Happy New Year, y'alls

More to come after some sleep.

Ramble..ramble..blah.

I have to admit that one of the reasons I haven't updated is that I always have to log out of my gmail.

It's great that everyone loves Google, but as it takes over the market it makes using different facets of its krakenlike conglomerate annoying. Logging in and out of youtube also affects the account that my gmail is on.

And why does it matter? You never know when you'll get an email from a professor telling you that the homework you're pulling your hair out over has been given an extension. Not that that's ever happened, but wishful thinking, aye?

So as I have survived my first term of college, I laze around doing absolutely nothing on break. I've never had a chunk of free time this big before. In summer, I was traipsing around Japan and then came home to run back and forth from shifts at work--and "breaks" during high school were just extra long periods for teachers to give extra long projects over.

So what do I do now? Hang out with friends and bum around on Facebook. It makes me feel old and decrepit. Especially when I see the class of 2010 celebrating or crying over college acceptances and rejections. I'm back at the bottom of the totem pole as far as school goes--freshman again. And I gotta say, I like it. Pass-fail is nice (though not as incredibly stress-free as it sounds. Caltech is so ridiculously hard. Harder than I bargained for. But it's still awesome). But with every status update from the next kid who was accepted, I'm reminded that I can't stay in my blissful little stage forever. I like being allowed to make mistakes. I like upperclassmen telling me "go to sleep, frosh" because my life is supposed to be so much less stressful than theirs.

The fact that it's not isn't relevant.

You probably don't know what I'm talking about.

I know I shouldn't.

I know better than to get pulled back in.


...But damn if fandom doesn't make me incredibly happy sometimes.

I'm sure there's something wrong when my variety in life comes from living vicariously through other people's depictions of fictional characters, but I don't care.

They're just so damn CUTE together.

It's been a while

So, if you haven't gathered by now, I'm in college.

And it is nothing short of amazing.

The workload is insane. Only here do we cover the entirety of AP chem (if by "cover" it means the homework set is on things that they expect us to know) in one week and then start quantum mechanics immediately after. And it's no even an honors course. Besides, Techers on average take at least twice the number of units as regular people. But there is also a huge emphasis on collaboration. I'm used to doing things on my own, but stuff gets done faster (and is also incredibly more fun) when you're in an underground basement room with your friends (surrounded by whiteboards intended for problem solving but used for doodling).

But that doesn't mean we don't know how to party =]. There's been dance parties, and on weekends when we are forced to forage for sustenance off-campus, there have been some amazing times in nearby stores and restaurants.

Still, I have to admit that I am extremely stressed, what with problem sets due every two days and midterms and essays interspersed. It's a struggle finding time to do other things, but there have been games of interhouse dodgeball and the occasional ultimate practice. There is also a widespread tradition of getting people wet, whether by forcibly dragging them into the showers or dumping pitchers of ice-cold water on them during dinner--also, during dinner, we can chuck bread at people. At first I was appalled by the waste, but then I realized that it was also inedible otherwise.

Anyway, in all seriousness, as amazing as independence is, I have to admit that the process of learning is something completely new. In high school, you have teachers that go over sample problems that are in the homework but with different numbers...in college, your professors talk about optical fibers and give you homework about torque.

So, high school kiddies, enjoy being taught when you can, since I'm pretty sure you're going to miss it.

College, and the people you meet therein

This week marks the one-month anniversary of Quail's landing on the gnarly branch named College, located somewhere on the tree of life.

Originally, there was going to be a post about stereotypes and human nature, and an assortment of philosophical and sociological odds 'n ends, but it ended up sounding rather bitter and cynical.

So here's a post celebrating my brother's birthday!

Happy early birthday, Bison2! You're getting so old (and yet, you're still as childish as ever). It was great seeing you this weekend, even if we were both felt under the weather the whole time.

In other news: I made squid mittens!?
I'm also really excited to be playing the carillon.

Which leads me in to another point. Somehow, along the way, I managed to develop a philosophy that weird = cool.

I can't say something is cool without wondering if it really is cool, or if it's actually lame and I think it's cool because it's a novelty.

I like novelties. They make life MUCH more interesting.

Mallin' like a baller while ballin' in the mall.

I have been shoppping WAY too much lately.

Maybe there's a bit of influence from going to Japan and strolling around Harajuku, which is renown for its ridiculous fashion. Lately, I've been more accepting to different kinds of clothes. Today I decided to be funny and went around in Ross, picking up crazy clothes that I would normally never wear to try on in the fitting room. I ended up buying 75% of the clothes I picked. ._.*

Unfortunately, the expansion of my sartorial horizon means an escalation in the incidence of my shopping trips, which used to be about once a month. I've already been shopping for the last four days in a row. And I'm talking hardcore shopping, meaning enough walking to actually make me sweat inside the air-conditioned mall.

I make excuses by saying I need these clothes for college, but when you're LIVING at school, I'm pretty sure people will be so used to seeing others in their PJs that no one will really care if I show up to lectures sagging my brother's old basketball shorts (I have to admit that is a secret vice of mine at home) and rocking an XXL red T-shirt that reads "Hong Kong: The Perfect Choice!"

Speaking of the minimal importance of clothing, how exactly do stores like Abercrombie expect to get more business when their gigantic ads of hot men focus primarily on the men's bare chests? Additionally, their bags given to clientele who purchase the clothing feature more half naked models. I mean, really. Bags are a form of advertisement a bit more subtle and far more motile than paper stuck to walls. Does toting a bag featuring a sexy shot of ripped, masculine abs scream "I went shopping for clothes at Abercrombie!" or "I went and bought something at the half naked man store!"?

Shouldn't the point of an ad be to show what the store is SELLING? Not that I mind the eye candy. At all.


*Of course, that was only 3 out of 4. Isn't it amazing what statistics can do?

Forever and a Day

Three weeks into college, and it alternately feels like forever and no time at all. Honestly, what with age-related time distortion and a less-than-stellar sense of reality, I'm going to be living in permanent fast-forward for the next four years.

Of course, this doesn't excuse my lack of postage (I don't even have stamps!), but I'm settling in nicely. College is certainly a change in pace. I spend about the same amount of time lounging around in the common room, but solitude is sorely lacking (both an good and bad thing).

So far, I have:

• Played Poker Face nearly 20 times a day
• Stayed up until 7:30 AM doing Computer Science problems
• Become stressed out
  
• laughed uproariously with roommates
• had a miniature party in suite, with I'm on a Boat blaring out of my speakers
• jumped in puddles with new rain boots
• learned how to text
• tried (and failed) to organize my life
• drilled holes in the wall
• grown chives
• become dehydrated (or was that low blood sugar in the morning?)
• done nothing for an entire day
  
• talked to old friends every day of the week
• IMed my brother more than I ever have at home
• Fallen asleep on the futon
• taken apart my computer
• assembled Ikea furniture
• ....and a host of other things.

All and all, I'd say it's a pretty good experience so far. More reports to come when I get some sleep in my system.