done

My first semester of college is officially over! Winter break started Thursday afternoon, once I got out of my last final. Since then, I've seen many of my friends and celebrated surviving our first semester of college a bit. Not sure what I'm gonna do for the next two weeks, besides seeing more people and working.

College is different. Nothing any older student had or could have told me would have been enough preparation for college. It's absolutely nothing like high school, which is both a good and bad thing. This fall, however, juggling a job and full-time college was not easy, especially on top of community service and a few other things. I learned a lot this semester—outside of an academic context—and hopefully the knowledge will help me be successful in the spring.

Happy holidays (to whoever reads this)! I still have no clue what I'm doing on New Year's, but I definitely want to have fun, and so do my friends.

P.S. National Treasure: Book of Secrets was a waste of $9.

thoughts

Oh, man. Talk about lame. I haven't updated in a month and ten days. I suppose bullets will work (like last time)...

My mom is so hardcore with the decorations.

• Happy holidays! Hanukkah is over and so is holiday shopping for myself/my family/the office. I'm going to be in for a lot of fun when my bills start rolling in come January, but I still stand by my mantra about Black Friday: the only day of the year I'll really splurge on myself. I definitely spent a little too much money this season, though.
  
• I can't explain why, but I'm so excited for Cloverfield. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be one of those films where the trailer kicks ass and the actual film...doesn't. Speaking of films, The Golden Compass was pretty good!
• Next semester, I'll be driving to school. It was an interesting relationship, Metrorail, but the end has come, and I'm freaking glad about that. The drive to downtown Miami is incredible/intense/orgasmic, specifically the part where US-1 ends and there's this huge "hill" before the start of the I-95, and the Miami skyline in its entirety pops out from the ground, basically. I don't have class downtown every day next semester, so using the Metrorail doesn't really save me much money.
  
• I have no idea what my grades are going to be this semester. No. freaking. clue. All I know is that if I can't pull off an A in my 5-credit math class, my GPA is screwed, and so am I. I might be taking piano lessons for credit next semester...but that's another discussion entirely.
• Speaking of school, I really, really need to get out of here. There's gotta be a realistic way I can move out within the next year. I love my parents and stuff, and I don't mind living with them too much, but I need to get out!

Hopefully my next update is still in 2007.

whoa

So much for keeping up with this blog! I haven't updated in a good three weeks or so. I should be going to sleep soon, so I'll keep this short.

• The new Mac OS X is absolutely beautiful. I noticed some kinks in Leopard within the first hour after installation, but overall it's been a superb experience.
• Anyone who calls him or herself a fan of The Fray is a fool if all they've heard is How to Save a Life. I bought the Reason EP on iTunes last week and it's awesome squared.
• Something's odd about October 23rd. Last year, it was the day I got into my huge accident and the day I promised myself I'd become a safe driver—that means no speeding, no rushing, no tailgating, always using turn signals, everything. A year later, I get a ticket on the exact same day for something ridiculous (making a right turn followed by a u-turn to sidestep the "no left turn between 7-9am" signs plastered all over the South Miami residential area). I had no idea it was the anniversary of my accident, so in no way was I "channeling bad energy" or any crap like that.
• Lan is officially my favorite restaurant. That's right, #1.
• I'm (pseudo-)officially a physics major. How I went from journalism to anything science-related is beyond me. We'll see if next semester's combination of calculus and physics kicks my ass or not. If it doesn't, physics will be official.
• Speaking of next semester, once that comes around I'll be working 9-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, thank goodness. I've been struggling this term to make 12 or so hours a week at the office. Starting January, I'll easily fit in 20 hours a week into my job.

Short enough?

it's been a week

I still think I'll be keeping up with this for a while.

This week was much better than last week. I squeezed in a fair number of hours for work, joined yet another club on campus, and overall had a relaxing week, though I'm still feeling indifferent about Friday's economics test. Today was mostly spent at Best Buy (getting an iPod adapter installed for my car radio) and reading/taking notes for oceanography. I'm also starting to get addicted to Grey's Anatomy (I purchased three episodes on iTunes), but I still haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing. Onto a complete digression...

In an earlier post, I mentioned Hacking College, parts of which focused on preparing for the global economy and whatnot. The book makes it seem somewhat daunting, though personally I think it's good, for lack of a better word (and judgment, perhaps). Anyway, never one to argue against globalization, I welcome China's economic and social expansion, a topic discussed time and time again in my economics class. But really, sometimes I wonder. I quote from an article in today's New York Times:

"Pollution has reached epidemic proportions in China, in part because the ruling Communist Party still treats environmental advocates as bigger threats than the degradation of air, water and soil that prompts them to speak out."

Seriously? I can't tell whether or not I should be surprised.

yadrutas

Today, I had to wake up at 7am for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. It was long but I had a good time with the "homies" from Student Government, and I definitely want to start a Relay for Life team on campus for the spring.


Walking around downtown Miami was an experience in itself. I first learned what downtown Miami truly looks like from driving around/near school (emphasis on the "driving;" it was in a car). But walking from Bayfront Park to Coral Way (SE 13th ST) really gives you a chance to observe the skyscrapers and realize how big they actually are. The way I see it, it makes Miami feel more like a "city."

Later this morning, my brother came over to do laundry/hang out. (He's 29 and doesn't live at home but comes over on the weekends.) My parents left to run errands so we ordered take-out from the Canton Chinese Restaurant near US1 and SW 67th Ave. It was pretty good, cheap, and vegetarian friendly! (Nothing special, though, which in other words means I've had better.)

At some point I studied some economics and considered doing my math homework, but I was exhausted from the walk and pretty much passed out around 4pm. After napping for a few hours, I showered and whatnot and got picked up by Joe. Then we picked up Mary Cristina and went to Blockbuster to get a movie (which we ended up not watching since there was lots of talking to do). Likan had come down from North Carolina for "fall break" and there was lots of catching up, so after spending some time at her house, we went to Checkers, just like "the good old days."

Hanging out with the three of them made me realize how much I really miss my friends. I'm very happy where I am right now, and I'm happy for everyone else and that they're having a good time in college (for the most part). But the truth is almost everyone is gone! I'll be doing the same, though, soon enough. Later this month, Ashleigh and Iris are coming down from NC and Gainesville, respectively; I may even be making a trip to UF soon myself in a few weeks.

Speaking of college, I just finished reading the 2007-2008 edition of Hacking College a few nights ago. All in all, it was an interesting book, and there sure were a lot of things I didn't know. I disagree with a few parts, but I'm definitely recommending it to...well, everyone.

Future topics for discussion: my recent transition to Mac; how to manage a job, an education, a ton of extracurricular activities, and a social life; technology; queso. (No, really.)

denotation[s]

epiphany - an illuminating discovery often resulting in a personal feeling of elation


For the first time in a very long time, I no longer care about who reads/doesn't read what I write or what I have to say. I've come to realize the importance of documenting life for yourself, with little regard to others stumbling across your notions scattered upon the nonpages of the internet.

Here, you will find: ideas, rants, blabs, commentaries, praises, criticisms, realizations, discussions of the day and what life in Miami is like, and most importantly, words that have been pulled from the fuzzy, always-introspective, sometimes-nostalgia-fused pseudo-incoherences of late nights.

I think I'm liking the Blogger world so far. More to come.