looking into gray clouds
the sky consoled me with a kiss
a single drop of rain on my lips.

[berkeley]

>> ... << Miles Davis' "Prelude to a Kiss"

my educational experience thus far
Friday's adventure was composed of school in the morning, including the return of a midterm in my worst class.

Allow me to expunge :: While the professor read each name on the tests, I prayed that I wouldn't fail Fluid Mechanics. Please Lord, I really don't want to be sitting in this same seat in the same class next semester or the semester following. Thankfully, it turns out I got an A on the test and raised my grade from a low C to a middle B. Yay curves.

Did some physics for an hour and turned it in. You must understand how much of an accomplishment it is to finish a physics homework set. :: And don't worry, the academic content of this post ends very soon. :: Physics is due on Fridays at 5pm. I start physics on Monday at 4pm and work on it for 8-10 hours throughout the week, which means about 2-3 hours every day of the week. So sliding that 5 page packet of paper into the homework box on the 2nd floor of LeConte means a lot to me. It also signifies the beginning of my Friday afternoon. holla!

homemade trail mix
Took The Cosmic out to Vik's-- an Indian goods store on Allston and 4th. The ride going there doesn't take long, it's coming back carrying 5 pounds of legumes and two sweaters uphill that gets me. But i love it. I roasted peanuts, cashews, and almonds in the oven and then mixed said legumes with raisins to make yum yum trail mix. Why did I go all the way to Vik's? Cashews are $2.99 a pound. (compare to $10.99/pound at Whole Foods).

Study buddy
Visited victor and played the piano at his place. Then proceeded to read for my research paper while he read his book by Ben Okri "The Famished Road".

[berkeley]

>>we are the ultimate, rock rockin' it<< The Roots' "Ultimate"

comment me
I fixed the comments. :o)

i know I know, the comments are not working. Keep your pants on.

[apartment six]

>>

when I was a wee senior
The f/pilipino outreach org. on campus organized an event for pinoy high school seniors newly admitted to UC Berkeley. The intent? To show off Cal and hopefully persuade the students to send their letters of intent to 94720. Current pinoy students were asked to offer their apartment/palace as a place for the Seniors to crash for the weekend.

Yet again, life revealed her well kept secret that order exists amidst the chaos that abounds ::: One of "my" Seniors happens to be interested in Physics. How many filipinas are into physics? Well I guess there're two of us now.

So awesome to see students who are about to venture into the jungle of higher education. Brings new perspective to the trails I've already trod.

shift my hip?
Victor showed me the "Doe Traverse" ::: a horizontal rock climbing exercise on the side of our school's main library. I've never done any type of climbing before, and i'd have to say that my first glimpse of it was most excellent.

[berkeley]

>> ... << Wynton Marsalis' "Little Red-Haired Girl"

and all that jazz
My musical tastes have shifted once again. An action, I believe, that's not unrelated to a change in perspective, outlook, etc.
Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis are dope.

cuban
I'm giving the Buena Vista Social Club some mad listening time too.

checklist
No more midterms. This week's been rough. One paper to go. Quite possibly the last paper I'll ever have to write in my life. Indeed, History of Southeast Asia is my last humanity course requirement. 10 pages, must start and finish in 2 weeks.

bikes and others
I've been neglecting photography. Bikes are new in my life, but I've been feeling off-balance, and I think it's because of my departure from photo. Guess i'll go buy some photo paper.

[berkeley]

>> ... << Wynton Marsalis' "The Midnight blues"

study study buzz buzz buzz
I won't embellish too much. Midterm, midterm, paper, finals, summer internship

biking biking (buzz)^3
Victor gave me his old road bike, which I will sometimes refer to as "Comet" or "The Cosmic", because Victor names his bikes. What an awesome present. Sure it's used, but that just means I won't have to worry about it getting jacked. Besides, it's a gift of more freedom. How dope is that? Right on.

[Doe Library, Social Sciences reading room] i'm being a double agent, an engineer in the humanities room

underwear test
I took an underwear test:

[berkeley]
>>california...keep it rockin'<< dr. dre and tupac's "california love"

trackhouse party
So after some seven hours of studying, I decided to go with my friend Jo (a fellow female engineer) to a party at "Trackhouse"--our track team's version of a frat house :: I think i earned my 2 hours of party-brainlessness, agree?

I haven't been to many parties throughout my college years because the last one i went to (2 years ago when I was a freshman) wasn't really my deal. I didn't understand the random freaking.

The party I just came from was much the same--one of those "kiddie" freshman & sophomore parties full of random freaking and yucky guys. But I've learned how to approach such gatherings. Just have fun and dance. Somehow something so simple was too difficult for me to grasp when I was a wee freshman. What do you mean "just dance?" Without talking to them first? Just *ahem* grind and then maybe talk to them at the end of the song?

Well, three years later I've now experienced all the different kinds of fun :: the three to five hour conversations about maturation, relationships, aspirations, religion, "the man", politics, etc. in our dorms and then later in our apartments; pubs and all you can eat popcorn; night bike rides through san francisco; and now mindless dancing. The party was fun -- I got to meet new people and even talked to a guy I see at the gym every morning and I got to dance with a football player--yeah i know our football team sucks, but whatever. The party was fun for what it was.

psssh, anyway.
And then of course, the crappy part was all the sweaty people bumping into me and Jo.

But all that aside, it was cool. Not to take any of it seriously. Just to dance.