Isn't it weird to think that I can say to someone, "See you tomorrow", when I am all the way across the country? I just find it weird. Well, I guess more amazing than weird. And that I could really just fly out to some place we've all only seen in movies and documentaries if I wanted to, in 24 hours or less. That the Taj Mahal, the holy city of Mecca, the Amazon rainforest, the Siberian tundra, Philadelphia, Eugene, OR - all just a few flights and a day away.
Just started snowing here.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Finals!
Oh man! Tomorrow is my first of four finals. I've been studying a lot over the past few days (which is what you're supposed to do). And then I'll be home on the 17th. Home! Home. It's kind of a big thing because, well, the furthest I've traveled in the past three months is to Washington D.C. Meanwhile, all three of my roommates have been home twice..
Which reminds me, I went to my friend's house for Thanksgiving, which was chill. He lives 30 minutes (by train) away in the suburbs, and I stayed there for three nights. I went to mass with his family on Thursday morning, which was sorta weird, but I'm over it. Turns out his dad is super-Catholic, but none of his children are really religious. I told my friend and his two little bros that I hail from the least-religious area of the country (I think it is, right?), and they all mentioned something about living there sometime..
And I think I am 99% set on a major - Biology with a concentration in neuroscience. So I'll be taking a lot of classes having to do with brain and behavior, which is all really interesting. And I'm going to minor in Hispanic Studies (fancypants way of just saying 'Spanish'). I haven't officially declared this yet, but I will in the coming months.
.. yeah, so I gotta get back to studying..
Which reminds me, I went to my friend's house for Thanksgiving, which was chill. He lives 30 minutes (by train) away in the suburbs, and I stayed there for three nights. I went to mass with his family on Thursday morning, which was sorta weird, but I'm over it. Turns out his dad is super-Catholic, but none of his children are really religious. I told my friend and his two little bros that I hail from the least-religious area of the country (I think it is, right?), and they all mentioned something about living there sometime..
And I think I am 99% set on a major - Biology with a concentration in neuroscience. So I'll be taking a lot of classes having to do with brain and behavior, which is all really interesting. And I'm going to minor in Hispanic Studies (fancypants way of just saying 'Spanish'). I haven't officially declared this yet, but I will in the coming months.
.. yeah, so I gotta get back to studying..
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
new day
Wow. The last week has been something different, something awesome, something INSANE.
Last Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies brought home a championship, the first pro sports championship for the city in 25 years (multiplied by 4 pro sports teams = 100 seasons). The last champion in this city was... Rocky. And he wasn't real. After the last out was recorded at about 10:10 PM EST, I went outside to see if anything was happening.
There were people were pouring out of bars, dorms, other public buildings! Almost every car on the road was honking incessantly, and people high-fived anyone in sight. 5.5 million people instantly became friends with anyone and everyone in sight. A massive crowd formed to celebrate the occasion on Broad Street (a major thoroughfare that passes City Hall and center city).
Simon, Edward, and I rode our bikes down 25 blocks to witness the madness, at about 11:30. There were massive (drunken) crowds, burning dumpsters, a few brawls, riot police, and thousands upon thousands of red-clad fanatics. Also no enforcement of the open-container law. It was something that you could never imagine happening in Eugene, let alone the entire West Coast. Imagine the celebration if the Oregon Ducks won the National Championship - now multiply it by 100! It was as if a city of millions released a breath it had been holding for too long, and also as if the entire city caught an epidemic all at once. People who didn't even follow baseball went downtown to celebrate! Seeing an entire metropolis celebrating is just an unbelievable sight.
You might think I'm overreacting with this World Series schnooz, but it's hard not to get excited when something completely rocks the city for days.
I also went to the Phillies victory parade on Friday (skipping three classes!), which was more subdued, but still pretty sweet.
Then there was last night! I'm sure you all know what went down. As soon as the news came out, Penn students started celebrating in the middle of campus, and I went down to celebrate with! And then... the crowd moved east. 25 blocks east. Yep, all the way down to City Hall, in a light drizzle. Combining with Drexel students partway through. Blocking off avenues, high-fiving bus drivers, security guards, hobos.. Almost marching expectantly towards City Hall as if something would happen as soon as we did. As if future President Barack Obama would miraculously drop down on the corner of Broad and Market and fill us with comforting, powerful, hopeful words. Too bad I didn't move to Chicago right after the World Series. The march was like a Phillies celebration hangover, as if people now just expected a mass mosh pit in the center of the city. Chants of O-ba-ma, U-S-A, Yes-we-can, Yes-we-did. Even mass-singing of the national anthem?!!
Anyways, it was all pretty awesome. Living in a big city definitely has its advantages. You all should visit sometime.
Last Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies brought home a championship, the first pro sports championship for the city in 25 years (multiplied by 4 pro sports teams = 100 seasons). The last champion in this city was... Rocky. And he wasn't real. After the last out was recorded at about 10:10 PM EST, I went outside to see if anything was happening.
There were people were pouring out of bars, dorms, other public buildings! Almost every car on the road was honking incessantly, and people high-fived anyone in sight. 5.5 million people instantly became friends with anyone and everyone in sight. A massive crowd formed to celebrate the occasion on Broad Street (a major thoroughfare that passes City Hall and center city).
Simon, Edward, and I rode our bikes down 25 blocks to witness the madness, at about 11:30. There were massive (drunken) crowds, burning dumpsters, a few brawls, riot police, and thousands upon thousands of red-clad fanatics. Also no enforcement of the open-container law. It was something that you could never imagine happening in Eugene, let alone the entire West Coast. Imagine the celebration if the Oregon Ducks won the National Championship - now multiply it by 100! It was as if a city of millions released a breath it had been holding for too long, and also as if the entire city caught an epidemic all at once. People who didn't even follow baseball went downtown to celebrate! Seeing an entire metropolis celebrating is just an unbelievable sight.
You might think I'm overreacting with this World Series schnooz, but it's hard not to get excited when something completely rocks the city for days.
I also went to the Phillies victory parade on Friday (skipping three classes!), which was more subdued, but still pretty sweet.
Then there was last night! I'm sure you all know what went down. As soon as the news came out, Penn students started celebrating in the middle of campus, and I went down to celebrate with! And then... the crowd moved east. 25 blocks east. Yep, all the way down to City Hall, in a light drizzle. Combining with Drexel students partway through. Blocking off avenues, high-fiving bus drivers, security guards, hobos.. Almost marching expectantly towards City Hall as if something would happen as soon as we did. As if future President Barack Obama would miraculously drop down on the corner of Broad and Market and fill us with comforting, powerful, hopeful words. Too bad I didn't move to Chicago right after the World Series. The march was like a Phillies celebration hangover, as if people now just expected a mass mosh pit in the center of the city. Chants of O-ba-ma, U-S-A, Yes-we-can, Yes-we-did. Even mass-singing of the national anthem?!!
Anyways, it was all pretty awesome. Living in a big city definitely has its advantages. You all should visit sometime.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
fall break
Already a third done with this semester. Next weekend is fall break, from Saturday to Tuesday.. and I have no plans whatsoever. Each of my three roommates are going home, since they live in NJ, DC, and TN respectively. I can't really go home, but I can't really chill with old high school friends because NONE of them came to the east coast. (I'm pretty sure I'm the only one at Penn with this problem.) So unless someone flies out here or something, I suppose I'll just be sitting, sleeping, sitting, sleeping for
four days
four days
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
place
The first one is on the plane near Chicago. Otherwise pictures of my place. Still kinda raw, I am getting a few more posters..
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
in honor
Yesterday I went to a memorial service on campus for a former teammate, who passed away on August 25 in a car accident. Michael Sheahan of Madison, WI - on the team we called him 'Wheeler'.
I guess I couldn't believe it when I first heard the news from another teammate. More that I didn't believe than I couldn't. He was an awesome kid, a great teammate, and good friend. I didn't hang out with him too much outside of Ultimate, but when I did hang out with him (Ultimate or not), it was always a good time. And it was only a few days before I would have seen him too..
I'm in grief that Wheeler has passed, because of all the good times we have spent together. But I'm saddened, I think, just as much because of what could have been. Perhaps it's just speculation, but I really believe he would have come over to our room to hang out all the time, since Edward and Simon, two of my roommates who play Ultimate, were also close with him. He was someone who could have been a great friend of mine.. Great potential, shattered in a moment..
Rest in peace, Wheeler. I'll miss you man.
I guess I couldn't believe it when I first heard the news from another teammate. More that I didn't believe than I couldn't. He was an awesome kid, a great teammate, and good friend. I didn't hang out with him too much outside of Ultimate, but when I did hang out with him (Ultimate or not), it was always a good time. And it was only a few days before I would have seen him too..
I'm in grief that Wheeler has passed, because of all the good times we have spent together. But I'm saddened, I think, just as much because of what could have been. Perhaps it's just speculation, but I really believe he would have come over to our room to hang out all the time, since Edward and Simon, two of my roommates who play Ultimate, were also close with him. He was someone who could have been a great friend of mine.. Great potential, shattered in a moment..
Rest in peace, Wheeler. I'll miss you man.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
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