As of late (in brief)

Sunset String Quartet

Reunion of our small 11th floor family (+ stuffed faces)

Oklahoma with the lovelies

Mmm, Thanksgiving at home

What else? School, school, school. Eating! Column chromatography in the lab, all the time, baby! Practicing now and then for orchestra, excitement for our theme: From Russia with Love!

Music that's been looping through my head: Surry with the Fringe on Top (Oklahoma!), Blackout (Breathe Carolina), Black Sheep (Brie Larson vocals), Kimi No Koe (Beyond the Clouds), We are Young (Fun.), Taylor the Latte Boy (Kristin Chenoweth version). I watched Edward Scissorhands and I absolutely loved it.

Life's been alright, classes grades are looking decent, registration for next semester is looking a little iffy. Gotta keep motivated because the end of the semester is so near! I should have been posting more... but oh well. New resolution once again. Until then!

2011 WISHLIST!

Woot woot wishlist time!

I like socks with animals. Or colored socks. Socks are just nice. Ankle high, though. High enough so that my heels don't keep dying when I wear my Converse. XD My favorite things include cats, purple, and... chemistry?!

*****EDIT: I broke my cheapy JVC Gumy earphones (Best Buy).  TT^TT New pair pleaseeeeee sob

My GREATEST DESIRE is this clock, but it's way over the price range ($42) and alas, it is also sold out. ):

I hope it gives you a good example of my tastes, though: pretty, functional things, and Doctor Who. Though, I think Doctor Who can kind of be generalized into dorky popular culture.  (If you get me anything with reference to Doctor Who, I think I'd be satisfied. P.S. I love Amy and Rory.) Also, maybe an alarm clock?!

If you want to fuel my inner child.... *_* ... -cough-

I love a lot of the things on Etsy. I've kind of wanted cuff-like jewelry (no, not handcuffs, please take your mind away from that train of thoughts), like these bracelets, or thinner. Not sure what I'd do with them, though. I kind of just want cheap-y versions of Fossil jewelry, as bad as that sounds, haha.

It should also be no surprise when I say I like music. I think vinyl is cool ('cause we actually have a record player at home), but it's also a bit impractical. Thanks to Kat, though, my iTunes music-purchasing fund is full once again, so I can do without more gift cards, hehe! Physical things are nice. I kind of want this single, but it might sell out, which would be sad but not heartbreaking.

I would also enjoy Muse's Resistance. Or perhaps She & Him's Volume One?! Hm, maybe Gold Motel's Summer House... Ólafur Arnald's Eulogy for Evolution or would be cool too. I guess my taste in music is calming down, in some aspects. But, of course, physical CD's are more of a pain to get a hold of... so whatever! XD

Hm. What do I want that is actually reasonable to ask for...

Oh yes. A new planner/schedule notebook thing. Actually I just want a new Moleskine that may or may not have dates pre-printed in it so I can just fill the pages with whatever I want in the upcoming years, mostly schedules and doodles and things. By the way, this is what finals week looks like for me. ):

A small pencil case (not a hard one, though) would be nice, too. I need to stop stabbing my hands on things when I reach into the small pocket of my backpack. I really need a new schoolbag, but I think I'll go hunting for something on my own...

If you buy me clothes, I'd wear them. If you could get me good grades for the semester, too, that'd be awesome, hahaha. I'll be happy with anything. SURPRISE ME! (:

Say what you want

Say say anything (A Fine Frenzy)

I've been listening A Fine Frenzy's Bomb in a Birdcage and frankly, I just love her voice and the general sound of her songs. It makes me feel happy even though I don't really listen to the words that much.

Anyway, I recently watched the video of the 2011 Miss USA delegate's responses to the question "Should evolution be taught in schools?" due to all the hullabaloo on Facebook. Maybe I'm just too accepting of an individual, but I don't see why so many people disliked it, or rather, are displaying such scorn. I guess it's pretty easy to go and think "Man, they're pretty dumb" and say that beauty and intelligence don't mix, but I think they did alright answering such a controversial question. Sure, most of them tried to find a compromise between both sides of the issue (creationism vs. evolution), but in such a competition, where you don't want to offend anyone or let yourself get grouped and judged by stereotypes, such a response would seem like the safest route. I must admit, the part of me that is entrenched in science cringed at the denouncements of evolution as fact and other such sayings, but overall I could just understand the nature of their responses. Miss Vermont did seem to steal the show with really bringing up the need to know and understand evolution with regards to bacteria and disease, but what was said about how religion and evolution can "coexist", so to speak, deserved some attention as well.

In Honors 101, Introduction to Research, we're reading David Sloan Wilson's Evolution for Everyone that has provided reasonable argument for why evolution should be learned by everyone, even those who are religious. It is true that there is the touchy aspect where he shows that evolution is more capable of explaining why things are the way they are with proof, thus pointing out a "flaw" in religion, but Wilson doesn't claim that religious beliefs should be abandoned.

The main thing this conflict has brought to my mind is that the fact that there are parodies like "Should math be taught in schools," implying that saying no to teaching evolution would be like saying no to teaching math. The thing that bothers me about this parody is that while not accepting math would cause an individual to essentially be unable to function in our (what is  meant by "our"?) present day society because of how it is needed in relation to our finances, not accepting evolution wouldn't necessarily impede the individual's chances directly. Oh, sure, understanding natural selection and how we developed gives us information about how we can change our present environments in order to produce desirable changes visible in the future and about what kind of thing (or person) we expect will lose the ever-present conflicts, but we don't exactly see acceptance of evolution as something as necessary to function in our society. Even though we (again, who is "we"?) push science and this pursuit of knowledge and understanding, American has had a history of religious belief, so this fight picked is kind of against ourselves. Proponents of change may, at times, see religion as erroneous, but it does have a function in societies as a binding force and as ideas that give individuals reasons and motivation to live.

It's not to say that I wasn't amused with the parody, but it was quite exaggerated (which, I suppose, is also the nature of parodies as well). Another thing that bothered me, perhaps, about the responses themselves, and the parody, was the focus on the interests of the children. Thumbs up to the delegates that noted the importance of evolution education in high school and college. Those are definitely more crucial decision-making times for individuals', in comparison to their "childhoods", growing up. Families do socialize individuals to believe certain ways. To grow up in a religious family and to keep holding on to those beliefs as one grows older definitely will impact the way an individual views the world and their existences in general. If we really wanted to change the world to accept evolution, teaching children this in elementary school is necessary, though it may conflict with what they believe in at home. The problem is overcoming that conflict, especially with the belief difference across generations. I think back to beliefs about Pluto being a planet, and beliefs of whether or not homosexual relationships are acceptable. There is the conflict between the new generations (the children) and the older generations (the parents), but which group has more power and say in the government, and which group has the greater capacity to accept change? I'm going off on tangents now, so maybe I'll stop talking about this. The greater question behind "Should we teach evolution in schools?" would be "What kind of world of beliefs do we want to create?" I can promote acceptance of everything and choice as did many of the 51 delegates, but is that really going to happen in this world where everyone wants power and someone always tends to have to be "right", where right is not necessarily what's "true" but rather what's believed by majority of society?

The family's role in socialization may not be decreasing as education's (and society's) role may be increasing, but family still has the control of those very first seeds that are planted.

While this is slightly lengthy and unorganized, and I really don't tend to do this kind of thing at all, I just needed to get this off my chest. There will always be this conflict, and creating a peace between both sides probably isn't possible. It is a matter of beliefs, but how do you get the entire world to believe in one thing? Conflict of culture, conflict of lifestyle... With the prevalence of one thing, another thing becomes destroyed or changed. And if some of the people disliking that video are those that claim themselves strong advocates of science (this sounds really dumb), well, I feel like they're wasting their time. Regardless of whether or not these delegates provided acceptable responses, in their opinions, I think that this "opposition" can just be looked over and one's own business can be minded because the people who do want to open their eyes and accept evolution will also be the ones that understand how to use knowledge of it to their benefit.

Cue the choir: It's all making sense now and the panic is fading away.

See that smile? It's one of utter excitement and joy!

I'm studying for my Bioorganic Chemistry midterm right now and the time is... 2:53 a.m. I'm feeling wide awake and generally fine. Whether or not that's due to the cup of Tazo Awake I drank before I left the room (at approximately 1:00am), I'm not so sure, but it's all gee 'cause all these amino acid degradation mechanism's are appearing more and more fun to me. =P Chemistry is such a beautiful puzzle.

Back to studying! Woohoo! I better ace this exam.

Don't worry, I'll sleep after I've got these mechanisms down. (: I kind of love my alone time with chemistry when everyone's asleep and the wireless is working without problem as a result. Hehehe. I've been listening to some Tchaikovsky piano concertos and William's arrangement of excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof (since we're playing that in orchestra and it's stuck in my head). Music without words is great for memorization, I think.

Tahtah!

Hello? How are you?

Have you been alright, through all those
Lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely nights
That's what I'd say, I'd tell you everything
If you'd pick up that telephone (ELO)

The songs I've been looping as of late:

• Jenny Suk's cover/remake of Far East Movement's Rocketeer
• Queen's wonderful Don't Stop Me Now 
• Kristin Chenoweth's version of Taylor the Latte Boy
• Northern Downpour from Panic at the Disco's pretty.odd
• Good 'ol ELO's Telephone Lines

Gotta have that music to study to, haha. ^^

After last week Friday, Saturday was pretty jam-packed as I reminisced a bit about the high school days while Megan & Cheyenne headed off to be initiated, wore a dress in the confines of my dorm room, and then headed out to Magic Island for a few hours at the beach with Megan. We headed to Zippy's afterwards to meet Cheyenne so she could try the Vic Pac (which I had a delicious piece of Portuguese sausage from, mmm) and the three of us had our dinner. Boy, do I love their chili and chicken, even if it's more expensive than a bigger meal at the dorms... That evening I headed out to watch Stop Kiss at the late night theater with Briana, Renee, and Sarah. It was the last show, and it was definitely interesting, especially in the way that they revealed the plot of the story. Too bad they didn't have an actual cat; It would have won me over. 

The first week of October sure did pass by in a blur! I don't quite remember what happened, but I do remember heading to rehearsals for quartet and symphony, and going into the lab and running a column again. 'Tis what I do, haha! Also, 'tis the reason my forearms ache. I'm much too short, but I definitely have to show that I can take care of myself in the lab -- hey man, I can't have people doing things for me in the future! I've got to do what I can as a volunteer... Though I seem to be bad luck, 'cause something always breaks each time I'm there (e.g. shattered and cracked Erlenmeyer flasks, broken thermometers, weird unknown substances forming, mistaken substances mixed together, popped balloons). Oh dear.

This past weekend I got to go home. I ate delicious ice cream cake with my family, watched Despicable Me (which my father borrowed: I lol so much at Vector EVERY TIME, though I guess he's not really that funny at all xD), played the upright piano (I really wish I had a piano of some sorts in the dorm room), and just... chilled. I pet the cat a bit and fell asleep on my face, though I avoided Jaynie taking picture of me, haha.

On Sunday night I went to see YTF's first concert at the Hawaii Theatre with Megan!!!

Yeah the sideward skills yo

Our seats on the balcony (er, lodge?) weren't that bad. It was a wonderful experience (though this gang of middle schoolers behind us kept yelling the lamest/most irritating things ever, but hey, kids will be kids, baby), especially since it was kind of a... first concert, of a sort, for me. I laughed so much and really appreciated all the effort the 7 of them put into their music, their dancing, and their comedy.

This week hasn't been going so well overall after that, though, just 'cause my workload hasn't stopped growing. We did have a RAPS meeting today, which cheered me up, 'cause they're actually pretty awesome people that I'm glad to be friends with and spend time with. It kind of brings me back to ground and reminds me of the kind of people I aspire to be and kind of people I want to think I'm worth being friends with. It's also always great to walk and talk after a month of not really seeing each other. I should really try to make better friends of people, though...

Things will get better. Gotta get to work! So long~

XOXO Romee

Do You Remember?

The 21st night of September? / Love was changing the minds of pretenders / While chasing the clouds away (Earth, Wind, and Fire)

I know it's been such a long, long time since I've posted. Sorry about that! As of this point in time, over a month of our fall semester has been completed, and the first round of midterms have been battled through (though not necessarily won against...). It's been an adventure, with breaks of volleyball and football games, food runs, and music.

Last night I ended up going to Campus Center's Karaoke Night with Megan, Nicole, and Chelsea, where I met Jason, Spencer, Angie, Alex, and re-met Dennis. While singing in public in front of strangers was kind of... strange, it turned out to be lots of fun, and the karaoke selection was pretty good! They even had a karaoke contest going on, which was entertaining, but equally ear-damaging due to the extensive amount of feedback and technical issues they had. There were some amazing singers! Also, the free food that they had was awesome (it was a whole dinner plate, FOR FREE). We also took photos in the photo booth, which was free, too.

In some classes I've adjusted to the workload, but in others, the workload is increasing. I don't know what this  means for how the rest of the semester will turn out, but for now it definitely means I should be trying to get ahead! Which I am...

Anyway, I'm legal now! Haha. Hopefully I'll post more frequently. (: But we'll see.

Much love!

Take a Little Time

So, it's either that I haven't had that much free time of late, or that it seems that the free time I have has gone to doing other things than blogging... Which is both good and bad, I'd think. (:

It's Labor Day weekend! These 3 days seem to have been going well, after I stayed back in the dorms. Oh, and it's September! My excitement cannot be contained.

Things I love to buy from Campus Center Dining:

• Cobb Salad (My lunch last Friday! Bacon [which I could actually care less for], egg, avocado, crispy chicken mmmmmm)
• Tazo tea bags (so far out of those offered [China Green Tips, Earl Grey, Awake, Passion + 1 more] that I've tried [Awake and Passion], Awake has already served me quite well)
• Aja's little mandoo packs & things with spicy ahi
• curly fries

On Friday night after a slightly saddening and short session in the lab, and an enjoyable quartet rehearsal going through wedding music, I came back to the dorm a little tired, but also very hungry. Cheyenne came over, and with Megan we headed out, set to go eat some ramen at Goma-Tei! It was getting kind of late (~7pm), in terms of eating dinner out at places that may need a wait and riding the bus for transportation, so once we got to the bus stop and saw the A leave right before our eyes, we plopped down and started considering our options. The cockroaches crawling all over the place on the bushes and the ground weren't so comforting, though.

Pretty soon the wait was getting to us and... a bathroom run was kind of needed xD. So instead we headed down to Curry House! After stopping by the music department and thanking the open bathrooms, we walked down, conversation turning to traffic, crossing streets, and driving.

I ordered the chicken cutlet curry udon (because I wanted to try their udon and curry looking soup!). Megan had her udon as well while Cheyenne had a chicken cutlet as well. I made kind of a mess eating... Curry colored soup leaves spots when they splatter! Hehe! My jeans had taken a little of a beating with some silica gel rubbed all over them as well as wet hands earlier that day, too...

After delicious food, we headed back, talked a bit, relaxed, attempted to do homework, and then slept. Heh.

Megan and I ran some errands at Ala Moana on Saturday (stopping at Shirokiya for lunch) before running back to the dorms to meet Chelsea in order to hop on the UH Spirit Busses to head to the stadium for the first football game of the season! It was such an experience... including the sunburn we all got from sitting in the section designated for students, directly in the path of the setting sun. It was worth it, though, because we won.

Sarah, Grace, Briana, and Alyssa were all there as well, and I learned a lot about the game from Sarah. You know me; I'm totally not a sports follower. I can say though, that I did have fun making noise and banging those white noisemaking balloon things together like the rest of them. And the wave was pretty fun as well! Much respect for the marching band, the cheerleaders, and the dance force.

It was overall a nice experience, though I don't really want to be around all those crazy dudes and dudettes who have obviously been drinking too much swearing and raging all over the place. Not nice. Positive attitudes, man! It was fun. Afterwards we grabbed ice cream from the Market before some Doctor Who and Torchwood was watched, Spanish homework attempted, and sleep achieved.

Today I got to see my family for a bit before they had to run off on their busy schedules. Aside from doing homework, I really have not done much today except eat. I tried that Passion tea bag and boy did it taste like lemongrass. As a result I drank it with some pieces of the giant konpeito in my mouth, dissolving.

There is a lot to drink to the refrigerator and a whole week ahead of us that seems like it will be entertaining! Plus, we've still got a day or so to enjoy (or rather, study through). I know I haven't been keeping up, but there are many other things which I should take more to keep up with, instead (like, coughcough, physics).  Hopefully I'll keep in touch, in more brief encounters, but for now, farewell!

Stuck in head: Borodin String Quartet No. 2 - Notturno

Here We Go Again

I'm all settled in the new dorm (it's air conditioned!) and ready to get back into the swing of school! Or, at least, knd of. This last week before school started was hectic with running errands and moving, so now it's time to take a little break and get set for tomorrow's surprises.

Sophomore year! I cannot believe it. Time passes so quickly now.

After I got my goggles back last Friday (after sitting through traffic going through Chinatown), I picked up my new set of textbooks from the bookstore, and went to read through them until rehearsal. My chem class this year will be more organic chemistry! I'm both excited about that and dreading it. The class size so far looks pretty small.

The next day included noming on delicious steak plate, from the high school's Project Grad fundraiser! Yummy food for the good cause of seniors enjoying their last day together as a class. That evening was filled with eating more yummy food and nice skies.

I don't know why, but I totally love the way telephone lines cut through the beauty of the sky. It's horrible, thinking about what the mess of these telephone lines reflect, but I enjoy the sight of them when the sun is setting (which is why of some of these photos have them in them).

After some fun time shopping for birthday gifts on Sunday (which involved going into Sephora and smelling a bunch of Philosophy scents), Monday was filled with running errands at UH, like ID validation, and looking for classrooms. Thank goodness I got those things out of the way. Good thing my professor changed for Sociology, 'cause now the book became cheaper!

The next day I walked over to the shopping center and got $5 off of a haircut. I chopped off my tail. If you haven't seen my new short hair, I'm sure you'll see it soon. I'm trying to make up for the shortness with use of bows and hairbands, but no matter what, I feel (and look like) a little child. Hehehe. Now I've got to remember to send in my hair for the donation, sometime. ^^ Good cause. On the way to rehearsal that night, I got told the story of legends/myths from PI, regarding  hair. Cultural exposure!

Wednesday was filled with more visitation of UH. I spent an hour in Hamilton attempting to increase my knowledge and understanding of possible future careers prior to making the meeting time with a professor that I had set up. After that, I had lunch at Ninja Sushi with my mother. It was very nice and the food was yummy (I very much enjoyed the tempura inside of this Tiger roll [if I remember correctly])! I love being with my mother.

IT WAS TOPPED WITH SPICY AHI! -drools-

Boy, do I long for such things now that I am in the dorms on this wonderful 10-meals-a-week meal plan. *_* After that I hung around at the mall before I got picked up for a wonderful ride to Phoebe's casa for a little get together before she left. ):

We watched Bridesmaids (comedic, but kind of horrifying at times because of the kind of comedy it was), and then started Tangled, along the while playing Scrabble and snacking on chips and cookies and such wonderful things. People also started sleeping.

It was a nice time together.

Thursday I moved into the dorm. Thankfully there wasn't the crazy line like there was last year when we were moving in with all the freshmen into the towers. I met our new suitemate, Anya! Super nice. Everything got settled in, and then I saw Cheyenne before spending the night killing tiny cockroaches and trying to deal with the cold of the AC and the dust stirred up. It's such a new setting! I also met our RA and moved in Megan's and Annie's boxes. There was also an ice cream social from which we so awkwardly escaped after eating some delicious brownies and ice cream. I haven't taken any pictures of the room yet, hehe. It's kind of a mess, but I'm just very entertained by this new space that I can decorate and make my own.

Friday was a shopping adventure with Grace, which was thorough and tiring. I went into Gilly Hicks for the first time, and strangely gained respect for it (in comparison to Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister). I didn't buy much (<$10), but that was alright because I got my exercise! I then had dinner at the dorms (too much packing of take-out boxes) before I headed home to a calmer sleep. Saturday made for practicing the violin, buying things for the room at Walmart, and then reuniting with Megan! Fun fun fun!

Today we went to Nijiya, bought some snacks, and took care of other errands in the dorm (setting microwaves/printers up), and actually...ate and walked a bunch. We practiced a lot of self control today, with food and snacks.

Tomorrow many new things begin. Hopefully I'll be ready for it all! Just gotta keep learning. (: Here we go again!

This is Ground Control to Major Tom

Space Oddity - David Bowie


It's been a whirlwind of a past few days and I don't know if I'll ever touch back down to a state of calm. I mean... excitement?! Fall semester is starting soon, the good friends are leaving, and there is the push and desire to savor these last few weeks, cramming in time together as much as we can.

I spent Tuesday cleaning, and reminiscing a bit, as a result. Going through old papers (which I really should throw away) definitely brings back memories of who we were before. I also stumbled across the wonderful This is Not a Book, which keeps being forgotten. I spent a bit of time pulling out pens and making my marks in the pages once again.

I taped 35 cents into that wishing well in my desire to accomplish things. I don't know if any of those wishes will come true...

Oh, yes, I also decided to paint all my nails the bold pink color from Joy from some time ago. I enjoy the shininess of the nail polish. (:

With things stacked neatly and floor areas vacuumed clean by noon on Wednesday, the MOB came over, and we had a wonderful time with videogames, music, and snacks.

There was spaghetti, mint tuxedos, white cheddar popcorn, pop chips, jellybeans... Mmm. Guitar playing, piano playing, singing, Disney, Madonna, Rock Band, chaos. I had the old record player up and running for a little while, too. Afterwards, we all crammed our way to Pearlridge to enjoy dinner together (though we were getting pretty tired). California Pizza Kitchen!

I ordered the Greek. Delicious~ These pizzas that look like they've just had salads dumped on them are not that bad... Though Renee's BLT looked like it had too much L and not enough B. After we had our fill, we perused Borders for a bit (of course I gave in to the sales and the wonderful silly Knock Knock note-pads) before we headed to Fun Factory where fun was to be had!

Our eternally musical souls always found us at games requiring some sense of rhythm. It was fun to watch the others play (and be pro!). I kind of wanted to play a shooting game, but eh, violence and money spending can be avoided until another time. =D

It was an amazing adventure.

Today I returned to the high school to speak at the Alumni panel for the wonderful high school upperclassmen and such that so kindly took the time to listen to us (-coughcough-). It was great seeing everybody, and feeling that kind of camaraderie gained from having all had experienced something that the group before us had not yet. I can't say that what I said was particularly helpful or interesting, but it was enjoyable, and there was a lot to nod my head to.

The lunch they had for us afterwards was amazing. Too bad I didn't get to try the desserts before I left. However, that's probably for the best because they looked so decadent. My mother picked me up and we finished the remainder of our lunches together at Moanalua Gardens, before heading to Ranch to drink some of Bee's taro (smoothie style) bubble tea and to purchase some other goods. I love taro flavored things. I also love that it's purple.

I got my sisters elephants from Watanabe Bakery 'cause they were cute things like that. (So pro this sidewards picture yeah?)

I'm not sure why I told my mom I wanted bubble tea on the very day that we would be tasting all our practice bubble teas for our club's upcoming fundraiser. When I got dropped off there... it was interesting, to say the least. Cute rabbit! There really was a lot of bubble tea to try (yay strawberry, honeydew, coffee, mocha, milk tea flavors), but my favorite part was definitely the bubbles. I met some new people, spoke a little, drank a lot, and left with a pretty content stomach, haha.

Tomorrow is yet another adventure (which I need to practice for). See ya!

Remembering Sunday

It's been a while since we've gone on such a shopping adventure as a family... and it turned out to be an amazing day, though we spent a lot of money. Does money = happiness? Well, only if you desire material things.

Since YSI rehearsal had to be attended, the rest of us went and chowed down on mom's food at Ala Moana. Then, instead of shopping there and waiting, we headed off to Office Depot, got my sister her TI-84 Silver Edition (my favorite, by far, is till the TI-89!). I also picked up some quick use black pens (to counteract the blue I've been using all of this past year!), a few small cork bars (since our new dorm rooms won't have huge cork boards like the towers), the oh-so-necessary computer-to-printer cord, and some black expo pens (for the dry-erase boards that I have still been putting to good use!).

Nordstrom Rack was right next to Office Depot, so, for the first time ever, we headed in there. It was an interesting experience, leading to not so hot comments from our parents. It resulted in my new description of certain types of blouses as "bat shirts". To the pending horror of others, I got a basic pink tee and another very-not-my-usual-style blouse. I've just got to figure out what to wear under it. (This actually seems to be a recurring problem with many blouses I purchase). I've actually be on a rut of buying more basic pieces, since my closet surely lacks them. We ran into Kiyana's mom (surprise!) and then soon headed out of there to... Waikele Outlets!

I got my Jack Purcells. My happiness is palpable in the form of hugs. Now I have enough pairs of sneakers to last me three more years (they better!). We went into Everblue Casuals afterwards, in which there were lots of cute clothes that I got none of (but my sister got many of). It was fun, though. And there were owls.

I've tackled my pictures folder on my laptop, checking them with the external hard drive that they should be all saved to, and succeeded in clearing up about 2 GB of space (not that i was in dire need of it). Cleaning definitely makes me feel better about things! It's probably why I'm so anxious to get moving to the dorms.

I wrote on a lot of envelopes yesterday night. Maybe I'm getting used to 0.5 point G2 pens.

I did a bunch of easy sudoku today (though I was busting my brain out over it), had a chat with the choir director, and made soup. I mentioned this a few days ago, and today I was told "You're cooking today!" when I woke up. However, it didn't quite turn out as it should have. That might have to do with the fact that instead of water and white wine, I used chicken broth made from a bouillon cube, and soybeans instead of peas. =P I also had no parsley. Regardless, it was interesting as the arborio rice was fluffy and the potatoes were overcooked to the point of being squishy (too much liquid).

It seems like this week definitely will be filled with more adventures! I'm looking forward to it all!

If cleanliness is next to godliness...

It's no secret that I'm a packrat. I have a hard time throwing things away, so my specialty has become the act of moving around things so that they fit better. There are few times where I find myself in a detached state, and those are the times that I try to drive myself to clean, asking myself, "Do I really need this?" and telling myself, "You won't really look at this in the future." The reality is that there are so many things that I'm keeping for sentimental value, to look back upon in the future... but why am I so concerned about preserving the present for the future, which is uncertain and "far away"?

Nevertheless, I tried to do some cleaning today, on my laptop, out of not liking having the documents folder so heavily cluttered. I didn't even try to clean the pictures folder yet. So far all I've accomplished has been the cleaning of one of my USB drives, upon which I have left all of my high school work upon. It's actually surprised me how full it is -- thus, the need for cleaning. It kind of stunk to have to keep deleting all the duplicates. It also seems I'm still not quite ready to let some things go (I mean, will I really go back and do that worksheet of practice problems?). It's so silly, but at least I did my best by organizing everything neatly into folders. ^^;;

I also washed my pair of sneakers. Shoelaces are the worst! I really want to buy some Jack Purcells soon (well, I should try to find if I like them in real life and not just how they look on the internet first, eh?).

I've got to tackle the photos and my room soon, 'cause it'll be back to the dorms in less than two weeks! It seems Frear will have less of an open feeling of storage space, so I think I'll have to learn to hold on to things less and live "minimalistically" (made up word?). That meaning, I'm going to eat, study, limit computer time, and sleep, sleep, sleep. Lack of proper eating and sleeping habits probably ruined me last year, so things have got to change!

Off to refuel! Laters.

See you driving 'round town...

As the summer slowly fades away, and fall begins to show itself with the increase frequency of cloudy skies and rain, it seems the amount of events being planned is increasing!

The other day I spent time at the shopping center with my grandmother as we looked at clothes (something she enjoys - boy does my grandmother love her dresses). We went into Down To Earth, which I highly enjoy if only for those self-dispensers of snacks, grains, granola, and other things. However, my grandmother did not do so well dealing with how cold it was, haha. I got some arborio rice that I will soon attempt to make some risotto-like soup with! Following directions from a recipe found online, of course, haha.

Mmm. Everything looked so delicious!

Yesterday I had the enjoyable pleasure of meeting up with Renee and Phoebe at the mall to grab lunch before heading over to Toma Karaoke. We headed into a few stores, and then bought our filling meals (shrimp cutlet curry, ramen, and a poke bowl), having fun observing things in the food court, particularly people, the elderly and the tourist children).

Such a neat thing to see as we walked over from the bus stop!

It was really hot and sunny by the time we headed over to karaoke. But in the wonder of the room with one broken light and the oh-so-familiar blue-and-white Christmas icicles, we enjoyed our time singing at the tops of our lungs and just overall creating a racket in our enjoyment. ^^

Heh. I sang "Never Gonna Give You Up". Yeah man. That's how we roll... or, uh, Rick Roll.

Excuse me for that just now. >_>

Today I finished the less difficult (in comparison to other things I've read this summer) novel "London Calling" by Edward Bloor, and well, it was interesting, but still saddening. I don't know why most of the books I've been reading have been having these bittersweet endings, eh.

A couple more weeks and it's back to the dorms! Better be seeing everyone before they head back to their respective colleges. =/

Why Even Try

Living a lie? (Why Even Try; Theophilus London)

Don't live a lie. Be yourself, act on impulses... but know where the true you will place you in accordance with the society that lives by lying appearance, and accept it.

Star papaya! Sweet and delicious.

Anyway, while my sisters went through their new day of registration for their first year of high school together, I absorbed myself in books borrowed from the library and the end of Start Trek Voyager, season 2. Don't ask me for commentary on it because I feel like the occurrences of each episode simply enter my mind and then promptly depart. Furthermore, I followed more links to photos of beautiful foods with recipes I optimistically deemed easy enough to try in the future! As a result, I also blended together milk, ice cream, and chocolate chip cookies in an attempt to make a milkshake. I think I didn't use enough ice cream.

When my sisters arrived home, I began my bold attempt to make these Calzones. I think this has been the only instance I've mixed together things all on my own. I definitely made a mess (I mean, why did I think it was a good idea to attempt making dough from scratch? I do love the beauty of yeast, though), and by the time my mother arrived home, flour and sticky bits were all over the place. Risen dough is just fantastic to touch, haha. Attempting to slice mushrooms and bell peppers thinly did add to the fun (hey, I like cutting vegetables!)

I probably only think cooking is fun if I have a recipe to follow (like mixing chemicals together in the lab). Sooooo, I guess that means, in both aspects, that in time I will have to find fun in improvising, instead. Instructions that lead to a task being carried out perfectly are just so beautiful, though! Paired with a strong sense of order and control.

The result of today's adventures:

Filled, topped, and ready to bake!

One of Four baked and split into two!

Mmmm. We were all pretty full after the consumption of two and a half of the four total calzones made.

Suffice to say, I have achieved something today. ^^ Yay for the beginning of August.

P.S. This is a good example of why you should even try to be yourself; follow your impulse and perhaps you will reach many little happy moments!

Moments of Always Within Never

Eternity eludes us.

It's been ages since I've written; It's as if I've taken nearly half of 2011 off! I see no harm in attempting to begin posting regularly again, but I do see pending difficulty if I am to tell myself to spend more time with the computer shut off in order to avoid putting to much pressure on myself through the method of a "sforzando" type of studying (see here).

With the end of my brief affair with Summer Semester I earlier in this falsely-endless-three-month-extravanganza-summer, I can't say that I've been up to much more intellectual reading. I did read the Nacirema article to fulfill my prolonged curiosity after the end of Culture and Humanity (ANTH 152), but otherwise, I've been watching things and reading fiction.

Today I finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, which I really didn't expect to make me cry so much. I bought it as a gift for an individual a while back on a whim, without even reading it, thinking that it'd be quirky and entertaining, but oh boy, it definitely wasn't quirky and entertaining in the way I thought it would be. It was certainly more sedate and more thought provoking (yay for books that embody the authors' philosophies) than I had thought it would be. The best bits of the book, I think, are the Profound Thoughts by the girl Paloma Josse. My eyes still kind of ache from the deluge of emotion that accosted me in the end. Oh, furthermore, I sat with a dictionary while reading this book "just because", or rather, so I could actually learn some new words and read actively, to some extent.

I also read The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold earlier this month, which kind of just made me horrified but left me with a slight feeling of closure in the end. Also interesting. I don't know if I should pick up The Lovely Bones to read or not, though. I'm not so keen on these trends of death and tears.

Let's not forget our friend Ayn Rand and The Fountainhead. Such ideals of fortitude.

As of late, I've been enjoying Torchwood, some sort of Star Trek, and X-Men stuff (Particularly X-Men: First Class). Look at this accumulation of dorkiness. Too bad I haven't thrown in some anime into this mix.

Great things in this past week:

• Passing my road test on walk-in! Woot woot!
• 200 Pounds Beauty (romantic comedy watching with sisters)
• Sleepover at Kat's (delicious food, eating together like family, crazy random conversation, cute dogs [the only ones that have ever stolen my affection so much], intense battles, IMPROVISATION! [and using our brains], and playing on the Wii until nearly 5 in the morning)
• Surprise for the committee from Jump Start God
• Bubbies ice cream. Mm.

Back to the dorms and back to school in less than a month. Here we go.

P.S. Somebody buy me Source Code, new shoes (Converse!), SANDALS?! (kidding, totally unnecessary), a fancy camera, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, my Bioorganic Chemistry textbook, and some milk tea!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I, sadly, am not wearing any green. I'm sure that's something most people wouldn't like to share for fear of being pinched, but hey, I can take the pain! 8D

Tuesday's retirement home concert was interesting, especially since it was a newly opened home and the audience was small. That place was beautiful; I felt like I was in a hotel. It was kind of eerie, though, seeing the cemetery right beside it. Getting to the place was a mini adventure on it's own, and it says something about my height when the heads of the other three people in the car were pretty much touching the ceiling (and making a fuss about the static being created by their hair) and I was sitting happily far away from the ceiling, haha. Yay for being a short female! ;D

Yesterday someone knocked on my door. I opened it, and there was Annie holding a knife.

It kind of freaked me out because it reminded me of the kitchen scene in The Butterfly Effect, with the knife, of course. Anyway, there were no shenanigans involving the knife without it's protective cover on. Safety first!

Rehearsal yesterday was fun, in a way, because we just played Man of la Mancha and the Cowboys Overture. Orchestra is always an interesting adventure.

People always seem to catch me in the lounge and scare me, haha. I guess that's what I get for always having my guard down!

Uhm, I don't have much more to say. I'm looking forward to spring break, so I can spend some time with my dear OChem textbook (and maybe physics)... Yeah. I must also remember to change my violin strings! I haven't done that in a long while... Anyway, I hope you haven't had to deal with too painful pinches! Fare thee well!

-Romee