It takes all kinds to make a world...

But there are some the world might be better left without. I know that after a certain number of years, one develops a lot of friendships, loses some, and just overall gains a lot of experience in communication and person-to-person interaction. Sometimes relationships can get a little hairy (fights break out, you fall out of touch, the relationship becomes strained), but most of the time they are fairly routine, in the sense that those cataclysmic events between two people that occur in movies or stories would rarely if ever happen to them. I'm referring to battle royales, or "fights to the death", actions taken by people that are so very much larger-than-life that they couldn't possibly happen to you. Most people could be what is considered "normal"; that is, not conduct themselves in such a way as to create those often comical situations between a friend, or an enemy, or some other character in film that brings people to the theater nightly. Unfortunately, I think I fall in to the rare category of having just such a movie-esque experience. I got to see firsthand what completely irrational, rude, uncalled-for, destructive, blown-out-of-proportion behavior is - from the receiving end - and believe me, one that was certainly the opposite of comical (at the time), stressful, frustrating, and one I would rather have lived never experiencing.

Do I invite this kind of craziness into my life? I certainly hope not. Do I deserve to be treated in the certifiably insane way I was these last few days, especially so unexpectedly and with little-to-no provocation? I don't think so. My question is, who in their right mind DOES THIS? I didn't think things like what just happened to me actually happen in real life, but clearly I was mistaken. It really was straight out of science fiction, or maybe a soap opera. While I do love a good drama, I would rather it stay on the big screen where it belongs, and not creep uninvited into my life. And the people who do decide to take a trip on the crazy canal, maybe you should look into counseling, or some other form of psychotherapy before you decide to include other people and expose yourself so utterly to derision. Please people, just think before you act; you'll save yourself from a lot of ridicule.

Something about Values

I've started RA training, and while working grueling hours, it can be fun at times. We have the weekend off, of sorts, and then the dear freshies come to campus to start Orientation. In a way my building lucked out/got jipped, because we have no freshman this year. While this means we have more flexibility during Orientation week (a plus because now I can attend more Heinz Orientation events) we don't get to have first years to hang out with and get to know. Ah well.

Today we discussed "values" and while it's a topic that is often overdone, and can be fun to discover what values matter most to you. Surprisingly, a lot of mine correspond to my name, so here they are:

Love
Acceptance
Uniqueness
Respect
Empathy
INtelligence

There are more that correspond to my last name too, but I decided I didn't want to put my last name on here, for various reasons. Message me if you want to see it too.

Interesting, How Age Creeps up on Us

Last week I turned 21. It's interesting how people look forward to that birthday more than almost any other. A few days before I went to party at the fraternity of a friend of mine, a kind of pre-pre-birthday celebration, and the end of my days as a "lawbreaker" (from underage drinking of course). I felt old. Even though I wasn't yet 21, I still knew that I was one of the oldest people there, and in a few days time, one of the few legally allowed to be participating in the activities of said party. I felt my age creeping up on me, and it had been coming on for a while.

While excited for my birthday, the feeling was intermingled with one of slight dread. I know it probably sounds silly, but I wasn't all that sure I'd enjoy this birthday as much as I've done on my past birthdays. It marked the last birthday of major significance, the last one that meant something; 13, you're finally a teenager, 16, you can drive, 18, you can vote and are legally an adult, and finally, the big 21. After this, what birthdays are there of any importance? 25? Yes, now you're in your mid-twenties. 30? You're starting to get old, and the black balloons of 40 seem startlingly close. At 21, the gates have opened for you, you've been allowed entrance into the adult world, and while you've waited for this day for, well, probably years, it also marks one of the last times you can still be a kid.

I felt my age rushing upon me faster than I would have liked. My parents have made their reservations at a local hotel for my graduation weekend; I've been accepted into a graduate program and will be starting my master's classes in a few weeks; I was turning 21, and would finally be able to go to places I'd been denied for the last three years. Maybe I was overreacting, but I was a bit scared. It's a big change, going from being the youngest person at the party to being the oldest, feeling almost out of place at a place I'd been completely comfortable in for years. Many of my friends have left and found jobs, are getting married, have bought houses. While I'm looking forward to all of that, I'm not sure I'm ready for it just yet.

So it was with these sobering thoughts that I entered my 21st year of being. Don't misunderstand, I was excited about it more than anything else; the darker thoughts didn't weigh that heavily on my mind. But they were still somewhat present, and they all came rushing back when I went for my first legal drink. I entered the bar somewhat nervously because the bouncer almost didn't let me in (something about not being sure of the bar's policy on dates, "the day you open is the day you close", etc.), and ordered a Smithwick's Irish Ale, which I had never had before. The bar was pretty empty, it was late, and the bartender called me "Old Lady" every time he passed me by. ^_^

Instead of feeling old like I had been dreading for about a month, sure that that was what was going to happen, I felt young! I had been a good girl, I don't have a fake i.d. and the bars in Pittsburgh card fairly rigorously, so I had never been to a bar before that day. It came like an epiphany: all those years of drinking were illegal. While legally the age of adulthood is reached at 18, it is not until 21, the age when that last constraint on your behavior is lifted, that you fully attain it. It's like the adulthood I'd experienced was a pale shadow of the real thing, which has absolutely nothing to do with being allowed to drink and everything to do with a cultural acceptance that you are finally old enough to make unrestricted decisions about your behavior.

I laughed at myself for being so naive to think that I was old by being 21. It just shows how young I really am, I suppose. There's a whole world of experience out there that I haven't tapped into yet, and even though I've finally left childhood and adolescence behind (though most people, including myself, would hate to admit that it has lasted this long), I've only just entered adulthood. I still have all of my twenties left!

So find me silly, find me naive, and laugh with me for thinking these things, which is what I did. I thought myself old, and found myself young. I'm only 21!

Goodbye, Harry Potter

I finished the seventh Harry Potter book. In two days. While I won't reveal plot details (you can find those out yourself by reading it) I just wanted to say that it was probably one of the best books I have ever read. And I've been reading prolifically since I was three. I laughed, I cried, and I was deeply moved. While some might think it's laughable that I was moved by a children's fantasy book, by the last installment of a series that many might feel is undeserving of the praise heaped upon it, I think that they are cynics, and will probably never fully understand the greatness of these books.

I grew up with this series, with Harry Potter. I began reading them, in protest, finally wheedled into it by a younger, very persistent brother. Instantly I couldn't put it down, and reached for the next book immediately after finishing the first. I waited impatiently for every release, wondered at what the next book would reveal, and fell into every book more thoroughly than I have ever done with any book in my entire life. I was engrossed by these stories, by the world of magic and Muggles. Harry often became as real to me as any other person.

The stories were great not because of the amazing world J.K. Rowling had crafted. She stole a great deal from previous lore, from myths and fables and even the Bible, and a lot of the magic had "serious flaws", no comprehensible boundaries. They became so wildly popular, each release bigger than a movie premiere, and much more secretive and heavily coordinated, which I know irritated some. Despite this, the books are, in a word, amazing. It is her wonderful prose that makes the books instant classics, which draws you into their world so wholly. It is the message she was sending, and the heavy subjects she dwelt upon, like the nature of death, importance of love, family, and valor, and the power of destiny, each of which might mean something different for every reader, and meant a lot to me. And ultimately, it is Harry, the character she created that embodies so many virtues, who is lovable and selfless and so incredibly complex and rich, that makes each of the seven books rank among the highest in my literary lexicon.

I felt that with the book's final chapters I would see my childhood end; there would be no more Harry Potter and Hogwarts to take me back to the realm of childhood wonderment that I have felt for ten years. I have grown up, and so has Harry, and it is time for both our childhood's to end, to move forward into the next phase of our respective lives. And in seeing the ending, I have no feelings of regret or sadness that I thought I might. It was time, and I couldn't have conceived of a better finale.

J.K. Rowling, mischief managed.

Nickel Creek and Glen Phillips!!!

Last night I went to Cleveland, OH to see one of my favorite bands of all time, Nickel Creek. It was unbelievable. They were joined by a member of the Mutual Admiration Society, the former lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket (and another one of my favorite artists), and now a phenomenal solo artist in his own right, Glen Phillips.

I don't think I can do justice to how much fun I had, or how great the concert was, so I'll show you. My pictures turned out horribly since we weren't allowed to use flash and I was sitting fairly far away, but by the powers of technology, I took some video! It's really low resolution, but the sound quality is pretty good, especially for a tiny Nikon digital camera. ^_^

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This Side - Nickel Creek


Reasons Why - Nickel Creek



Set Me Up With One of Your Friends - Chris Thile, played by Nickel Creek



All This Time - Sara Watkins, played by Nickel Creek (new!!)


Let it Fall - Sean Watkins, played by Nickel Creek and Glen Phillips



Exit Music (for a film) - Radiohead, played by Nickel Creek and Glen Phillips


P.S. Today I am thankful for music, and technology that allows me to record amazing live concerts clandestinely.

The Laurel Highlands

Yesterday I went hiking in the Laurel Highlands, bum arm and all. (You don't need arms to hike). It was a beautiful day, and while Pennsylvania doesn't have any sweeping vistas other than steadily rolling hills covered in trees (which are obscured by even more trees), it was still lovely.

Just Call Me "Gimp"

Even though it's a bum arm, not a bum leg. I've been meaning to update with posts about my brother's graduation and cousin's wedding, along with a lot of other stuff, but a badly sprained wrist has prevented me from doing much typing. As it is, I'll have to wait until my arm feels good enough to type without much pain (this post itself is rather difficult). I thought I'd share a picture of the bruise I procured at the same time I sprained said wrist. I definitely did a number on my whole right side. Quite the klutz.

Thankful Thursday

I must relate a hilarious story I heard last night, summed up in a quote:

"How many times do we have to tell you, when you've run out of toilet paper, do NOT use the cardboard!"

I think it speaks for itself. I love boys. ^_^

And now for Thankful Thursday:

- exercise buddies. They make it so much easier for me to work out, and it's much more fun. Plus we gossip (although that's hard when you're underwater).

- finally being semi-good at a team sport. I have never been athletic, and have started to get more so, but it's still hard for me to play team sports. I have horrible hand-eye coordination. So finding a sport I can play without standing on the sidelines the whole time is a first for me. Go Ultimate!

- making new friends. Enough said, friends are awesome.

- new underwear. This might be TMI for some of you, but seriously, getting new underwear is really nice.

- Jack Bauer. Without him, the US (or at least LA) would have gone to shit. ^_^

- being respected by my advisors/bosses. Every time I go in to talk to my academic advisor, she persuades me to do something I didn't think I could, and she always tells me how great I've been doing. It's so motivational.

- having a cool job that looks like it will be able to catapult me farther than I had anticipated, and be beneficial on several levels.

A Talent for Similes

I've become enamored with P.G. Wodehouse, an early 20th century humorist. He seems to match acerbic wit with superb imagery, often directed towards those ever-so-evil relations, Aunts, which can be summed up as: "It is no use telling me there are bad aunts and good aunts. At the core, they are all alike. Sooner or later, out pops the cloven hoof".

I thought I'd share some of my favorite quotes from his plethora of work. I hope they give you a chuckle, or maybe even a chortle. ^_^

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Right Hon. was a tubby little chap who looked as if he had been poured into his clothes and had forgotten to say "When!"
- Very Good, Jeeves (1930)

Chumps always make the best husbands. When you marry, Sally, grab a chump. Tap his head first, and if it rings solid, don't hesitate. All the unhappy marriages come from husbands having brains. What good are brains to a man? They only unsettle him.
- Sally (1920)

What a curse these social distinctions are. They ought to be abolished. I remember saying that to Karl Marx once, and he thought there might be an idea for a book in it.
- Quick Service (1940)

Her voice trailed away in a sigh that was like the wind blowing through the cracks in a broken heart.

...fell into the washing machine and did as many revolutions per minute as a small African republic....

If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
- The Code of the Woosters (1938)

"I remember years ago, Bertie," said Aunt Dahlia, "when you nearly swallowed your rubber comforter and started turning purple. And I, ass that I was, took it out and saved your life. Let me tell you, it will go very hard with you if you ever swallow a rubber comforter again when only I am by to aid."
- Right Ho, Jeeves (1934)

There is only one cure for grey hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine.
- The Old Reliable (1951)

"And deer?''
"Several deer.''
"I love deer.''
"Me, too. I've met some very decent deer.''

Whatever may be said in favour of the Victorians, it is pretty generally admitted that few of them were to be trusted within reach of a trowel and a pile of bricks.
- Summer Moonshine (1938)

The face was drawn, the eyes haggard, the general appearance that of one who has searched for the leak in life's gaspipe with a lighted candle.

Freddie experienced the sort of abysmal soul-sadness which afflicts one of Tolstoi's Russian peasants when, after putting in a heavy day's work strangling his father, beating his wife, and dropping the baby into the city's reservoir, he turns to the cupboards, only to find the vodka bottle empty.
- Jill the Reckless (1921)

"What was that about glue?''
"Igloo, it's a sort of gloo they have up in the Arctic circle.''
"I see.''
"Stickier than the usual kind.''

I can detach myself from the world. If there is a better world to detach oneself from than the one functioning at the moment I have yet to hear of it.

And closing the door with the delicate caution of one brushing flies off a sleeping Venus, he passed out of my life.
- Very Good, Jeeves (1930) "Jeeves and the Old School Chum''

The rule by which he had always lived was that the best would have to do until something better came along.

His first emotion was one of surprise that so much human tonnage could have been assembled at one spot. A cannibal king, beholding them, would have whooped with joy and reached for his knife and fork with the feeling that for once, the catering department had not failed him.

"What ho!'' I said.
"What ho!'' said Monty.
"What ho! What ho!''
"What ho! What ho! What ho!''
After that it seemed rather difficult to go on with the conversation.
- Carry On, Jeeves (1925) "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"

It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
- The Main Upstairs (1914)

How to Grow an [Amazing] Concert

Today was an amaaaaazing day. The highlight of it was in the evening, though not by much. Tonight I went to see Chris Thile perform with the How to Grow a Band. I've been wanting to see him in concert for several years now, and he finally came back to Pittsburgh on tour. It was at this fairly small, cool venue on the Southside, the Rex Theatre.

He's such a great musician, and the band he played with (a bass, guitar, banjo, and fiddle) were all extremely good as well, as performers, players, and singers too. His music breaks from the bluegrass tradition to incorporate a lot of modern rock, jazz, and pop influences, but it's still really "down home". I was literally beaming during the whole concert. :D I wish I'd brought my camera (which I'd forgotten at home stupidly) and didn't have any money to buy a cd either. :'( However, this hopefully won't be the last time I'll see him live. He's too good to pass up. He played songs from all three of his albums, some covers of rock songs (like those from The White Stripes and The Strokes), and played some new stuff too.

I'm really hoping to go see Nickel Creek too. They're coming to Cleveland in July and playing with Glen Phillips, and I just found out that they're coming to Columbus in August and playing with Fiona Apple!! I've been in love with them for longer than Chris Thile (although he is a member) and they're parting ways after this summer tour. So if I don't see them now, I might never get the chance. And now that I (just) found out the awesome guest musicians, I'll die if I don't go to one or both.

Today was also great even without the concert and welcome intel. This afternoon I went to lobby with my boss at Sierra Club. There's a new energy bill coming to the floor of the Senate soon and there are several amendments we'd like to see both Bob Casey and Arlen Specter support, and one, effectively subsidizing the creation of plants that produce liquid coal, we'd like them to reject. We met with two aides from both Arlen Specter's and Bob Casey's office. It was great to sit in and observe how the political and legislative sides of our government work. It was also astounding to see the differences between the two offices; Bob Casey's was far more open and informal than Specter's. Now that may be that Casey is a new Senator, but I'm not sure. . . . A few weeks ago I also got to meet with Jason Altmire, a Representative for the House from Pennsylvania. I could speak more on this subject and go into detail about what we discussed, but I'll refrain. You can ask me personally if you'd like to hear more though, this post will be long enough.

It is also Thursday! So you know what that means. . . (it's a long one tonight)

- Amazing (and uplifting) concerts, like the aforementioned Chris Thile one I just went to.
- Having good jobs. I’ve been learning a lot from the two internships I have this summer, and getting a lot of good and useful experiences, all of which is telling me that the field I am in is really for me.
- Being in the Carnegie Mellon bubble. As much as people complain about the nerdiness of CMU, I love it here; in few other places will you find such a high concentration of intelligent, diverse people. It will be hard to leave.
- Cheese, of all varieties. Without it I think my diet would be rather lackluster (and definitely missing crucial amounts of protein and calcium).
- Staying in touch with friends. It’s so hard, especially after you graduate from high school or college. I’m glad I still talk to so many of my friends from here, and am at least kept fairly up-to-date on their lives. If not, MESSAGE ME! Or start a blog so I can stalk you on it. ^_^
- Swimming. God I’ve missed it.
- Opportunities. Most of the time it’s really hard for me to see the kinds of opportunities available to me, especially when I’m surrounded by engineers getting high-paying, amazing jobs at Lockheed or NASA or Microsoft right out of college. But I’m realizing that just because I’m not an engineer doesn’t mean I’m not desirable to companies; in fact, I think I have too many opportunities because my career path is so open, and will probably have to narrow my job search to particular places so as not to get overwhelmed.

A Mess of Contradictions

I like to experiment with opposition. It seems like a lot of what I do, and what I like, and what I believe, contradicts itself. I love clothing and bags and superfluous luxury items, but I hate how they are idolized, and I dislike materialism and overindulgence. I recently discovered that I like to shoot guns, but I dislike the lax gun control laws that are in place, and believe that most people who own them shouldn’t. I recycle, but sometimes it’s just easier to throw things in the trash. I think people should be more carbon-conscious, but I am sometimes the first one to suggest turning the air conditioning on when it gets too hot. I want more people to use public transportation, but I want my own car as well. I love meat, but I've become a vegetarian. Some of these inconsistencies are brought on by major lifestyle changes that I'm not ready or capable of doing yet, and will probably work themselves out once I can commit to them, but some of them are just personality ticks, or me just being contrary.

While it can get confusing, most of the time the opposition doesn't really hamper my day-to-day life. I think it's a part of maturing, truthfully. People constantly reevaluate and "find" themselves, and can go through a dozen transformations in their lifetimes. Sometimes they're fast, sometimes more gradual, imperceptible even. And in response to these changes, people are constantly trying to reconcile their old lifestyle with their new and forming beliefs (with or without success). But life goes on, and I think that it's almost more natural to contradict oneself than to be consistent.

So I'm a vegetarian who likes meat, so what? ^_^ Contradictory behavior isn't proof of a hypocritical nature or a mercurial, flaky personality, it's just a sign of one's humanity (in all its richness and complexity). Enjoy people's inconsistencies, because without them they would be really boring.

It's summer, I can do whatever I want!

Like go bowling, play laser tag, go to half price randomly, party on a Wednesday.... I think I'm going to tire myself out by June. But it'll be awesome anyway.

I just realized that it's also Thursday, and I haven't done a Thankful Thursday in a while, so here goes:

- roommates. I've missed having them so much, and I love living with crazy boys who insist on dry firing their assault rifles while working on the computer (no joke).
- the weather. It's been really lovely here recently, and I love that it brings people outside. Which brings me to my next point:
- people being active. I was walking down the street to meet friends for gelato, and I passed by people walking their dogs, watering the lawn, and doing other kinds of summer activities that gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling (you know the kind).
- having free time again. I get to do those things I never do during the year, not only because I have the time, but all my friends do too.
- meeting new people. Always fun. ^_^
- finding the courage to try new things. I was never really afraid of it, but now I'm taking it to the next level. It's going to be a summer of new experiences and experiments, some already in full swing, and I'm really loving it. I feel like I'm shaking off the stale bits of my life and recreating myself.

Done and DONE!

Yesterday I completed the last final of my Junior year, a set of papers on the ethical and political philosophy of Jürgen Habermas. A few weeks ago I made my schedule for the fall, and suddenly saw how few classes I have left to take. It feels so strange to be a Senior; wasn't it just yesterday that I came to Carnegie Mellon for orientation? When I look back on all that these past 3 years, I'm amazed at how much I've done, and how much I've changed. So many of my friends are graduating this year, and starting in December, some of the people I've known from my own year will be leaving. How are we already becoming adults, and moving in to the real world?? Lucky for me that I decided to defer that eventuality and stay on for a master's degree. So far it's been a great time, and I'm looking forward not only for the summer, but to next year as well!

Onward to the next step!

Sad Story

This made me really sad. To be so wholly alone in the world that you wouldn't be missed by anyone if you died, and had so little contact with others that no one would notice your death for seven years is a miserable thought. I wish that things like this wouldn't happen to people, and that everyone has at least one person who'd notice their absence.

I wonder how many people live and die like this? Too many, I fear. Too many people are so wrapped up in their own lives that they forget about those who are alone, like this poor man. I think we need to stop walking around with blinders on to the rest of the world and start noticing the people around us, as well as remembering those who've passed on. Being remembered by others is the only way we can achieve immortality; it is only when you are forgotten that you are truly dead.

The Hypocrisy of California

California is almost idyllic for many people. It's beautiful beaches, sun-drenched mountains, amazing cities, and great opportunities. However, how many people know of the precarious foundations this state is built on?

In the course of my studies we have analyzed California every which way, from urban policy and economic innovation, investigating the reasons behind businesses' success, and also the many environmental advancements that are initiated there. The rest of the country often follows in their legislative and regulatory footsteps. While the state could now be considered a spearhead of the environmental movement, its history and many of its current policies are far from preservationist.

The state is one of the highest food-producing states in the country. Most of our fruits, vegetables, meats, or milk products come from California. Yet, if you've ever driven through any part of the state, you have to wonder, WHAT? The entire landscape is a mixture of arid desert, semidesert, or dry plain. One of the many attractions of California is the gorgeous weather, marked by blue sunny skies that are omnipresent. They have two seasons, the rainy and the other, and from March to November the entire state gets little to no rain at all. So, how do they do it, you wonder? Well, I'll tell you (summarizing of course).

During the Great Depression, Roosevelt began many public works projects to employ out of work men. The state of California was a very different place at that point in time, the cities much smaller, the land much drier, and devastating floods countering long droughts made farming difficult, to say the least. But with modern technologies emerging, farmers began to harness the land's natural resources, including a huge aquifer under the plains left from the last Ice Age, untouched until that point. They also decided to harness some of the water from rivers and divert it, building large dams and aqueducts to channel the water to "where it was needed". The government began setting aside money for these irrigation building projects, and water was dispersed to the farms, cheaply and efficiently. In a way, it was better than relying on natural methods of getting water to plants like rainfall, because it could be regulated on the time schedule best suited for the crop to prosper.

This changed the landscape of California from dry plain to blooming field. When you drive through the Central Valley of California now, you can see miles of lush growth, oranges, apples, garlic, even lettuce. But this change is inherently unsustainable. The water from the underground aquifers is being depleted but not replenished, and the water that is diverted from other areas is not enough to sustain the area for an indefinite period of time. So much of the water from these rivers has been diverted to other areas that their routes have been fundamentally changed. The Colorado River no longer runs into Mexico, and is now just a dry riverbed, disconcerting to a country that is in desperate need of drinkable water.

Californians are farming a desert, and many people don't even realize it. Unless you knew about the grand schemes for getting water to the area, it would just look like an idyllic farmland, sunny and lush for mile upon mile. But someday, maybe even in my lifetime, we could see a fundamental shift, if there isn't enough water to go around. Policy-makers will have to come up with new ideas of sustaining the current land-use policies, but none of them will be permanent, and eventually the land will revert back to desert. Bad news for the farmers and the millions of people who rely on the region's agricultural productivity.

This revelation made me wonder how California could be an advocate for so much environmental change and yet allow this to keep happening. It's part of the hypocrisy of the state, which is mimicked throughout the rest of the country: focus on certain issues while ignoring others. It's a matter of convenience; air pollution is a problem for humans, directly detrimental to one's health, and should therefore be dealt with. However, farming makes a huge positive impact on the population, both in terms of the revenue it brings in and the product it sells. It is not economically "responsible" to create restrictions that would reduce the productivity of this breadbasket. However, sooner or later something catastrophic will occur that will lead to a lot of destruction, both economic and environmental. Something needs to be done, but I don't see any meaningful change likely for just the reasons I have listed. It will take a more drastic wake-up call than environmental theories of the future and threats of potential major destruction to incite people to change. And by then it will probably be too late.


As a caveat: this is not to say that California is alone in its hypocrisy. Most states in the US have similar stories they could share, harrowing tales of environmental disasters covered up quietly. In California, however, these problems are seen clearly, and with their almost unparalleled focus on environmental issues, I believe the state has more of a burden to explain itself.

Thankful Thursday

This week has been busy, but next week is so much busier. I'm both excited and sad for the end of the year, because I love the summer, but it also means that a bunch of my friends are graduating and I'll be a senior. It will be weird to come back next year and have all those people I've relied on the past three years not around.

This week, I'm thankful for:

- having something to look forward to. Be it a class, or a meeting, a concert or summertime, anticipation is almost as enjoyable as the actual thing.

- humor. Not only do I love to laugh, I love making people laugh, even if it's at my own expense.

- "being involved". I'm so glad I have the opportunity to do a lot of things, from Soundbytes to Senate. I feel like I'm making a difference, even at the smallest level and I can't wait until I take that to the next step after college.

- being accepted into the Heinz School. Next year I'll be starting my Master's in the accelerated program, which is amazing. I'm one of only five who got in, and it's a pretty prestigious school of public affairs (ranked 8th overall in the country). Not only do I get the opportunity to learn more about my chosen craft, I get to do it at a great school in only one extra year. How cool is that?

- good advice. I tend to ask for advice from friends a lot, and I'm thankful that they give it to me freely, and don't get sick of me asking for it. :)

Carnival Madness

While I don't feel comfortable writing about most of what went on at Carnival in such a public forum as a blog, I still think the long weekend merits at least a comment, if not more.

I spent Wednesday night building booth for Fringe, and by night I mean all night; I didn't sleep until midnight Thursday night. However crappy sleep deprivation is, I think this was a memorable and still fun way to do it. Our booth was themed after the Mousetrap game, and it turned out pretty well. Thursday we had a bomb scare, which was not so fun, but luckily it was nothing. In the wake of the Virginia Tech disaster, the police weren't taking any chances. And lucky for us Carnival folk, they didn't close anything down. That evening I went to see Demetri Martin, who is well-known through The Daily Show. He was hilarious, and I was really glad to have been able to go, since seating was limited.

On Friday, Soundbytes had our annual Carnival concert, and though it wasn't as well attended as I would have liked, a lot of alumni came back to visit, like Dwight and Dave. It was so great to see them both. We sounded good, and sang my first arrangement for the first time. Yay Han Joo, for sounding so good on his first solo! That evening was spent with Fringe people, having a grand olde time.

Saturday I woke up early (after staying up late) to watch buggy for the first time. It was cold but so much fun. It's nice to watch and cheer for the fruits of a year's hard labor. That night was awards, and Fringe did really well. We came in third for our booth, the first time we've placed for booth in several years. Fringe A-team came in second for buggy behind Pika, which we were pretty happy about, and we also won several awards for our buggy design. SigEp won first again for their booth (a Nintendo theme) and Theta won for the sororities (a beehive).

Saturday is the night for parties, since all the buggy folk are done and can stay up late. I spent that night in the way you might imagine (to some extent) a college student to spend it. I watched the fireworks for the first time, with Dwight who finally came by, and it was really fun.

Sunday was reserved for tear down, a depressing show of the wastefulness of Carnival festivities. However, Fringe saved most of the materials used, so it wasn't all bad. I'm sad that Carnival is over, since this was probably the best one I've ever had. I felt very liberated, and I did almost everything I wanted. I have but one regret: I didn't go to Holi on Saturday like I wanted to. It's a paint festival put on by several Indian organizations, and I've wanted to go for a while, but forgot about it at the last minute. C'est la vie. Maybe next year I'll get the chance.

The next week is going to be really crazy-busy, since I didn't do any work over the weekend, and there are only two weeks until the end of the semester. It's shaping up to be very interesting, and hopefully a lot of the things I am hoping for will pan out. Wish me luck!

Thankful Thursday

First of all, I'd like to mark this day as a milestone in my life (sort of). Yesterday I pulled my first all-nighter, granted non-academic, building booth for Fringe. I've only had a short nap in 38 hours, but it was worth it to have accomplished so much, and had so much "fun" in doing it!


There's a lot I'm thankful for this week:

- Being close to extended family. This year has been a tumultuous one for both sides of my family, and I am so thankful to be close to them, both physically and emotionally. Being in Pittsburgh, I'm able to do things with them I never could have anywhere else and be a part of their lives in a way I hadn't been since I'd moved away from the area. They are also so supportive, even more than I had expected.

- New beginnings. Even when things are looking down, there seems to be something, be it a person, an activity, or a object, that helps me cope and find hope for the future.

- Safety precautions and services at my school. In the aftermath of the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech (which I was particularly stunned by given that I had lived a half an hour away from there for 7 years) I really appreciate the mechanisms in place to keep my campus safe. While there seems to be very little one can do to prevent these kinds of extreme events from occurring, there is so much at Carnegie Mellon that helps students stay safe in this urban environment. We have recently had our own small scare, which really made me aware of how easily something like what happened at Virginia Tech could happen here ,and how glad I am that there are methods of protection in place for all types of emergencies.

-Fun distractions like booth, Carnival, and parties. I only wish they happened more frequently.

- Welcoming friends. I am so happy to have people around me who accept me into their lives, and actively want me a part of it. And I love returning the gesture.

- Being 20. As much as I might moan about being underage and being locked out of a big part of the social scene of my 21+ friends, I really like being 20. It's a good age, albeit made more of a transitional age, but rather than impatiently wait for my entrance into the realm of full adulthood, I'm going to enjoy these last three months of underage-dom as much as I can. You're only 20 once.

And this is the kind of ignorance I hope to remedy...

It is sad that in these times, people could believe things like this are true. No matter how comic, it reveals an appalling lack of sheer common sense. It did give me a chuckle though. ^_^

Thankful Thursday

I decided to steal this from Ashleigh, who stole it from someone else, who probably stole it from someone else.... but that doesn't mean it's not a great idea. So this week, here's what I'm thankful for.

- free food. I get it a lot, and it makes me happy all the time.
- existentialism
- packages, both the expected and unexpected ^_^
- friend-on-friend therapy sessions
- BOOTH
- music. I'm rediscovering my love for it.
- Korean soap opera
- arts and crafts projects. They are sooooo relaxing.
- springtime. Even though it's cold outside, plants are determined to sprout and get leafy.