

:: SL 1:22 PM [+] ::
...

Wow, I can't believe I graduate from college tomorrow. So many thoughts are going through my head... I can't express them all. Maybe I'll try once I get back home on Saturday and have some time to settle down.

The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity. On Tuesday, after staying up late packing, I joined my friend Alex for a lunch buffet at a local Indian restaurant. It was rushed, but I had to run off for the first official Commencement Week activity: The Baccalaureate Services, one of the oldest traditions at Harvard. We all dressed up in our caps and gowns and walked around Harvard Yard in a grand procession before ending up in Memorial Church, where the Reverend Peter Gomes welcomed us in.

Inside, we soon-to-be graduates listened to inspirational readings from a wide variety of religious texts from many different faiths, read by several students from our class. The church choir also sang. The president of Harvard, former Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers (his signature is on US paper currency from his years serving under the Clinton administration) addressed us and gave us encouraging words of advice. It was a hot day, and our caps and gowns made us feel even hotter. Afterwards, we went outside to the steps of Widener Library for a Class of 2006 panoramic photo.

I then rushed off to the airport to pick up my parents and my sister, who are visiting this week for graduation. I helped them take luggage to their hotel and check in, and then we went downtown to have dinner at Legal Sea Foods. My parents had lobster, and I enjoyed an order of the coconut shrimp appetizer, along with a cup of New England clam chowder and half of my sister's order of the Alaskan butterfish, marinated in soy and served with a seaweed salad, light wasabi sauce, and white rice. Yum. We then went to the Cheesecake Factory and got a slice of peanut butter cup cheesecake to share. I then showed them more of downtown Boston.

When I got back to campus, I ran into some friends who were organizing a low-key get-together to play board games, so I joined them. We played "Bowl full of Names" and started a game of Trivial Pursuit. I then stayed up a little later to pack some more for my move out.

Today, I met my parents and they helped me pack some of my possessions into the empty suitcases they brought over from the hotel. At noon, we headed over to Harvard Yard to have our lunch. However, it was pouring rain like crazy, and so the outdoor Class Day picnic had to be had indoors. It was a nice sandwich lunch, and we enjoyed it inside a Science Center lecture hall.

My parents decided to stay inside and watch the afternoon Class Day speakers inside on a live video feed, but my sister and I decided to be adventurous and go out in ponchos and umbrellas into the rain to watch the speakers live. Because it was so wet outside, we were able to get second-row seats, since most people didn't want to sit out and get wet. We still got soaked despite our raingear, and it was obnoxious because the people in front of us kept dumping a lot of rainwater onto us by tipping their umbrellas back. At the event, we listened to a number of student speakers (two serious speeches (one from a male student, one from a female student) and two humorous speeches (again, one male one female). The humorous speeches were hilarious and really touched on some of the more absurd aspects of the Harvard experience, and the serious speeches were quite inspirational. My friend Molly won the competition for the female serious speech, so she delivered the one she wrote. All our friends were really proud of her.

Our featured Class Day speaker was Seth MacFarlane, the creator, producer, writer, and voice actor for the amazingly hilarious show Family Guy. His speech was amazing. He started his speech by delivering advice as himself and then said, "But, I know you all, like my mother, don't want to hear my voice... you want to hear the voices of the characters on the show..." He then started speaking in Peter Griffin's voice and gave advice as if Peter was giving a commencement speech. He then gave the floor to Stewie Griffin, who in his typical take-over-the-world attitude congratulated us with a ton of contempt, as usual. During this part he did what I consider one of Stewie's funniest routines: asking one rhetorical question after another, with his voice getting higher and higher pitched until he can't go any higher. Stewie is my favorite character. That British accent is great. And in the last part of the speech Seth did his Quagmire voice. Haha. It was amazing. It was so surreal to hear these voices outside the context of the cartoon, but his voice talents are so remarkable. I laughed a lot; I'm only sad that during his speech it rained so hard it was difficult to hear him even over the loud sound system where we were.

After the Class Day festivities, we returned to my room and dried off a bit, having gotten extremely wet at the event and walking back from it. At 5, we went to the House Master's Reception in my residential house, where parents and students could mingle and converse and enjoy snacks. The food was great; all these gourmet sandwiches (my favorite was crab salad and avocado in a croissant), desserts (fruit tarts, gooey chocolate cake, cheesecake, fresh fruit kebabs), and other amazing foods (grilled shrimp with key lime reduction sauce, pigs in a blanket, mini spanikopitas, sushi, potato pancakes). I had them all. It was nice to meet all my friends' parents who were in town for graduation. My parents enjoyed meeting my friends, too.

After the reception, we went to the mall, where I needed to redeem a gift certificate for a large amount which was given to me. I didn't expect another chance to go to this particular mall before I left Boston, so I had to get it done. I ended up using it to get a present for my father for the upcoming Father's Day.

I then came back to my room after my parents returned to their hotel and continued to pack some more. Now, I have to go to bed "early" because tomorrow I have to get up at 6 a.m. because it's Commencement Day, and I'm going to get my Harvard degree. Sooo excited!!!

Quote(s) of the Day: "Sam J is part of my pussy... I mean, posse."

"I'm like Mary Malady - worse than Debbie Downer - Would you like to hear about my parasitic infestation? Or my septic shoulder infection???"

:: SL 10:37 PM [+] ::
...

Hmmm. My word of the day today was floccinaucinihilipilification, which means estimating something as worthless. Interesting... I'll have to start using this word.

:: SL 10:36 PM [+] ::
...

Haha... I realize that in my posts, all it sounds like I've done in the last two weeks is eat, socialize with friends, eat, socialize with friends, eat, socialize with friends, and have fun. Oh, the hedonism. But it's the last time I'm going to see my friends here, so I want to make the most of it all.

:: SL 3:30 AM [+] ::
...

Sunday was such a great day... After having stayed up until 10 a.m. that morning playing Settlers of Catan online (yes, I have a problem), I finally went to sleep and woke up at 5 p.m. to visit Kayt and Co. for the Mather House BBQ, which was great because there was free food, and not only that, but it was good free food. There were the usual barbecue items like hamburgers and hot dogs, but they had salads and pasta and this amazing strawberry shortcake sheet cake. It was so good. I then went upstairs to play a game of Settlers of Catan and was so close to winning for the first time ever, but the couple with whom I was playing the game got upset at each other and left in the middle of the game. Alas. I had fun hanging out with friends, though.

I then went to a study break hosted by my entryway tutors. Although the sushi ran out quickly, I was pretty full from the earlier barbecue, so I just had some sweets for dessert (a cannoli and chocolate-covered strawberry). I then went back to my room to get ready for the Senior Soiree, the last formal of our college experience!

My roommates and I were hosting a pre-party, so a bunch of people visited and we chatted and had a good start to the evening. Everyone was dressed ever-so nicely, and we took lots of pictures before heading out to the formal, which was in this giant tent constructed in the lawn in front of the Science Center.

I had a lot of fun at the Senior Soiree. The music was dreadful, as expected, but for some reason I was not miserable at this formal as I was at some other formals... This one was with the whole school and not just our residential house, so it was fun to run into so many other people I knew. They also had great snacks, including an "industrial size" (haha) chocolate fountain that kept flowing through the night; the dipping snacks, however, which included fresh strawberries, pineapple chunks, graham crackers, pretzels, and marshmallows, ran out pretty quickly. They also had other snacks such as cheese, grapes, lemon bars, and brownies. Yum. I love chocolate.

We danced and chatted, and everyone looked amazing in their formal wear. I wish there were more events like this in "real life" because everyone looks so much better in a formal dress or tuxedo. It was fun to promenade and see all the cute couples. A highlight of the evening was when I (accidentially, I swear) poured water on this much-hated coke dealer girl in our senior class. Ha.

The party ended way too early at 1 a.m., so we headed back to my room for an after party. We then went to the Kong for some Chinese food, but they weren't seating people anymore, so my friends got some food to go. We then headed to the Weeks footbridge and chatted and laughed loudly and happily into the morning. It was one of the best nights evarrr. We watched as some crazy drunk people jumped off the bridge into the dirty Charles River, talked about inappropriate things, and ate Twinkies, goldfish crackers, and Chinese noodles. Oh, what a beautiful evening. I had such a great time.

Monday, I slept into the afternoon. I then went to run some errands and picked up my cap and gown for graduation on Thursday. Ah, I can't believe how little time there is left before I have to leave! At 6 p.m. I met up with my friends Alex and Alex to have dinner in Porter Exchange. We found this nice Japanese restaurant, and I had a teriyaki chicken dinner with California rolls, complete with green tea. Very delicious, but slightly overpriced. I then walked back to Leverett with guy Alex and I got some strawberry cheesecake ice cream from Baskin Robbins. So good. We chatted in his room and then girl Alex came back, and we talked some more and took pictures.

I then went to visit Kayt and her roommates and friends. We played a game of Settlers of Catan, and I won for the first time ever! Yay. All those hours of playing the game online against computers have finally paid off. Haha.

I then walked to the Quad to visit some friends who were having a get-together on the last day before parents arrive. We watched a hilarious episode of Family Guy and then chatted and listened to music. I then went to Currier House across the way to meet up with the cast members of the 2003 Freshman Musical, which I was in. We had a screening of a video taken of one of the performances from three years ago and relived memories from participating in the show. Even though I only had, like, three lines in the entire show, I still enjoyed the experience and being part of such a hilarious show. The songs were excellent, too. I think the guys who wrote the songs for the show will go on to write amazing shows on Broadway.

I then stayed up through the night starting to clean my room. I haven't started packing yet, and it's going to be a pain getting everything in order to move out on Friday and go home. Ahhh, I don't know if I'll make it.

Today, commencement activities begin! We have an address from the Harvard reverend and the Class of 2006 photo this afternoon, and my family is arriving! My parents and my sister are going to be here through Friday for graduation. Oh, it should be good times.

Quote(s) of the Day: "I thought he was gay!" "No, he's just awkward."

"Sad vag... Happy vag!" "Period vag... Orgasm vag!"

"I have a feeling pussy tastes like ham." "No, ham is more savory..."

:: SL 2:51 AM [+] ::
...

I forgot to mention that last night as Kayt and I were walking back from the restaurant we saw a possum run out in front of us. It was just like in the Teen Girl Squad... POSSUMS!!!

:: SL 5:12 PM [+] ::
...

Yesterday was sooo much fun. I got up early and went to breakfast at the Adams dining hall with friends. Then we boarded our charter bus and headed to Agawam, MA for Six Flags New England!!!

It was a ton of fun. We got there at 11 a.m. and stayed until 6 p.m., which was a few hours before the park's closing, but it wasn't dreadfully crowded, so we were able to go on a good number of rides. While there weren't very many tourists at the park, there were a lot of other student groups from varous high schools and middle schools in the region.

I went on the Superman roller coaster three times. It's no wonder that it was voted one of the world's best roller coasters... with its 22-story first drop, its top speed of 77 miles per hour, and its multiple hills and high-speed turns. Because it goes over so many little hills at such a high speed, you get this amazing feeling of weightlessness that I love. The first drop is amazing, too.

There were a bunch of other fun rides I went on with my friends. Batman was a cool "floorless" roller coaster with multiple inversions, and the Mind Eraser was a fast, albeit short, suspended coaster that was cool because the cars come so close to the supports that it feels like your legs are going to crash into them. We also went on a new raft water ride that kept us spinning like crazy with a watery finale.

Because the rides were so intense, I didn't want to eat a big lunch, so I shared an order of fried dough with my friend Marion. We asked for a ton of powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar on top, so it was tasty, sweet, and amazing. Soooo good. My friend also ordered fried Oreos, and I tried one because I'll try any food once. It was actually really tasty, but I couldn't really taste the Oreo inside because the fried batter on the outside had such a strong taste, particularly with all the powdered sugar on top. Digression: The food offerings in the park were really expensive. A slice of pizza went for $7.99 (compared to $5.89 at Disneyland - you know it's bad when it's more expensive than Disney...), and I think a hamburger was more than that.

The best part was running into everyone from my senior class everywhere in the park. You'd be in line for a ride and right behind you would be someone you knew. It was fun to hang out with friends all day. Good times. I heart theme parks.

We returned at about 8 to Harvard, and Marion and I went to Felipe's for dinner. I got a chicken quesadilla with sour cream, and that was filling. We then went to the Winthrop Junior Common Room to go get our prizes for being a Last Senior Standing. For the last month of senior year, my friend Marion and I went to each Last Senior Standing event Sunday through Thursday nights for 30 days held at local "establishments." They said they had $3,000 worth of prizes to give to the winners, and with 40 winners, each person should have received much more. However, we each got a Harvard stein that's on sale at the store for only $25. Boo. I was expecting a stupid prize from the start, but this one really sucks. Anyways...

I then went to my friend Krupa's birthday party, which was fun because we chatted, ate snacks, drank drinks, and danced to fun music! We stayed up talking until the sun came up, and then I went to sleep because I was so tired from waking up so early, walking around at Six Flags, and then partying all night.

Today, I slept in and then went to visit my friend Kayt. We chatted, ate kettle corn from Six Flags, and planned where we were going to go for dinner. After much indecision, we opted to go for 9 Tastes, which serves Thai food. I hadn't had Thai food in a long time, so it was exciting. I tried the spicy noodles with chicken. They were spicy, indeed, but so delicious. All the vegetables stir fried in with the dish were good, too. I then visited my friend Marion, who was hosting a board games and video games party. We played some Mario Kart on her Game Cube, made fun of interesting websites online, drank tea, and played a dreadful game of Bowl Full of Nouns (dreadful because we were only allowed to write down names of people, and that to me made the game less fun, it seemed, because not everyone knew all the people).

I then went to visit Kayt and her roommates and friends again to play the addictive board game Settlers of Catan. I still have never won the game, but I still enjoy playing it with the hope that I will eventually. We also chatted and laughed loudly and heartily. Like giants. (Kayt will accuse me of calling her fat with that comment, but I'm going to deny it...)

Tomorrow is the Senior Soiree... the last college formal ever. I'm going to have so much fun!!!

Quote(s) of the Day: "Telling people off is one of life's little pleasures..."

While playing Super Mario Brothers:
"I hate that fish... it always chases you like it's going to rape you."
"I always think it's going to perform oral sex because of its huge inviting lips."
"It looks like it's going to 'fellaterape' Mario!!!"

:: SL 12:39 AM [+] ::
...

On Tuesday, I started the day by having lunch with a friend, who talked to me about Christianity. It was an interesting conversation, but it didn't really change my mind about religion. Afterwards, I spent some time with some other friends, watched videos from parties from previous years, and chatted. I then went to get a haircut to look nice for graduation next week. I then went to the MAC, where I ran for a mile and did some general exercise.

At night, I met up with some friends and had dinner. We then went to the Harvard Square theater to watch The Da Vinci Code. I hadn't read the book, so I enjoyed the movie simply as a summer blockbuster thriller. I liked the movie a lot because I am a fan of treasure hunt/mystery thriller films. It reminded me of National Treasure, but more serious. I liked all the scenes in Paris and the Louvre because I went there last summer when I was in Europe for the first time. It was cool because I kept noticing in the movie all the places I'd been... like the streets around the Louvre, the glass pyramids outside, the hall with all the Da Vinci paintings, the Mona Lisa, etc. I remember when I was at the Louvre that lots of tourists were carrying copies of The Da Vinci Code, trying to see all the artwork and locations that were mentioned in the book. Even the sketchy park where the drug dealers were in the movie... the friend with whom I stayed while I was in Paris actually lives a few blocks from that park, and even though the park is sketchy, the neighborhood where my friend lives is actually really nice and upscale.

I don't think I've shared these before, but here are some pictures I took last summer when I was at the Louvre of things that I think appeared in the movie:











Watching The Da Vinci Code was particularly interesting because of my conversation earlier in the day with my super-Christian friend, who tried to impart to me the importance of Jesus Christ as the "son of god." I told her that while I agree that he was a real historical figure and that he had some significant, meaningful, and world-changing teachings, I had trouble believing that he was anything more than just a man. The Da Vinci code touched on this theme of whether Jesus was divine or merely a man, and Tom Hanks' character says, "What matters is what you believe." How true. How strangely appropriate.

Yesterday, I had lunch, then went to pick up tickets for myself and my family for graduation events next week. I then rushed to the psychology department and participated in three hour-long psychology studies to make $30 in cash. Yay, money. I had nothing better to do in the afternoon, and it was nice to make some money, considering how much I've been spending this week on food (since we don't get dinner in the dining hall anymore). I then went downtown, hung out, and then went to the school-sponsored senior class "Last Chance Dance," where singles take the chance to hook up with each other sketchily on the dance floor. Because I am pure and innocent, there were no such dirrrty hookups for me on the dance floor. However, earlier in the day I had run into a former date, and that was extremely awkward.

The DJ at the Last Chance Dance was actually really good. S/he played a great mix of pop/techno/hip hop, and I enjoyed dancing to the music. The lighting in the huge club ("The Roxy") was great, too, and there were great snacks. I had a great time partying. Afterwards, instead of taking a cab back to school, my friends and I decided it was too nice of an evening to waste, so we walked back to campus. It actually only took us one hour to get back, and at our brisk pace, it was probably a 5-mile walk. But it was such a beautiful, clear, warm night that the return trip was well-worth the exertion. Plus it was a good wind-down from the intensity of the dance. When we crossed the bridge over the Charles River on our way back, the view of the Boston skyline was so beautiful in the nighttime, with the water in the foreground. I wish I had my camera with me so I could have taken pictures. For some reason, this view underscored just how little time I have left here in the city. I'm going to miss Boston a lot, having spent so many years here. I can't believe that graduation is so soon and that I'll have to leave all my friends.

Today, I slept in because I was so tired, and then I went to a "luau" at the Quad. Since the dining hall doesn't serve dinner anymore, it was nice to have this free dinner. And what a great dinner it was. There was sweet and sour chicken, coconut rice, pineapple glazed pork, salad with sesame soy dressing, seared mahi mahi, fresh pineapple chunks, and macadamia nut chocolate chip cookies. There were also ice cream sandwiches and Klondike Bars. Yum yum. Best dinner evarrr. I socialized with friends and listened to the god-awful karaoke singers, who sang along to some pretty fun tunes. But then it started raining heavily, so we walked to the theater for the senior talent show.

The talent show featured several students from our class performing a variety of acts, from cultural dances to personally-written pop songs to piano instrumental performances and sing-alongs. It was interesting because some of the people who performed at this senior talent show also performed at the freshman talent show four years ago. It was so full circle. There was also a slide show of images from throughout our four years here. Oh, once again I am reminded of how imminent my departure from this amazing institution is.

After the show, my friends and I went to Uno's pizzeria to get some food. I split the pizza skins appetizer, which was basically like a pizza, as well as the "Chocolate WOW," which was a very rich warm chocolate brownie with lots of chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. I ate so much today. Afterwards, I went to visit my friends, with whom I played Settlers of Catan, an addictive board game. We also chatted a lot.

Tomorrow will be fun fun fun!!! There is a big senior class trip to Six Flags New England, and a lot of my friends are going. We will enjoy amazing roller coasters and hang out with each other! It will also be a strange full circle experience with my friend Kayt because I went to Six Flags with her freshman year, and that was one of our first activities as friends after we first met. We also have this theme park thing going on, since we spent so much time at Walt Disney World during spring break this year. Oh, good times.

Quote(s) of the Day: "Asian is the new Jewish."

"I don't care about what's going on in Afghanistan ... I care about my ORGASM!"

"Do you like them small and perky?" "All you need is a mouthful! I need ice cream."

:: SL 12:40 AM [+] ::
...

Today, my friend set up her annual "Advice Table" in bustling Harvard Square. It was a nice day, so it was a good time to do it. We put up a sign that said "Free Advice From Harvard Students" as an ironic statement about how everyone thinks that we know everything just because we go to Harvard, and we dispensed free advice.

When we first started out two years ago, we charged 25 cents, but that was against the rules of the square, so we started doing it for free. Questions today ranged from the mudane ("What restaurant should I eat at tonight?") to the mind-bogglingly complex ("I'm in an arranged marriage and have a baby daughter, but I'm totally in love with another woman, who is in an arranged marriage with another man; what should I do?"). I had to leave for a bit in the middle, but apparently during that time, political activists confronted the advice table and tried to get our vote, and a middle-aged man threatened to take off his pants. Oh, the crazies of Harvard Square...

That guy with the marital problem gave us $30 for listening to his story and giving advice (he seemed rich and enjoyed throwing money around, according to the things he said, such as financing other couples' weddings and paying to relocate people he liked to live closer to him...), so afterwards we walked to Inman Square again and got Indian food at Punjabi Dhaba. This time I had the chicken tikka masala, which was excellent. We also went to Christina's ice cream again, where I got a scoop of mango ice cream and another scoop of carrot cake ice cream. We all got ice cream with the $30. Yay, free ice cream! When I get home I'm so going to buy myself an ice cream machine to make my own cool creations. I'm sure there are recipes online...

Tonight, I spent some time online and then went to visit some friends. I chatted with my friend Kayt, and then headed back to my room to sort through all the clothes in my room and do laundry.

Quote(s) of the Day: "I have to go do my laundry, and that's not a racial joke." "Well, I have to go pick cotton, and that's not a racial joke, either."

"Oh, I love fish so much. When I go to an aquarium, I get so hungry!"

"This is what [name redacted] gets when he's drunk." "An erection?"

"Yes, friends and sex... That's what makes the world go 'round."

:: SL 11:03 PM [+] ::
...

Major update!!!

So a lot has happened in the last few weeks... I hadn't been posting because after classes ended I had a 15-20 minute presentation, a 10 page paper, then a 5 page paper, then another 10 page paper. It was pretty intense, and even worse it's senior spring, so it's hard to get motivated to do anything academic. I still managed to have some fun, though... I ate some good food, went on some dates, and had a generally good time...

The Leverett Spring Formal a few weeks ago was dreadful, despite being held at the posh Faculty Club. The food ran out early, and while the music was decent, I was upset at the quality of the drinks, the lack of snacks, and its early ending time. I was able to salvage the evening, however, by crashing the Mather formal and hanging out with my friends there. Their formal went an hour later and they still had a ton of food (including strawberries and a chocolate fondue) until the end.

I had papers due right up until my first exam, and then another exam was two days later. My last exam was this past Wednesday, and while I studied hard and watched lecture videos online at a barely intelligible 2.5x speed, I don't think I did too well on my very last exam at Harvard. Alas. I filled in what I didn't know with other things I did know, and perhaps extra points will be awarded.

But oh, how good it feels to be all done.

On Thursday, I visited my friends, and we watched a terrible b horror film from the 50s with scary subliminal images (they weren't actually subliminal because we could see them, but the images were pretty scary). We also chatted and ate snacks.

Friday, my friends and I went to see X3. It was a good movie, better than the reviews had made it out to be, but it's true there were too many characters to develop any of them very well. It also had a surprising number of sad moments. I still really liked the movie and its social commentary. That night, I went to three different parties (since it was the last day of exams), and general craziness ensued...



No comment.

On Saturday, I went to lunch, chatted with friends, and also said goodbye to some non-senior friends. We graduating seniors get to stay until graduation, but everyone else has to move out. In the afternoon, I chatted with a friend and we walked around the courtyard. I noticed that in the donation bin someone had left cabbage seeds, and down the path someone had thrown away a clay pot. I made the executive decision that no homeless person would need cabbage seeds, so I planted them in one of the pots. If they germinate, I'll have to have one of the tutors here take care of the plant, since I certainly cannot fly it back to California. My potted plant from the end of last year barely made it to Philadelphia on the train, let alone a 6-hour plane ride.

In the evening, we friends met up and walked to Inman Square to enjoy Indian food at Punjabi Dhaba, which is supposed to serve the best Indian food in the area. It was really great. I had the chicken saagwala, which is chicken in a spinach sauce. It was great with rice. We had to go out for food because the dining hall, now that school is over, only serves breakfast and lunch. Too bad no dinner, but it does prompt us to get out and try some of these local (but very overpriced) restaurants. After our Indian food, we went to Christina's Ice Cream, famous for its exotic flavors. They had all sorts of regular flavors, as well as the more... interesting, including corn, avocado, white asparagus, and celery. I test-tasted the avocado, and it wasn't bad. For my order, though, I got a scoop of carrot cake ice cream and a scoop of green tea ice cream. All in a waffle cone. Yummm. The carrot cake ice cream was amazing. And the total cost was still the same as a small cup of Coldstone Creamery ice cream. Yay, (cheap) ice cream.

These past few days have been exceptionally nice, weather-wise. Very humid in the morning and early afternoon, but just right in the later afternoon and evening. Today, after lunch, I went with my friends Kayt and Rachel to say goodbye to our mutual friend, who is a junior and is leaving. We played one last round of the board game Settlers of Catan (one of our favorite pasttimes). Then we watched the second half of Mulan, which we started a few days ago. So much drag... so much commentary on socialized gender roles. For dinner, my friends and I all got our own food and brought it to a picnic along the picturesque Charles River. It was so warm and pretty outside on the grass along the river, with ivy-covered brick buildings nearby. Ah, Harvard... I shall miss thee. Sort of. I'll definitely miss all my friends here, with whom I've been hanging out since we finally have free time and have nothing else to do besides socialize. We sat there by the river, chatting, enjoying the atmosphere, and reminiscing about good times.

Tonight, I went to a friend's birthday party, and then managed some business. Tomorrow should be fun, as senior week and parties galore continue!

Quote(s) of the Day: "He must have sent me a picture of when he was 150 pounds lighter... the guy was a fucking manatee!!!"

"I just don't think the physical limitations of the lower intestine should be challenged in such a way..."

"Why do we need goldfish? Why don't you get something with more meat on it? We have a carp in the freezer!"

"I want to be a Brahman!!! Are you one of those Untouchables??? Stay away!!!"

"Her wonderment over those simple concepts is like being amazed that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius." "No, it's more like, Wow, water boils!"

"My breasts are a war zone!!!"

"Are you calling me a sensitive slutty herpetic whale?!?"

:: SL 6:40 PM [+] ::
...

Ahhh! "I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day"

I had my pants rolled up a bit because it had been raining nonstop outside for the past week, and I didn't want my pants to get wet.

This girl notices my legs and tells me, "You're the first Asian guy I've ever seen with hair on his legs..."

Ahhh! Apparently I'm some freak of nature...

Either that, or that girl's never seen an Asian guy.

:: SL 5:25 AM [+] ::
...

Yay!!! I'm all done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just had my last final this afternoon.

Graduation is two weeks from tomorrow!!!

:: SL 5:14 PM [+] ::
...

Exchange of the Day:

Alex: meditate every morning
Me: yes, i'll have to do that
Alex: and remember to breathe
Me: oh, i forgot to...
Me: no wonder my face was turning blue
Alex: haha

Look, Alex, you made it onto my blog!

:: SL 7:50 AM [+] ::
...

Yay, two exams down, one more to go!!! Sooo close.

All the stores in the square already have "Congratulations!" and "Graduation!" banners up, and they are getting ready to set up commencement tents in the yard already. It all looks so festive...

:: SL 2:39 AM [+] ::
...

Yay, I just finished my very last paper of college!!! Woo!!!

Yet, CRISIS! Exam, tomorrow morning!!!

:: SL 3:08 PM [+] ::
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Late last night, my friends and I did the "Tragedy" dance in the dining hall, while random people watched confusedly, and it was one of the best moments ever.

:: SL 5:32 AM [+] ::
...

Oh my goodness... I can't believe I never wrote about this part of our Disney World trip: Asia Bagus!

In the shopping complex across the street from the youth hostel in which we stayed there was a restaurant called "Asia Bagus." When I saw it, I was like, "What the fuck's an Asia Bagus?!?"



So apparently it's an Indonesian/sushi restaurant, but Asia Bagus sounds like some obscure body part... Like, Help me - my Asia Bagus is inflamed! Or, I need surgery on my Asia Bagus. Or, Your Asia Bagus is showing...

"Honey, how is your Asia Bagus?"
"Oh, it's has gotten better; the green tea and the daily spleen massages have been quite calming for my Asia Bagus condition."

"My Asia Bagus is aflame with longing... I hope yours is the same!"

Maybe Asia Bagus is pronounced something different... like ahhzeeeya bahgooogh. Haha.

Would you like some Ahhzeeeya Bahgooogh with your caviar???

OK, I'll stop now...

:: SL 6:36 AM [+] ::
...

Wow, there were cinnamon rolls this morning at breakfast, and tonight there's going to be make your own sushi night... Yay for delicious foods; they make me so happy. Today totally makes my entire life!

:: SL 6:07 AM [+] ::
...

Ahhh! My friend is such a tease! A recent conversation with her online:

Friend: I am about to have an affair!
Me: gasp!
Me: a love affair???
Friend: Yes...with two...not one...
Me: like, cheating on one person with two others???
Friend: like...getting with two others at the same time...so really a threesome
Me: wow.
Me: that's intense... do tell me more
Friend: there going to take me to a euphoria like I have never believed.
Friend: help me loose weight by keeping me active and wanting more
Me: wow... really?
Me: for reals?
Me: a threesome?
Friend: yea.
Friend: Iam really excited.
Friend: and were going to watch a romantic movie while were together
Me: aww
Friend: wanna know who it is? Iam sure you know em
Me: ooh, sure.
Me: Is it _____?
Me: lol.
Friend: haha no its two men
Me: oh
Friend: slightly middle aged
Me: hot Australian guy?
Friend: No...there american
Me: haha
Me: so who are they?
Friend: Ben...and Jerry
Me: AHHHH
Friend: hehe

:: SL 10:30 PM [+] ::
...

W00t! Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy and the voice of the hilarious Stewie (as well as other characters), is going to be our class day speaker! I love that show!

:: SL 9:13 PM [+] ::
...

"I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day"

Friend 1: "I'm sorry you feel marginalized."
Me: "It's OK... I'm used to it."
Friend 2: "It's because you're Asian."

:: SL 11:30 PM [+] ::
...

So my often-surly sister visited in the middle of this week because the touring production of the musical Wicked is currently in Boston, and she wanted to see it. However, it's been sold out forever, and we weren't able to get tickets, even trying out the pre-show cheap ticket giveaway lottery two days in a row. My sister is only a 13 dollar train ride away from New York City, anyways, so it's not so hard for her to go catch a matinee performance of the actual thing on Broadway.

My sister visited on Tuesday, and we chatted a bit before I had to go out to a senior event. She was actually really pleasant this visit. It was nice to hang out. On Wednesday, I had to go to the hospital to try to get some prescription cough medication for my "condition," which I like to call "tuberculosis," (cough! cough! Look at me, I'm a terribly pale Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge... I'm dying of consumption!!! Help me! Cough cough! Blood on napkin!), offensive as that may be... ("How dare you?!? My grandmother died from tuberculosis!!!"). It's really not that bad... it's just a bad cold with lots of coughing. However, after waiting forever to finally see a nurse, she took some vital signs and then said with a serious look and ominous tone, "We have to get you to a doctor."

So I waited an hour longer until a doctor was free to see me, and then she started doing all these tests on me to see if I had asthma or pneumonia, and I was thinking, I know I don't have asthma... I can breathe; I just cough a lot. The doctor then said, "OK, don't worry. You don't have pneumonia or asthma... it's just a cold with a cough. That's all." And I'm thinking, I know!!! I just want prescription cough medicine!!! There must have been some miscommunication between the nurse and the doctor, and she must have thought I was freaking out about having asthma or something serious. Alas.

So I said, "Yeah, that's what I thought... nothing serious. So, can I have a prescription for cough medicine?" And she says, "Well, I don't think cough medicine does anything at all; I would recommend lots of hot water, honey, and vitamin C." Ahh! That's what I've been taking, but clearly it's not enough since I'm still coughing like crazy every night, preventing me from sleeping at night and waking up all my roommates! So I said, "Well, I've been doing that, but it hasn't been working... I'll keep on drinking hot water, but can I just have a prescription just in case it doesn't get better?" And the doctor grudgingly complied. Augh. Health care. Well, I am grateful for actually being able to receive health care. I appreciate that I can get treatment for my "condition." Yay for merit-finding.

So after spending the morning in the hospital, I wanted to take my sister out to lunch, since she was visiting, and we went to Legal Seafoods, well, because it seemed like the Boston thing to do. I ordered that day's special: the Romano soft-shell crab dish. I've heard about soft-shelled crab but have never tried it, and it was exciting to finally try it. I'll try any food at least once. The concept of eating an entire crab, shell and all because it had just shed its old shell and now has a soft shell, sounds unappealing, but it was actually pretty good. My sister, being ever-so unadventurous, had fish and chips, but I got the butterfish appetizer just to get her to try something new... The remarkably tender butterfish, marinated in a ginger soy sauce, was served with white rice, a seaweed salad, and this delightful sweet wasabi sauce. It was a great lunch.

We then went on the Freedom Trail in Boston, which is a trail that takes you around all the historical sites in the downtown area. My sister was particularly excited about the Old North Church, home of Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea" lanterns, because of high school history teacher Mr. Nerelli's tale of sneaking up into the church's steeple and holding up the lanterns. How he snuck up there to see the lanterns remains a mystery to me, as there were dour attendants watching everyone suspiciously on the main floor and glaring at anyone who walked anywhere near the back corner with the roped-off stairs leading up to the steeple.

We then made it back to downtown, and we waited outside the box office of the theater where Wicked was playing to try to get tickets, but nobody had any extras (we thought for sure there would be cancellations because it was such a terribly rainy day), so we went back to the campus, and after getting some snacks at Brain Break, we went to Finale, the dessert restaurant, and enjoyed desserts there because my sister wanted to try some. She got the signature Molten Chocolate dessert, which is a chocolate cake with a warm gooey center of melted chocolate, and I got the Caramel Apple Cheesecake, which was this wonderful cheesecake with an applesauce base and decorated with butterscotch sauce and a shaped pecan brittle. This was paired with a soft pineapple upside down cake and a caramel sauce. We then watched the hilarious movie Eurotrip, which reminded me of my fun/disturbing European adventure last summer. Oh, Europeans.

Thursday was such a nice day! Friday, too. The sun was out, and the temperature was above 70! Yesterday, I had lunch and then walked to work. I enjoyed walking through Harvard Yard, taking in the sun and warmth, looking at the pretty flowers on the newly green trees, and watching people playing around on the last day of classes. I had some extra Board Plus money from our dining plan, so I got a dark chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar and it tasted so good in the outdoors. I stopped by an a capella concert, and it was all so perfect and happiness-inducing.

Indeed, yesterday was a good day.

Quote(s) of the Day: "I've always wanted to go to a rave..." "Um... don't they do a lot of drugs at raves?"

"My friend's a ho, so he asks me for my advice."

"She leaves you wanting more, but then all you get is sex."

"Bangkok is totally the Netherlands of the far East."

:: SL 12:19 PM [+] ::
...

I just got out of the last class of my undergraduate experience! It was fun... we had a pizza and ice cream party, and it was a great, low-key first ending to this school year and college experience! Now, I just have three papers (totalling to more than 25 pages) all due next week and three finals, and then it's officially the end of the school year and time for graduation!!! How quickly time flies.

:: SL 5:22 PM [+] ::
...

So on Thursday, after finishing a paper and becoming generally exhausted from the week's events, I continued my time travel adventure (having already gone through the 90s and the 80s) by going to a 70s roller skating party!

However, the potentially good time was marred by the worst idea EVARRR: A huge pregame with alcohol right before Roller Disco. Heavy drinking and roller skating are two terrible things to bring together! People were falling down left and right, and apparently one girl even broke her arm. When skating, I just had to avoid all the stupid people who drank too much and then skated dangerously into other people or fell down and created a floor hazard. I think I did a pretty good job... no falls, although there were a number of close calls when people nearly crashed into me.

Despite the obnoxious 30-minute bus ride where crazy drunken college students were singing at the top of their lungs inside the metal school bus, creating a headache-inducing and deafening echo chamber, the skating itself was fun. I was hanging out with my friends Marion and Jordan, and it was nice to just skate around...

It reminded me of my childhood in my small hometown, where roller skating was one of the few social activities to do. We'd always have roller skating birthday parties there, and we took field trips there for elementary school parties. Oh, memories. That's one of the reasons why I decided to go to this roller skating trip.

On Friday, my friend Marion and I went to a fun party in the Quad, and we danced and engaged in general mischief. Saturday, there was the annual foam party, but alas I missed it because I was starting to feel sick and was very tired from not having slept very much the night before. It was my last chance to go to this annual event, and I missed it! Too bad. I remember being in high school and always joking about wanting to go to raves and foam parties. Oh, foam. On Sunday, I said goodbye to a friend who was going back home, having just graduated in February.

This week is the calm before the storm, as exams and major paper due dates are coming up. I should use this time to get a head start on these upcoming projects! But alas, right now, I'm at The Crimson, where happiness goes to die... Aughhhh...

Quote of the Day: "What if they're sexually incompatible?!? You don't buy a car without taking it out for a test drive!!!!!"

"Masturbation is the opiate of the masses!!!"

:: SL 7:31 AM [+] ::
...

Today at brunch, my friend lovingly called her boyfriend a "twerp," and it totally made my day because I haven't heard that word in years!

:: SL 12:12 PM [+] ::
...

Yes, and the 80s dance was certainly a ton of fun! We all enjoyed partying the night away to hits, and they even played my favorite 80s song, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston. We also sang along to the rock anthem "Livin' On A Prayer" and slow-danced to Cyndi Lauper's classic, "Time After Time." Oh, good times, good times.

Our house master and de facto roving photographer managed to get some photos of me in my 80s costume... I was going for David Copperfield in the 80s, and if my hair were just a little bit poofier, I would have made a perfect doppelganger for the magician... particularly when I was standing next to the large fan at the dance and my shirt billowed oh-so majestically. It was quite a "Take My Breath Away" (another 80s hit, ha!) moment.


My friend Kayt and I getting ready for a night of dancing...

:: SL 6:55 AM [+] ::
...

Last night was fun... My friends got together for a pre-party, and we watched part of the movie Bring It On. I don't care what they say... Kirsten Dunst is hot! I then met up with some other friends and we all went to a super fun dance party. Yay! We then ended the night at the Kong for a delicious broccoli and chicken combo plate with pork fried rice and an egg roll with the Kong's excellent apple-flavored sweet-and-sour sauce, with a side of conversation. I then stayed up working on my website and doing general e-mail administration.

Considering I stayed up until 9 a.m., I got up today in time for dinner sometime after 5. Yay for being nocturnal! Haha... this shall be remedied soon. After dinner, I helped set up for the 80s dance tonight by clearing out the dining hall. Tonight, I'm going to my friend's pre-party for the 80s dance and then heading over to the 80s dance, where we will celebrate that delightful decade with Tab soda, Pop-Rocks candy, the hottest hits from the 80s, and the donning of 80s costumes. I am planning to wear this super-shiny silver shirt from the 80s I somehow acquired over the years. And to get myself in the mood, I've been listening to 80s music nonstop, from "Livin' on a Prayer" to "Take on Me" to "Like a Prayer" to "Video Killed the Radio Star." Woot. Tonight will be a fun night indeed.

Quote(s) of the Day: "I'd rather consider my sister as a non-ovulating, non-menstruating entity..."

"Bedside manner is important... How is your bedside manner?" "Fuckin' awesome!"

"Oooh, fuck me sideways!" "OK! I'll do that!"

"[In British accent] And so the conversation revolved around vaginas."
"Look, they don't use the word vagina in England!!!"
"[In British accent] Oh, what do they call them, then, love? What's the British word for vagina???"
"They just don't talk about them over there!!!"
"[In British accent] Wait, what about twat? Does twat mean vagina? OK... and so the conversation revolved around twats!"

:: SL 5:11 PM [+] ::
...

Quote of the Day: "Sam K = Sam J 2.0? Omg, what have you done with Sam J?!?"

:: SL 3:13 AM [+] ::
...

I'm sorry... I have a big backlog of quotes, so I'm going to dump them all here:

Quote(s) of the Day: "Awww, it'll be OK... no harm, no foul... Oh my goodness... Did I just use a sports analogy?!?"

"Wait, has she had a boyfriend?" "No, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been eaten out!"

"What do you call a cold pirate tree?" "Shiver me timbers? Arr brr?"

"Are you going to John Harvard's Bar Mitzvah?" "I didn't know John Harvard was Jewish."

"See? We're in Cambridge now!" "Um, weren't we in Cambridge the entire time?"

"We saw pubic hair! That counts as nudity!!!"

"Is that a dried fig?" "Yeah." "It fig-ures."

"They said that the trees smelled like a massive gang-bang, and that made me think of you..." "What??? Does my face just scream SEXUAL VIOLENCE?!?!?"

:: SL 5:07 PM [+] ::
...

Haha... this is hilarious.

:: SL 8:47 PM [+] ::
...

Haha... I sure got an earful when I complained about the film The Princess Bride... to my friend, whose favorite film of all time is The Princess Bride...

Me: "I dunno... [The Princess Bride] just never enchanted me that much... I got really annoyed at that weird giant character... You know, the one that keeps repeating that dreadful line about I am Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...?"
Friend: ".... r ... u ... serious ... ?"
Friend: "thats TWO DIFFERENT CHARACTERS!!!"

Quote of the Day: "Everyone I've met up here off of MySpace wants me... I think MySpace should be renamed 'Sex Addict Hookup Space'; we're just all sex addicts who need to get some."

:: SL 6:25 PM [+] ::
...

Haha... My friend and I suddenly stumbled upon this "o rly?" kick (background info here), and she found the perfect one for me:

:: SL 6:25 PM [+] ::
...

The Facebook killed Mickey Mouse!

I'm really upset because the Facebook has been cracking down on fake profiles and deleting their accounts, and since I am the account-holder for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Harvard on the Facebook, I am very upset. Mickey Mouse had nearly 3,000 friends on the Facebook and brought great joy to many! How could they do this?!?! I already think quite little of Mark Zuckerberg and his questionable business practices, but enforcing the ban on imaginary character profiles on the Facebook is a new low!!!

:: SL 4:02 AM [+] ::
...

Haha... I sure got an earful when I complained about the film The Princess Bride... to my friend, whose favorite film of all time is The Princess Bride...

Me: "I dunno... [The Princess Bride] just never enchanted me that much... I got really annoyed at that weird giant character... You know, the one that keeps repeating that dreadful line about I am Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...?"
Friend: ".... r ... u ... serious ... ?"
Friend: "thats TWO DIFFERENT CHARACTERS!!!"

Quote of the Day: "Everyone I've met up here off of MySpace wants me... I think MySpace should be renamed 'Sex Addict Hookup Space'; we're just all sex addicts who need to get some."

:: SL 3:54 AM [+] ::
...

"I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day"

"Yeah, my hometown doesn't have very many Jews... or Asians... or Blacks..."
"That sounds nice! What part of California are you from?"

:: SL 8:57 PM [+] ::
...

Last weekend and this weekend were fun. I helped out with house managing the production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeoman of the Guard. It's a good show, and hack night last night was full of funny in-jokes and random anachronisms.

Friday night, I went downtown to see the new touring production of Spamalot, the hit Broadway musical based on the cult favorite Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I made sure to watch the movie again the night before to prep myself. I remember being in middle school and high school when all my friends were obsessed with Monty Python jokes, and I had never seen the movie then, so I didn't know what the hell they were talking about when they asked, "What floats in water?" "Apples! Small rocks! A church!"

Spamalot was funny, but very similar to the Monty Python movie, just with more songs and glittery costumes and sets. Lots of lines were lifted verbatim from the film, but I guess it wouldn't work otherwise for its cult fan base. They included my favorite scene from the movie ("We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune." ... "Who does he think he is?" "I am your king!" "Well, I didn't vote for you." "You don't vote for kings." ... "Listen... strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power comes from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!" "Shut up!" "See??? This is the violence inherent in the system! Help, help! I'm being repressed!").

Lots of references to the smallest details from the movie... There were also a bunch of new songs and scenes that poked fun at other Broadway musicals. Overall, it was a good time. Oh, they also imported the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," although it loses the ironic context of the original song. There was also an audience sing-along at the end. Good times. Everyone who's a fan of Monty Python... go see this show when it stops by your city!

Throughout the week, I started working on my website again. It was good to finish a big project I had started on it.

I had a good time on Friday night at a tea party my roommates had, and later I went to Charlie's Kitchen to meet up with friends. I spoke in a British accent, and it was a lot of fun. Haha... but my British friend kept correcting me, "British people don't say that!!!" Oh, and of course no weekend is complete without a trip to the Kong for greasy Chinese food, so there was that.

This past week was a bit tough because I got sick and then suddenly (and bizarrely) became Sleeping Beauty because I could not wake up for anything... I just kept on sleeping and sleeping. Maybe it's from the exhausting week before when I had to write two big papers.

Graduation is quickly approaching, and there is much to be done before... two huge projects/papers and three finals. I'm not looking forward to them. But it'll be a big party when those are done!

Quote(s) of the Day: "I always thought God must be something like Mr. Rogers..."

"Are you done with fisting?"

"I wish it were socially acceptable to punch people who pissed you off."

:: SL 5:23 PM [+] ::
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Haha... I totally became British this evening. Bloody good!

:: SL 12:07 AM [+] ::
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Ahhh! At Walt Disney World they were selling these pins of this new line of super-cute representations of Mickey Mouse and friends:



I hadn't seen this new line before. It's very Hello Kitty-esque, and I have never seen anything cuter in my entire life. I love Mickey Mouse already, but I think cute Mickey is more adorable than ever.

I didn't know what to get for my parents, so I ended up buying a set of cute Mickey and Minnie beanbag couch pillows that are sort of in this style. Haha... my wallet's going to suffer when they have even more cute Mickey products... I'm thinking hats? shirts? mugs? pens? pencils? notepads? mousepads? dishware? magnets? picture frames? Oh, the possibilities are endless...

:: SL 12:52 AM [+] ::
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A hahaha... I'm sorry I keep telling stories from WDW, but Missy's recent post reminded me: One of the questions in Who Wants to be a Millionaire - Play It! was about fashion (What fashion house is Stella McCartney associated with? Answer: Chloe), but the person in the hotseat didn't know, and her only lifeline left was "Ask a Stranger," so she used it, and the person came on the line. The host asked the stranger, "Hi there! We have a question here about fashion. Are you familiar with fashion?" And the person on the phone replies, "Does Wal-Mart count?"

Haha. This reminds me of this news clipping I once saw (I think on Jay Leno's "Headlines" segment) which was an article about a new dollar store that had opened in the city. A woman was quoted in the story saying, "I like Dollar-Mart because you don't have to dress up to go there like you do when you go to Wal-Mart." Dressing up to go to Wal-Mart? Oh, my bad... I forgot Wal-Mart is //such// a classy place.

Quote(s) of the Day: "At least prostitution isn't addictive! World of Warcraft is!"

"Hey, I'm going to get some chocolate... I'm on my period, you know, so it only makes sense that I'm craving it." "TMI! TMI!!!"

"Man, 17th century popes were sooo hardcore."

:: SL 9:15 PM [+] ::
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I also forgot to mention that at Disney-MGM Studios we participated in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!, basically a live version of the TV show in an exact replica of the show's set where audience members can play along and get a chance to win prizes. I never made it to the hotseat at the front (although I did come in fourth or fifth in that first question to determine who gets into the hotseat).

I had played it in 2002 at Disney's California Adventure on our end-of-high-school trip to the Disneyland Resort with friends when the attraction was still operating there, so I was pretty knowledgeable about the format of the game, and on our last viewing of this show last week, I ended up knowing the answers to most of the questions and guessed correctly on the ones I didn't know. They periodically show who has the top score in the audience playing along with the person in the hotseat, and when one person lost the game after missing a question, they showed the scores and I was the top scorer in the audience! If there was enough time and they were going to pick another person for the hotseat, I would have been selected! Alas. I think it really helped that I knew the answer to this obscure $125,000 question about who was Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year for 2003 (Robert Downey, Jr., who isn't exactly that big of a celebrity compared to the other choices given). But that was such a random question... I certainly wouldn't have known the answer if it weren't here at my school.

:: SL 12:01 AM [+] ::
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Oh! I forgot to mention that during our trip we made lots of references to being a "Debbie Downer," a hilarious SNL skit where a dour character named Debbie Downer who says a lot of depressing things and ruins a fun character breakfast at Walt Disney World. If you haven't seen it, check it out!

:: SL 5:24 PM [+] ::
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Yay, last week's spring break vacation to Walt Disney World was a blast and definitely the best week EVARRR!

People often ask me why I like Disney so much, and I talk about how I like the escapism, the journey into another world, the expression of the possibility of dreams fulfilled. These things definitely made my vacation to Walt Disney World so magical.

It was also a lot of fun to spend time with my friend Kayt, with whom I've been friends since freshman year here. We lived across the hall from each other freshman year, and we've been talking about going to Walt Disney World since then. I'm glad we finally followed through and made the trip! We went to all four Walt Disney World theme parks, as well as the Islands of Adventure theme park at Universal Studios. Eight days, five theme parks, two friends: good times all around.

Obligatory photo in front of Cinderella Castle!!!:



Highlights of our trip:

- Having dinner in Cinderella Castle. I've always wanted to dine at Cinderella's Royal Table, but it is one of the most exclusive restaurants at the resort. Reservations are booked six months in advance, and you’re lucky if you get to eat there. Kayt was persistent, and we happened to get to the desk moments after somebody had cancelled. Yay for us! Kayt loves all things princesses, so it was a dream come true for her. I enjoyed the experience immensely, as well.

It was such a magical dinner. We met Cinderella and got pictures with her in the foyer, and she welcomed us - "prince" and "princess" - to her castle. We then went upstairs where there was a three-course dinner. I had the bacon-lettuce-tomato salad, which was nice but not as great as Kayt's vegetable spring roll with ginger soy sauce and bok choy salad, of which I tried a bite. The freshly-baked and still-warm pretzel bread rolls were amazing, particularly when paired with their pomegranate dijon mustard honey butter. I had so much of the butter because it was the best I've ever tasted. For the main course, I had the pan-seared salmon paired with asparagus and cheddar mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were a bit too salty, but the salmon was excellent - crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Dessert was an amazing blueberry buckle (kind of like a more dense blueberry muffin) with a cream cheese crumbled topping, sweet lemon ice cream (perfect with the blueberries), and fresh juicy berries. During the dinner, the Fairy Godmother would come out with Suzy and Perla (Cinderella's mice companions) and do a little show about how to make dreams come true. Sooo magical! It was expensive but totally worth it.

When we walked out of the castle following the dinner, the fireworks were about to start, so they had roped off the entire area around the castle, and we were the only ones in the castle forecourt stage area, looking out into the crowd of thousands of people lined up on Main Street waiting for the fireworks and watching us emerge from the castle. We felt so special. The night ended perfectly with Wishes fireworks and then all-night partying at Pleasure Island! The most magical night ever. I mean, EVARRR.

- Visiting Islands of Adventure for the first time. I've wanted to go to this relatively new theme park since it opened in 1999 but never went in my previous visits to Orlando because it's a bit hard to get to from where I've stayed. I already knew that the theming there is incredible, and I was still very impressed. Some parts even rival Disney in their theming. I loved the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, an intense hybrid ride-through attraction that combines 3-D film, themed sets, fire, fog, water, laser, and other special effects. It's almost worth the price of aadmission alone. Kayt loves all things superheroes, so she had a blast there, too. There was also The Hulk roller coaster, which is one of the most intense in the Orlando area. The Dueling Dragons suspended roller coaster was quite fun, too, because it's actually two different tracks designed so the cars will come just a few feet from each other at certain points, so it feels like you're going to fly right into the other riders. The wait would normally be at least an hour for each, but I went 10 minutes before park closing and went on both of them before it closed. The theming of the castle queue was amazing, too. So immersive. I also enjoyed the Jurassic Park ride, which I've experienced before at Universal Studios Hollywood. The single rider lines at the park allowed us to go on many of the rides with a short wait. Yay. Oh, and the Poseidon's Fury walkthrough/show was really amazing, too. Lots of surprises and special effects... I really enjoyed it because I felt like I was exploring a lost city underground... like Indiana Jones or something.

- Seeing the new attractions at Walt Disney World imported for the "Happiest Celebration on Earth." Disney was smart in recognizing the marketing opportunities for Disneyland's 50th anniversary, so they expanded the celebration to include all its theme parks worldwide. Walt Disney World used this as a chance to bring in new shows and attractions to each of its four theme parks. At the Magic Kingdom we saw the show "Cinderellabration" - a stage show that shows Cinderella's coronation ceremony as she becomes princess. The show was an abridged version of the original from Tokyo Disneyland. There, it's a nighttime spectacular with magical lighting effects, and a lot is lost when you cut half the characters and dancers and then present it in the daytime. The fireworks finale is still excellent, though. At Epcot, we went on Soarin', a copy of the attraction at Disney's California Adventure. I was surprised they copied the film exactly, without even changing the finale, which still shows a flyover of Disneyland. At Disney-MGM Studios, we saw the new Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Spectacular (yes, every show here at Walt Disney World is a "spectacular"), imported from Walt Disney Studios Paris. I've never been a huge fan of car chases in movies, but seeing it done all live right in front of you was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. These sports cars were moving back and forth so gracefully without colliding. The drivers executed the most daring car chases right in front of our very eyes. There were fast cars, motorcycles, jet skis, and big explosions! And at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the new and highly themed roller coaster Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain had just opened... The ride officially opened this weekend, but I got to go on a preview run. I enjoyed this attraction for more than one reason, ahem... But it was a ton of fun. It was fast, and there was, of course, the largest, most complex Audio-Animatronics figure ever built for a Disney theme park attraction. The theming to a Himalayan village was very detailed. Sooo much fun.

- Hanging out and being "adults" at Pleasure Island. When Kayt was 11 her dad somehow snuck her into Pleasure Island, an 18/21+ bars and nightclubs complex at Walt Disney World. She fell in love with the Adventurer's Club, a bar themed to a safari explorer's private club, and insisted we hang out there on our visit. I had a lot of fun watching the high-energy shows, and the improv actors there were hilarious. We also danced at a couple of the clubs at Pleasure Island. Strangest moment? Dancing to a techno remix of the instrumental background soundtrack theme of Brokeback Mountain... um... whose idea was that?

- Meeting all the classic Disney characters at Epcot without having to wait for long. We saw Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, Chip and Dale, and Goofy, and we took lots of pictures with them. Chip and Dale were particularly fun, as they competed over who could court Kayt because she was dressed like a princess. It totally made our day.

Here are some of the great pictures!











Kayt got to meet Prince Charming, who turned out to be... um... not so charming:



But she did look great as a princess...

- Having a character dinner: We went to Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, and it was so much fun meeting the characters! Sad tear that Mickey himself wasn't there, but Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Chip and Dale, and Pluto were there, and they were so great to interact with. We actually had met Mickey earlier that day in Epcot, so it was still great. The buffet was amazing. Served family style: bbq beef, roasted turkey, glazed ham, with mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and the creamiest mac and cheese. The mixed greens salad with strawberry vinaigrette was a great starter, and warm apple cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream (and my Asian upbringing regarding never wasting food) ensured I was stuffed beyond belief by the end of the meal. We definitely couldn't go on any roller coasters right after that...

- Eating a Mickey Premium ice cream bar. In all my visits to Disney theme parks, I don't think I've ever had a Mickey Premium Bar. I shelled out the $2.50 to get one, and it was so wonderfully creamy and chocolatey. It was a great snack on that hot day. Here's a mini photo essay of my gustatory journey with the Mickey Premium Bar:


Yay! It's cold and fresh and new!


Yum, a tasty first bite.




Sad tear! I'm almost done eating it.

- Becoming old people... One day, Kayt and I had stayed up late partying at Pleasure Island, and then there was the daylight savings time change, and then we got up early the next morning right at park opening so we could get on rides with shorter wait times. Thus, we only got four hours of sleep that night, and that combined with the constant walking around all day made us extremely tired by mid-afternoon. It got so bad that afternoon that we actually picked which rides to go on based on how well we could sleep on them. I picked "it's a small world" because it's slow-moving and long, and I actually did fall asleep on it. It was hilarious. And sad. I never thought I could fall asleep on a Disney theme park attraction. Actually, when I was younger my father would always use slow boat rides like "it's a small world" or Pirates of the Caribbean as a chance to nap because he would always get up really early to drive us down to Disneyland and was tired throughout the day. And of course everyone falls asleep in the Hall of Presidents, but who actually goes there for the express purpose of sleeping? Haha. Kayt and I, apparently. I told Kayt as we sat down at the Hall of Presidents to sleep, "You know, this officially makes us old people," for sleeping on Walt Disney World rides, but she replied, "Well, not really because we're only tired because we stayed up all night clubbing at Pleasure Island." Haha.

- Writing out and teaching the lyrics of "Doncha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me" to a nice Korean girl with limited English skills who heard the song at a club and really liked it and wanted to learn the lyrics. We then all sang it together loudly on public transportation.

- Being hit on by said Korean girl, whose name was Candy. Her friend's name was Sugar. No, they weren't strippers.

- Kayt and me picking up each other's slang terms and then using them nonstop...

"Jawesome!"
"How fawkward."
"Sad tear!"
"That was just a bad sich."
"We suck at life."
"We are sooo good at life!"
"We win at life!"

And, of course, adding the letter "d" to the end of any word or phrase to make it into a passive verb, like we were somehow victimized by the noun phrase:

"Children'd!!!"
"Strollers'd!!!"
"Turnstile'd!!!"
"Social convention'd!!!"
"Bad at life'd!!!"

- Finally, the best story EVARRR: When we were going through the bag security check at Epcot, what should fly out of someone's bag and onto the ground but a condom package! The owner of the prophylactic quickly bent down and picked it up, but it was too late... everyone around had seen it... The security guard was like, "Ummmmmm..." Haha.

Quote(s) of the Day: "How was Prince Charming?" "More like Prince Disgruntled..."

"Ahhh! This is aggravating my rubella condition!!!"

"I think I have smallpox..."

"Sam J!!! Children!!!"

"Hey, Kayt... Is it true that silence is a virtue?!?!"

"Hey, Kayt, what's the most annoying thing in the world?" "Loud teenage boys who won't shut up?"

"Damn! ... I mean, curses!!!"

:: SL 6:44 PM [+] ::
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Haha. I love how my sister just left a comment on my Facebook profile saying that I've gotten fat. Good times, good times.

:: SL 10:14 PM [+] ::
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Oh, headache, headache, headache. Stress, stress, stress.

I'm really "Giving myself the permission to be human" today...

Quote(s) of the Day: "That's not her breast... that's a loaf of bread!"

"There's a surprising amount of porn that pops up when you look for pictures of Waldo online."

"I can't believe how few pictures there are of Waldo online." "Well, he's hard to find!"

:: SL 10:06 PM [+] ::
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Yes! Third best weekend evarrr in a row because I got to spend it with friends. Awww.

And the coming days will be the best WEEK evarr because it's spring break, and my friend and I are going to WALT DISNEY WORLD!!! Needless to say we are both extremely excited over this highly-anticpated vacation. We've been talking about it since we lived across the hall from each other, and now it's senior year and it's now or never! So we decided to go for senior spring break, and we're going to have soooo much fun!

Yesterday, I had lunch and went to work at the Science Center. In the late afternoon my friend Marion and I got ready for our party hosting duties that night by walking to Trader Joe's for food and drink supplies. It was a fun trip, and I wasn't as indecisive as I usually am in party planning. We had dinner with friends who were still around, as the dining hall was unusually empty because many people had left already for spring break.

Afterwards, we got ready for our party, and althought not that many people showed up, I still had a great time hanging out and dancing with Marion and friends. We played a lot of fun danceable music from the 80s and the 90s. Yay. I'm glad (grateful! Positive Psychology!) Marion and I have similar tastes in musica. We were so tired at 1:30 that we ended the party then and all went to sleep. But it was an amazingly fun party. We shall have to do it again soon!

Today, I suddenly woke up at 10 in the morning, which meant I had a delightfully productive day in front of me. I ended up working on my website a bit, had a snack for lunch, and then watched the movie Toy Story. It's a charming tale; I hadn't seen the movie in a while. I always love buddy movies. Later in the afternoon, I decided to watch the movie Saved! on DVD because I had borrowed it and never had time time to watch it. It's a hilarious satire on overzealous religious people, but it's not anti-religion. It shows the good and the bad effects of religion, which is up my ally because I am not particularly religious, but I respect the role of religion in the world... as long as these religions respect me.

I went out to dinner with my friends Kayt, Tim, and Fran. We went to Felipe's, and I got a super burrito. I even ordered sour cream on it to be extra festive with sauce. During the course of the dinner, the conversation veered to talk about my personality, and my friends agreed that I was a generally pessimistic person, which made me kinda sad, because I see myself as a cheery person. They told me that I just say a lot of pessimistic things in a delightfully cheerful manner. Haha. I'm glad to have gotten this feedback. I am, of course, trying to become more optimistic as part of my positive psychology class, which deals with the psychology of happiness. I hadn't realized that people thought I sounded pessimistic at times.

After Felipe's, Kayt and I went to Mather House and watched Disney's Cinderella to "get excited!" about our trip! Fran joined us, too. Aww, Cinderella is one of my favorite Disney movies... probably because of its themes of kindness and simple beauty triumphing over vanity and jealousy. The rags to riches bit ain't bad, either... Anyways, the screening got us in the mood for our Disney trip, especially since Walt Disney World's signature castle is the magnificent Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom! Yay!!! We did some trip planning, returned the Cindrella videocassette to the library, and got some last-minute supplies. We leave early tomorrow morning. Soooo excited!!!

I will, of course, write a 10-page post when we get back about all our adventures in the Most Magical Place on Earth! Clint, if you're reading this (or for that matter, anyone who's reading this), lemme know via LJ comment if you want any souvenirs or pictures of anything specific in the "World." I'll be checking my e-mail!

Quote(s) of the Day: "Kayt, you just finished your senior thesis... What are you going to do next?" "I'm going to Disney World!!!"

"Wow, that girl is in desperate need of a nose job."

"I didn't know it was becoming trendy to shorten words. Whatev. That's just kind of awk."

:: SL 9:41 PM [+] ::
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Well, I guess I didn't get the Let's Go travel guide research/writing job I applied for. Sad tear. I think I would have really enjoyed it... combining my two passions: travelling and writing.

:: SL 11:27 AM [+] ::
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Last Friday was St. Patrick's Day, so everyone here in Irish-heavy Boston was in high spirits celebrating it. I went to an amazing open house tea in Adams House, where I ran into Marion and Angela. The event had lots of nice snacks including pigs in a blanket, corned beef wraps, soda bread, and fruits to dip in a chocolate fountain. Tasty. Also, to top things off, the host was serving Guinness for the special occasion. It was a really nice touch when he created a four-leaf clover in the foam. A small band was playing traditional Irish tunes, while members of the Celtic cultural club here did Irish step dancing. It reminded me of my obsession with the short-lived Disneyland nighttime "streetacular" Light Magic, which "replaced" the classic Main Street Electrical Parade and featured plenty of Irish step dancing... and fiber optics, which are pretty and change colors, but I digress.

Afterwards, I had dinner with my friend in Mather House, and then I joined some other friends for a screening of Disney's classic animated feature The Little Mermaid. It continued our trend of seeing ocean-themed movies (we saw Titanic just the week before). I enjoyed watching a Disney movie again; I want to watch at least a couple more Disney films before heading off to Walt Disney World for spring break.

The Little Mermaid's happy ending made me go awww. "Now we can walk... now we can run... now we can stay all day in the sunnnnn.... Just you and meeeee... and I beeeee... part of your wooooorrrrrrrllllllllllddddddddddd!" I then went with my friend Molly, along with her brother who was visiting, to Felipe's, where I got a grilled chicken quesadilla. 'Twas oh-so-tasty. That is why we all love Felipe's. I then met up with my friends Ben and John, and we went out and had good times by going out to various parties as well as Charlie's Kitchen in the square. I had never been to Charlie's Kitchen before, but I enjoyed the loud and lively atmosphere. We were dismayed by the early closing time of Cambridge establishments, so we went back to John's room and chatted for a bit longer before we all headed back. I stayed up into the morning to watch lecture videos to prepare for my positive psychology and psychology of leadership midterms this week.

Saturday night, the feeling was right. I was watching lecture videos from my positive psychology class, and then another friend joined me to watch another lecture video from the class so we could be more focused and watch it without pausing. I felt really great and motivated after watching these lecture videos, but little did I know how much better the night was going to get after hanging out with friends. I met up with John and Ben again, and we went to a birthday party in Lowell House. The music was dreadful, but I still had a lot of fun hanging out with friends, dancing, and seeing cool people again. We ended, of course, at the Kong with delightful greasy food to fill our stomachs in the middle of the night. Soooo good and satisfying. I was having the time of my life. I finally got back to my room at about 3:30 and tried to go to sleep because I was so tired, but I was still so happy and high on life from my "peak experience" (haha, positive psychology) from hanging out with friends that I couldn't sleep. Instead, I chatted with friends online and listened to music.

I realized I had to return a DVD to the library by the morning and that I would never wake up in time. So I put on my jacket, kept on listening to great tunes on my iPod, and journeyed out to the library that's four blocks away to return the DVD. It was 4:30 in the morning, I was blasting music through my headphones, and there were no people and no cars around, so I danced to my music in the middle of the street. I turned in the DVD and danced some more in the middle of Harvard Yard. I sat down on the steps of Memorial Church and was looking at the twinkling stars and the low moon. It was such a happy moment; everything was calm, quiet, as one. I couldn't get over what an amazing weekend I was having. I'd have to say it was one of the happiest specific moments in my life.

It's hard to describe, but this positive psychology class is really turning my life around. I've always considered myself a pretty cheerful person (memory: reassuring my depressed friend that life would be OK; we go on and make it through our difficulties), but I'm really seeing life in a whole new way now. I guess it's hard to put into words, but it's true: You are what you believe. If you believe that you can experience happiness in life, that's the first step toward becoming happier.

On Sunday, I studied all day and all night for my midterm on Monday in leadership psychology. The exam turned out to be not too bad. Thank goodness for reading study guides. I then slept through the day and studied through the night for my positive psychology midterm on Tuesday. That was my last big thing before spring break, so now I'm all done and coasting until the much-anticipated vacation.

Tuesday afternoon, I went to hear a talk from Ma Ying-jeo, the mayor of Taipei (capital of Taiwan) and chairman of the country's KMT political party. According to my parents, he's the current frontrunner to run in and win the 2008 presidential election in Taiwan.

Mayor Ma talked about wanting to improve Taiwan/China relations... for example he said he thought it was silly for it to take 5-6 hours to get from Taipei to Shanghai because of a Hong Kong connection when a direct flight would only be 1.5 hrs. He also talked about wanting to offer more opportunities for Chinese students to study at Taiwan universities to promote a cultural exchange.

A lot of people asked him about running for president in '08, and he always demurred, saying that the KMT party will find a suitable leader in '08; apparently he hasn't yet announced his candidacy, according to my parents, who actually follow the politics; I don't know anything about Taiwanese politics, let alone have any strong positions on the matter.

I thought the mayor was really charismatic and he really lightened things with humor. He gave the talk in Mandarin Chinese, and I could understand most of it but not all of it because some of the topics were more obscure, like political party reform or pan-Asian relations - topics I never really learned the vocabulary for. He really expressed a lot of patriotism and love for Taiwan. It was cool because I haven't thought about my Taiwanese heritage in a while (I mean, "I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day," but I never think about it in the context of actual Taiwanese heritage). Mayor Ma's talk and the audience's questions reminded me of the pride people have in the beautiful island of Taiwan, regardless of political differences.

When his talk ended, I somehow made it out in time to find him exiting out the side door of the building, so I was able to get his autograph and talk to him briefly before he was bombarded by the Taiwanese media that had trailed him to the US. My mother said that she saw me on a Taiwan TV station news report. Coolness! The last time I was on TV was in '04 when I appeared on MSNBC asking then Democratic presidential candidate Carol Mosely Braun a question on Chris Matthews' Hardball.

Last night was the night before housing day, which is when all the freshmen find out which house they have been placed in. We in Leverett House celebrated by making signs welcoming the freshmen and enjoying food and drink. Today at lunch, we all went to Annenberg (the freshman dining hall) and welcomed the freshmen placed in our house with t-shirts, loud music, and people dancing on tables and waving large posters. I had so much fun. Each house celebrated and welcomed the freshmen with their own unique traditions and style. Even though all the houses are different and the rivalries between them spring forth on this day, there was a sense of unity in everyone getting together to cheer on the freshmen and having an excuse to party with house pride. The loud cheering kept drowning out the already loud music, and the atmosphere was fun and festive, fitting in perfectly with the almost spring break mood.

This afternoon, after going to classes, I socialized and enjoyed tea in Lowell House, which had invited the writer Gregory Maguire to speak. I stayed for the talk by the author of Wicked and other fantasy books and sequels. Wicked, of course, was the inspiration of the current hit Broadway musical of the same name. It was interesting, because just two months ago I had heard a talk from Stephen Schwartz, the composer for Wicked the musical, when I was visiting my sister at Yale. I enjoyed hearing Maguire's stories about collaborating on the production, as well as his inspirations for writing the book, some of the things he cut out of the original manuscript, and his advice for being a novelist.

Tonight, the housing day celebrations continued with the freshmen coming to visit our house and individual rooms hosting welcoming parties. A couple of friends and I room-hopped to get lots of good food, including samosas, pizza, tiramisu, and ice cream. Yay! Funny, too, because I had just had samosas the day before when my friends Alex and Alex and I went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. I was exhausted by the end of the night, walking all around Leverett House, eating so much, and seeing so many new faces. These are the kids who will be replacing my classmates and me next year! Sad tear.

Finally, after all the excitement, I went with a few other friends to the Eliot Grill, where we socialized a bit more before I returned to my room to retire after a long and productive day. Exhausted, but exhilarated. Happy, and enjoying life. This has been a long week, but it's been good times, all around.

Quote(s) of the Day: "Today was the fourth day in a row I saw the sun rise." "That sounds like the first sentence in a novel..."

"Have you seen the movie Ghost? I could die like that, you know."
"Please don't come back from the dead to feel me up..."
"Yeah, through a psychic black lady."

"The tea was bitter to the end, to the bitter end."

"Suppose you ask someone out on a date, and they said yes. What would be a pessimist's interpretation of that scenario?"
"They were drunk."
"They felt sorry for you."
"They were desperate."
"They go to Harvard."

"Well, I suppose [selling your English class essay online] is no worse than being a sperm or egg donor for money..."

:: SL 5:00 PM [+] ::
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