But this music without words is making it okay. I made this mistake of going from Pandora to a search for piano music, to the spotting of the word cancer paired with My Chemical Romance, to a couple minutes of pain, and then a yanking of myself back to Pandora to soothe myself with my piano music station. It's such a dreary day outside (after all the rain last night and this morning), and the skies are nothing but grey, with no distinction of clouds at all. While only the left ear of my earphones is working, the effect of this song still echoes throughout my body. Like taking a drug given to relax the body, I'm prepped to absorb chemistry. And then math. Oh, the peace of repetition. I'm keeping this song looping on EndlessYouTube for now.
William Joseph: Once Upon a Love
12.10.2010
12.09.2010
Today Has Been a Pretty Good Day
Last night I attempted getting a jump start on next week's exams, in the form of making mini flash cards from the two powerpoints for Hawaiian Studies. I also had an entertaining few rounds of Blokus in a Christmas light lit room with Annie and Megan, followed by a little consumption of candy (Jolly Ranchers and chocolate), the singing of Spongebob songs (the FUN song and the Campfire Song Song), and the singing of Christmas songs. It was nice. Crazy (as in, it was a bad idea to open the door to the hallway at all), but nice.
Though I woke up slightly later than usual today... Everything turned out relaxing. I found a bunch of amusing material to read once exams have passed, worked a bit on my peer review (which I finished today when I got back). Left a little late to get to math early, but all was cool, as I somehow became a Pokemon who failed to listen to the commands of the one who captured me.
Math class! My last lecture class of the semester! We did an evaluation for Prof. Csordas. His introductory comments were quite amusing. I'm going to miss his personality, haha. Lots of people drew on their evaluation sheets (green, and for once, not multiple choice like all the other classes), and then we went over what will be on next week's exam. Then we were free, 45 minutes early, hehe. Then Bronson asked "So where do you guys want to eat lunch?" And somehow the four of us (Bronson, Corey, Grace and I) trekked over to Campus Center and down to Taco Bell, in which we somehow ended up eating part of their tacos. There is a finals study group special, that being 10 tacos for $10. They bought two of those and shared with us.... Oh the magnificence of kind people, soft tacos, taco sauce, talk of Rock Band, talk of next semester, talk of mat team/league, and talk of elementary school/high school. Waved hello to Bryson and Vincent, too. We exited through a door that wasn't really an exit, but just a passage to an outdoor eating area. However, we climbed down the hill and went our separate ways.
I got one of my lab books back from Bilger after searching for my TA, and finding him in the elevator, haha. After that I felt free... and pretty much was free. So here I have been at my computer, taking care of things and watching the Gift of Hope Charity Concert online. It was premium night and all four of us grabbed the same entree, hehe. My tummy is relaxed and my left ear, at least, has been filled with calming sounds and kind of bad jokes. It's good to see that SWE and SO are doing fine. It's also great that Mercy Ships is benefiting.
24 hour quiet hours are in effect, and I kind of feel the silence starting to weigh down on everything. That's okay. The pressure will push me to enter super study mode! I wish I could go to craft fair on Saturday, but I don't feel that's going to happen. Best of luck on finals to everyone!
Though I woke up slightly later than usual today... Everything turned out relaxing. I found a bunch of amusing material to read once exams have passed, worked a bit on my peer review (which I finished today when I got back). Left a little late to get to math early, but all was cool, as I somehow became a Pokemon who failed to listen to the commands of the one who captured me.
Math class! My last lecture class of the semester! We did an evaluation for Prof. Csordas. His introductory comments were quite amusing. I'm going to miss his personality, haha. Lots of people drew on their evaluation sheets (green, and for once, not multiple choice like all the other classes), and then we went over what will be on next week's exam. Then we were free, 45 minutes early, hehe. Then Bronson asked "So where do you guys want to eat lunch?" And somehow the four of us (Bronson, Corey, Grace and I) trekked over to Campus Center and down to Taco Bell, in which we somehow ended up eating part of their tacos. There is a finals study group special, that being 10 tacos for $10. They bought two of those and shared with us.... Oh the magnificence of kind people, soft tacos, taco sauce, talk of Rock Band, talk of next semester, talk of mat team/league, and talk of elementary school/high school. Waved hello to Bryson and Vincent, too. We exited through a door that wasn't really an exit, but just a passage to an outdoor eating area. However, we climbed down the hill and went our separate ways.
I got one of my lab books back from Bilger after searching for my TA, and finding him in the elevator, haha. After that I felt free... and pretty much was free. So here I have been at my computer, taking care of things and watching the Gift of Hope Charity Concert online. It was premium night and all four of us grabbed the same entree, hehe. My tummy is relaxed and my left ear, at least, has been filled with calming sounds and kind of bad jokes. It's good to see that SWE and SO are doing fine. It's also great that Mercy Ships is benefiting.
24 hour quiet hours are in effect, and I kind of feel the silence starting to weigh down on everything. That's okay. The pressure will push me to enter super study mode! I wish I could go to craft fair on Saturday, but I don't feel that's going to happen. Best of luck on finals to everyone!
12.08.2010
When I Look at the Stars
I see someone else / When I look at the stars / I feel like myself. (Switchfoot)
My camera is far from the best, and the lights of the tower across of hours will never turn off at night, so this here picture of our Christmas lights isn't that great. Our decorations are kind of loud and obnoxious, hehe, in playful competition with Matt's. =D It was quite a task hanging these up, and I discovered that painter's tape won't stick to the window, so we put that roll of clear packing tape I bought to use. It was nice yesterday, just using it as the only light, doing math homework and chatting and all. It created a great ambiance (the word Claire used - my vocabulary in day-to-day life is still severely lacking). It'll definitely brighten up the 24 hour quiet hours, which go into effect tomorrow night.
Today was the last day of MWF classes. It came pretty quickly, meh? I did learn a lot in Hawaiian Studies and Anthropology. Not that what I'm going to learn is necessarily all going to stick, but they did both leave me with different perspectives. Organic Chem.... Still has my mind reeling and going in loops. Repetition. That is what studying has become for me. Lots of repetition. Its why my thoughts pretty much go nowhere, now, and I can't take things in new directions. My mind is stuck going round and round over and over again, breaking and forming epoxide and cyclic bromonium ions without end, hehe.
And can you believe it? Tomorrow is the last day of actual classes for us! Oh, great, my last class of this semester is math. What joy ^^;; The last class I'll actually be in, though, is chemistry. Yay for a Friday exam. Gotta get all the time to study that you can, eh?
Registration this morning was stressful, but in the end, it all went well. I will post up next semester's schedule later. I'm glad the lady in the Spanish Department office that I've talked to on the phone is so nice. I'm sorry to have bothered her again.
I should try taking a running start for these exams. Crossing fingers and aiming for the finish line! Taking some "breaks" along the way, of course, to snack and get fatter, and challenge my mind more with Blokus, or Tetris, and some other things. Which somehow reminds me, I need to return all these library books at some point. That's kind of an issue, hahaha. That large pile is still there, minus my brown-paper-bag-covered textbook.
Half of the Pocky, 1.5 bottles of Calpico, the 4 mini-breads w/cream custard inside, 4 out of 6 of the little bread snack thing that Becca likes, and 3/4 a bar of melon Hi-Chew are gone. Ohohoho. Yay for sweet, pretty, easy-to-share foods from Nijiya. Also, Annie and Megan bought me a package of strawberry/orange/green apple Hi-Chews, too XD. Yay sweetness!
I'll take a while to just stare at the star and breathe.
Stars looking at a planet / Watching entropy and pain / And maybe start to wonder / How the chaos in our lives could pass as sane...
Today was the last day of MWF classes. It came pretty quickly, meh? I did learn a lot in Hawaiian Studies and Anthropology. Not that what I'm going to learn is necessarily all going to stick, but they did both leave me with different perspectives. Organic Chem.... Still has my mind reeling and going in loops. Repetition. That is what studying has become for me. Lots of repetition. Its why my thoughts pretty much go nowhere, now, and I can't take things in new directions. My mind is stuck going round and round over and over again, breaking and forming epoxide and cyclic bromonium ions without end, hehe.
And can you believe it? Tomorrow is the last day of actual classes for us! Oh, great, my last class of this semester is math. What joy ^^;; The last class I'll actually be in, though, is chemistry. Yay for a Friday exam. Gotta get all the time to study that you can, eh?
Registration this morning was stressful, but in the end, it all went well. I will post up next semester's schedule later. I'm glad the lady in the Spanish Department office that I've talked to on the phone is so nice. I'm sorry to have bothered her again.
I should try taking a running start for these exams. Crossing fingers and aiming for the finish line! Taking some "breaks" along the way, of course, to snack and get fatter, and challenge my mind more with Blokus, or Tetris, and some other things. Which somehow reminds me, I need to return all these library books at some point. That's kind of an issue, hahaha. That large pile is still there, minus my brown-paper-bag-covered textbook.
Half of the Pocky, 1.5 bottles of Calpico, the 4 mini-breads w/cream custard inside, 4 out of 6 of the little bread snack thing that Becca likes, and 3/4 a bar of melon Hi-Chew are gone. Ohohoho. Yay for sweet, pretty, easy-to-share foods from Nijiya. Also, Annie and Megan bought me a package of strawberry/orange/green apple Hi-Chews, too XD. Yay sweetness!
I'll take a while to just stare at the star and breathe.
Stars looking at a planet / Watching entropy and pain / And maybe start to wonder / How the chaos in our lives could pass as sane...
12.06.2010
It's Just the Price I Paid
Destiny is calling me / Open up my eager eyes / 'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside (The Killers)
After class today, I walked to Nijiya Market with Becca (after talking with Kat for a while until she had to go to class). We bought lots of random Japanese snacks (as evidenced by the above picture), and then went to Curry House, where I had my lunch (and Becca had melon soda and some of my shirmp cutlet curry XD). Mmmm. Afterwards, we went to Bubbies for a little bit, where Becca got strawberry cheesecake, I got mocha chip, and we both shared some mochi ice cream. Too much food for one day, I think. There was a food tour group that came in while we were there, which was pretty neat, I think. Let's go someday, haha! Then we won't have to drive ourselves around the island!
Concert time in a few hours. Last night's rehearsal ran pretty late, but hopefully that mean's today will go well! We definitely improved from last week, thankfully.
This past weekend:
Saturday: Moanalua High School winter concert:AWESOME. The chorus/concert choir always makes me smile. And SO, you guys are doing well and are amazing. Congrats. Much love. SWE's zombie dance was great, and I kind of teared up when I heard the "I'll Be There" portion of the Michael Jackson medley. Great solos. Mr. Kubota makes me think of Matt Smith, and my chemistry lab TA from this past semester, combined.)
Sunday: Hawaii Youth Symphony winter concert. Everyone sounded amazing. Such a pleasure to listen to. Miss Hawaii emceeing was interesting. The piano soloist was quite charismatic. Twas pretty great sitting in the audience not having to worry about playing, haha. Though, after actually being onstage, it definitely gave me a different perspective.
One more concert for me today! I'm kind of relieved I no longer have to deal with the rush week of all the concerts being pushed together, hehe. Time to worry about exams, though. Here we go...
Much love!
 |
| The things I make to keep myself going. Especially since next week is exam week. Doom. |
 |
| In my removal of my Converse and refusal to remove socks because of the cold, I ended up wearing my flats out of convenience, in walking around the hall to the bathroom, and back. Looks terrible, right, especially with my distressed jeans,eh? |
 |
| Nijiya Market purchases |
Concert time in a few hours. Last night's rehearsal ran pretty late, but hopefully that mean's today will go well! We definitely improved from last week, thankfully.
This past weekend:
Saturday: Moanalua High School winter concert:AWESOME. The chorus/concert choir always makes me smile. And SO, you guys are doing well and are amazing. Congrats. Much love. SWE's zombie dance was great, and I kind of teared up when I heard the "I'll Be There" portion of the Michael Jackson medley. Great solos. Mr. Kubota makes me think of Matt Smith, and my chemistry lab TA from this past semester, combined.)
Sunday: Hawaii Youth Symphony winter concert. Everyone sounded amazing. Such a pleasure to listen to. Miss Hawaii emceeing was interesting. The piano soloist was quite charismatic. Twas pretty great sitting in the audience not having to worry about playing, haha. Though, after actually being onstage, it definitely gave me a different perspective.
One more concert for me today! I'm kind of relieved I no longer have to deal with the rush week of all the concerts being pushed together, hehe. Time to worry about exams, though. Here we go...
Much love!
12.03.2010
And Don't Forget to Hold Back Your Thoughts and Live Like Robots
'Cause we all know what goes on / Reminisce on the memories 'cause we're gone / We're gone / So gone (Jonas Brothers)
Things are a little stressful and people aren't all in the best of moods or mental states, but I think despite all the sad things and whatnot, I should try to keep strong. Sad things are only beautiful from a distance, but distancing myself isn't going to make them less sad. And I can't really get away from it either, but that's okay. Just like I can't get away from the wind and the constant bouts of drizzle rain, that beat at the windows at night and make the drapes billow and sends whistles through the halls. Yes. Time for miscellany!
It's the start of December, and I figure I could join in the spirit of things and bring some winter cheer to these last few weeks of school with these earrings that my grandmother gave me. Inexpensive, but quite shiny and fun to wear. Haven't felt this much weight on my ears in a while!
Remember that hand-turkey-making day that I wrote about? I finally took the time to take pictures. Time being just before I started writing this post, haha.
On one of the days this past weekend when we got home, we opened the box of Pillsberry Crescent things that we had bought from Costco on sale and used them to not only make normal crescents, but these tiny ham wraps, using the instructions on the box for the little pigs in blankets. Now I know how Grace's mom makes such wonderful food to snack on!
These aren't fully grown, but my mother opened up another package of those wonderful, colorful magic water growing balls. It's pretty amusing just to see them grow, and to swirl them around. Hehe.
We're heading into the week before finals, meaning major study week, aka turn into a robot and constantly feed myself information and to shut out distractions and turn off emotions and desires. If this is the way to success, so be it! Besides, I'd very much rather to problems repetitively than have to write papers and do research. Sigh.
Also, I forgot. I have recently taken to the Hitchhiker's Guide's "DON'T PANIC." It is up on my refrigerator and on my manila folder filled with miscellany. That shall be my chant for the rest of the semester. That and CALM DOWN. Yeah. Forget FOCUS. It is not a matter of focusing problems. It is PANICKING and thus doing things to relieve that panic that occasionally pulls me off track. Here's to not panicking and coming out of everything well. Good luck!
Things are a little stressful and people aren't all in the best of moods or mental states, but I think despite all the sad things and whatnot, I should try to keep strong. Sad things are only beautiful from a distance, but distancing myself isn't going to make them less sad. And I can't really get away from it either, but that's okay. Just like I can't get away from the wind and the constant bouts of drizzle rain, that beat at the windows at night and make the drapes billow and sends whistles through the halls. Yes. Time for miscellany!
 |
| When I went home for Thanksgiving I finally relocated this card to keep the SD card slot on my laptop clean and closed, hehe. It was in such an easy-to-access place, too! =_=;; |
 |
| As you can see... My habit for overdoing things without thinking ahead got the better of me when I was borrowing things for my paper, hehe. ^^;; |
 |
| Made from the various scrap papers left after our turkey endeavor. DISCO PARTY TURKEY, yeah, time to get down an funky after Thanksgiving is over, yeah! |
 |
| Claire's awesome hand turkeys! |
 |
| My mad chemist turkey lost a fing-I mean, feather. Lab accident. Reaction? "Caffiene!" |
 |
| Our full door! (So far =D) |
We're heading into the week before finals, meaning major study week, aka turn into a robot and constantly feed myself information and to shut out distractions and turn off emotions and desires. If this is the way to success, so be it! Besides, I'd very much rather to problems repetitively than have to write papers and do research. Sigh.
Also, I forgot. I have recently taken to the Hitchhiker's Guide's "DON'T PANIC." It is up on my refrigerator and on my manila folder filled with miscellany. That shall be my chant for the rest of the semester. That and CALM DOWN. Yeah. Forget FOCUS. It is not a matter of focusing problems. It is PANICKING and thus doing things to relieve that panic that occasionally pulls me off track. Here's to not panicking and coming out of everything well. Good luck!
11.30.2010
Planning
Speaking of ANTH, I've got a paper I should be working on. I really need someone to motivate me.
In other news, I watched the 11 episodes of Eden on the East on Funimation recently, after seeing the DVD available in Suncoast. It was interesting. Favorite character? Akira Takizawa, for sure, hehe. XD
I've been having the crazy desire to continuously snack recently. I need someone here to stop me... Or to eat all the food in my junk drawer, hehe. On a bright note, strawberry banana yogurt is delicious in the morning!
Today was the last day for actually CHEM272 lab. It took longer than I had hoped it would (mostly we spent too much time waiting when things could have been done to fix it to make it go faster ;_; so silly). It was great, though. Polymers are interesting, especially in just making them. Nylon and polystyrene, man! The thionyl chloride was kind of scary, though. The evolution of sulfur dioxide and HCl gas was kind of troubling too, hehe. Oh well! No more accidentally squirting too much acetone on my hands when cleaning! No more fighting with syringes and trying to get to know equipment that everyone else probably had chances getting to know in the year before! Oh well. Fume hood are amazing. So was my TA. I wish I could have him for a TA again next semester, despite difficulties in understanding what he was saying. XD
I am free. (: Chem lab was so stressful and frustrating this semester (not to mention LONG), but I think it just emphasized that chemistry is something I really do enjoy. Being methodical and following directions, but finding solutions, and knowing that there is a reason for everything that went wrong or right. I still have problems memorizing things (so much memorizing!), but understanding why things happened was so great. Difficult and demanding, but oh so neat. I admire my TA for his knowledge, hehe.
Anyway, focus focus focus. That is what it always comes to. Qin and the Incas, here I come!
11.28.2010
Permanent Jet Lag
Please take me back (please take me back). (Fall Out Boy)
While I certainly flew nowhere this Thanksgiving weekend (while many other people did to spend time with their families on such a wonderful time of bonding over food and frantic shopping batles), I definitely feel the effects of being home for so long. I don't know why, but with all the time I had today and all the time I have this weekend, I feel utterly drained and just want to sleep. Where did my energy go? I ate mom's delicious pork chop with rice for dinner today (reminder: must wash container!), and some strawberry-banana Yoplait yogurt afterwards for desert, and drank apple juice and water. I just feel severely weighed down and in a haze right now, hehe.
I looked at the rehearsal/concert schedule and the final exam schedule for the upcoming few weeks. Everything is spaced slightly nicely, but at the same time, I could use some more space between math and chemistry things. Not to mention, all the paper writing I have to get to doing. I didn't realize how close all the deadlines are; learning from the first set of tests and big assignments came around, I know how much time I need to do things, and I feel like I could always just use MORE MORE MORE. We'll see how things go.
On a bright note, I practiced violin today, going through all the music for Music at Manoa. Hopefully these last few rehearsals go better; I'm hoping Monday's concert isn't a complete bust. My D string slipped yesterday during choir, so I'm hoping that it's not a sign telling me it's about to break, or sound completely terrible. I don't think I'll change my string this close to a concert. I should have done it weeks ago! That's what I keep telling myself. I need to learn to take proper care of my violin The index finger rest pad thing on my bow is coming apart in a coil of braided string. I do not know what to do about it, short of taping it all in place, which I will NEVER! do. Tape on wood is just not right, you know?
I had a great time this past weekend watching things, seemingly with a lot more foreign accents than I had anticipated. James Bond, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Happy-Go-Lucky, Hetalia. For some reason this all reminds me that I need to change my pair of contacts. I was supposed to through out this pair on the 23rd; Thankfully, being at home means resorting to using glasses most of the time for the sake of convenience. I guess after driving with my contacts in just made me realize how much more comfortable/safe feeling glasses are (except for the fact that my current pair gives the top of my right ear pain). By the way, I can't park, really. I need more practice! And definitely more patience on my part. -sigh- I will try for my license someday, certainly, MOST CERTAINLY, after I learn how to park. And after I am not so panicky and jolty. Yeah.
The only song I've sang this weekend pretty much was 20 Dollar Nose Bleed. I couldn't get it out of my head, and couldn't stop myself from singing it, despite the fact that it talks about benzedrine, which is the racemic mixture of amphetamine (thank you Wikipedia), and thus is related to meth. And for reasons uncertain, I feel like that was kind of bad to sing at home. Oh dear. But I cannot resist singing with Patrick's and Brendon's voices. Too bad both of their bands are pretty much dead, and not the same as they used to be.
Got to get to focusing. I have a large back of library books and a wonderful collection of online journals to aid me in my paper writing. Yay history!
Came back with flags on coffins and said "We won, oh we won."
Oh, the destruction of the Hawaiian kingdom, and oh, the power of the Qin Dynasty.
I think I will have a permanent desire to go back home to the comfort of my own bed and a purring cat, for the bands that made music that I love immensely, to ease the pain and queasiness I feel as I read about the tumultuous pasts and rights and wrongs of different political powers in places worldwide. Please take me back.
While I certainly flew nowhere this Thanksgiving weekend (while many other people did to spend time with their families on such a wonderful time of bonding over food and frantic shopping batles), I definitely feel the effects of being home for so long. I don't know why, but with all the time I had today and all the time I have this weekend, I feel utterly drained and just want to sleep. Where did my energy go? I ate mom's delicious pork chop with rice for dinner today (reminder: must wash container!), and some strawberry-banana Yoplait yogurt afterwards for desert, and drank apple juice and water. I just feel severely weighed down and in a haze right now, hehe.
I looked at the rehearsal/concert schedule and the final exam schedule for the upcoming few weeks. Everything is spaced slightly nicely, but at the same time, I could use some more space between math and chemistry things. Not to mention, all the paper writing I have to get to doing. I didn't realize how close all the deadlines are; learning from the first set of tests and big assignments came around, I know how much time I need to do things, and I feel like I could always just use MORE MORE MORE. We'll see how things go.
On a bright note, I practiced violin today, going through all the music for Music at Manoa. Hopefully these last few rehearsals go better; I'm hoping Monday's concert isn't a complete bust. My D string slipped yesterday during choir, so I'm hoping that it's not a sign telling me it's about to break, or sound completely terrible. I don't think I'll change my string this close to a concert. I should have done it weeks ago! That's what I keep telling myself. I need to learn to take proper care of my violin The index finger rest pad thing on my bow is coming apart in a coil of braided string. I do not know what to do about it, short of taping it all in place, which I will NEVER! do. Tape on wood is just not right, you know?
I had a great time this past weekend watching things, seemingly with a lot more foreign accents than I had anticipated. James Bond, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Happy-Go-Lucky, Hetalia. For some reason this all reminds me that I need to change my pair of contacts. I was supposed to through out this pair on the 23rd; Thankfully, being at home means resorting to using glasses most of the time for the sake of convenience. I guess after driving with my contacts in just made me realize how much more comfortable/safe feeling glasses are (except for the fact that my current pair gives the top of my right ear pain). By the way, I can't park, really. I need more practice! And definitely more patience on my part. -sigh- I will try for my license someday, certainly, MOST CERTAINLY, after I learn how to park. And after I am not so panicky and jolty. Yeah.
The only song I've sang this weekend pretty much was 20 Dollar Nose Bleed. I couldn't get it out of my head, and couldn't stop myself from singing it, despite the fact that it talks about benzedrine, which is the racemic mixture of amphetamine (thank you Wikipedia), and thus is related to meth. And for reasons uncertain, I feel like that was kind of bad to sing at home. Oh dear. But I cannot resist singing with Patrick's and Brendon's voices. Too bad both of their bands are pretty much dead, and not the same as they used to be.
Got to get to focusing. I have a large back of library books and a wonderful collection of online journals to aid me in my paper writing. Yay history!
Came back with flags on coffins and said "We won, oh we won."
Oh, the destruction of the Hawaiian kingdom, and oh, the power of the Qin Dynasty.
I think I will have a permanent desire to go back home to the comfort of my own bed and a purring cat, for the bands that made music that I love immensely, to ease the pain and queasiness I feel as I read about the tumultuous pasts and rights and wrongs of different political powers in places worldwide. Please take me back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)