Vote For Meeee...

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Read the Subheadings

After such a long wait, I wish I had an inspirational, thought-provoking message for you readers out there.  Unfortunately, you will just be perusing a jumble of random events (read the subheadings) — my desperate attempt to catch you up on everything that I have forgotten to recount.  Obviously, I have been preoccupied with more important engagements, namely ACADEMICS.

First, allow me to share an entertaining video that pretty much represents my life.  I shall work backwards from there.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYnw4N_zWb4

Swim Test

I completed my 50-yard swim test.  It was easy.  There’s really not much to say here… but it felt nice to get back in the pool after three years of dry land.  One hour and about 2000 yards later, my arms and legs were numb.  I forgot how much muscle was required to push myself across the water!  

Locking Eyes with Aragorn and Legolas

Fermin, Cynthia, Meili and I enjoyed a wonderful study break watching the first half of Return of the King.  I ate like… a third of Meili’s Nutella, and I feel incredibly guilty. #fatpeopleproblems  We definitely had some fun pausing the movie at the close-up headshots of the Fellowship members staring toward at us.

Christmas Carols

I don’t remember what I did yesterday, other than singing with the Glee Club for Dartmouth’s tree lighting ceremony.  It was so much fun, but extremely cold.  Thanks so much for watching, Pranam, Meili, and Teresa!

Everybody Shuff-uh-lin

Our very own dancing prodigy Cynthia taught some of the floor how to do the Party Rock choreography.  She’s so amazing, and she never fails impress/surprise me with another one of her multiple talents.  Dancing, singing, and speaking foreign languages – you name it!

Onigiri （おいしいでしょうね!）

On the last Nihongo Table of each term, the Dartmouth Japan Society hosts an Onigiri Hour.  My rice balls always fell apart, so I had to cover them in nori sheets so they would maintain their shape…

Syssition

Professor Christesen invited us Spartiates over to his house for a class dinner.  It was very filling – steak, potatoes, salad, plenty of dessert…  It was interesting to go around the room and hear from everyone what they thought was the most interesting/strange/disturbing Spartan custom.  Quite a few people mentioned the marriage practices and the homoerotic relationships between boys and their teachers.

Bubbles

Instead of reviewing any material of intellectual value, my Writing 5 class celebrated the end of Fall Term with a cookie and bubble party.  After turning in our final research papers, we had a contest to see who could blow the prettiest bubbles and discussed a potential reunion for winter term.  I’ll miss this class.  Professor Kremer is the best!  She made the writing process so *cough* f-fun… (in shock)

Last Day of Classes and Living in Baker-Berry (つかれてよ！):

Yes, that’s right!  No more Introductory Greek or Spartan History!  I’m free!  Well, not exactly.  From about 11 AM yesterday to 2 AM today, I studied very hard in the library, memorizing Greek verb conjugations and finishing up a research paper on Lycurgan Politeia.  I really shouldn’t say much about this night beyond (exhausted students) + (looming threat of final exams) = intense earth-shattering drama.

Bangla

I have committed to learning Bengali, one grammatical concept at a time.  Of course, I’m studying it so I can communicate with Pranam (and hopefully his family once I can actually express myself in full sentences.)  It is so, so interesting, but pretty difficult compared with Japanese or Latin.  Soooo… Thumi kemon accho? Ami bhalo acchi.  Ami Bangla pori.  Ami Bangla bhalobashi.  Ami aata Bangla khub bhalobashi. :3

Thanksgiving

My break started on Monday since most of my classes were cancelled (except for fluffin’ Greek).  On Tuesday night, the Chatterjee family came to visit Pranam, and I had the privilege of meeting his parents and twin sister, who is from MIT and absolutely brilliant.  On Wednesday evening, while I was studying in Sanborn, they invited me along for a tour of campus.  I really enjoyed the time to converse and become more familiar with everyone.  We met back in McCulloch to share some Chinese food and engage in epic dance routines – Everytime We Touch, Blame It On the Boogie, Salty Dog Rag, Wobble, and of course some salsa and east coast swing!  On Thursday, the Chatterjees met us back in Brace Commons for the most memorable Thanksgiving dinner ever.  Meili had already left, and I was disappointed about not being able to spend the holiday with my mom, but together with my floor mates, I could really sense a welcoming, loving atmosphere.  I attempted to brew up a vegetable soup, while George cooked a pasta dish.  Mr. and Mrs. Chatterjee shared their own culinary masterpieces with us as well. J  Unfortunately, for the rest of the weekend I had to play catch up.  Well, actually my definition of catch up is trying to get as much ahead as possible.

I’ll probably blog a little during winter break, so keep checking back!

Asians Sleeping In Library

And That’s What You Missed On…

... Glee!

Yes, I had my very first Glee Club concert today.  And my mom came to visit.  Best weekend EVER.

After ballroom dancing the previous night, I woke up at 8:30 AM to clean my room.  My mom had texted me, saying that she was only a half-hour away!  I was so excited to reunite with her, catch up, and show her all around Dartmouth.  When I bear-hugged her behind McCulloch, it was almost as if time had never passed.  Much of Saturday morning she left me to do homework in the Baker tower room while she did the laundry for me (how kind!), but I could hardly concentrate on writing that paper on Lycurgan Politeia.

We met up at FoCo for lunch.  Mom was shocked to see all of the different stations serving food, but even more shocked that the place wasn’t nearly as crowded as opening day.  Not much to say about this.  We proceeded to Glee rehearsal.  I felt so bad, she was just sitting there looking like she was going to fall asleep.  Actually, I was too, since Louis focused more on the orchestra than the singers this time, and he actually let us sit down.  At least I had the chance to sing my one-line solo in O Frondens Virga for her!

In the evening, we checked back into the Shaker Hill B&B.  It felt like home, since we had stayed there for Dimensions weekend, and nothing had changed… except Bo, the new dog. :)  I had such a great night’s sleep — 10 hours in peace and quiet!  It was so much more relaxing than the dorm.  Of course, we woke up to a delicious breakfast.  We started off with a stuffed pear, hollowed out and filled with nuts and pomegranate seeds, followed by some scones with jam.  For the main course, we had a big apple pancake with “New Hampshire” maple syrup, which the hosts insisted was better than Maine maple syrup.

The concert was outstanding.  I felt so privileged to be singing with such talented vocalists surrounding me, and to be singing for some of my favorite people (Mom, Meili, Pranam, Teresa, and Evelyn)!  Pranam and Meili gave me flowers, which really light up my room!  They were so thoughtful.  I must return the favor for Pranam’s orchestra concert next week. 

Our program consisted of Alleluia (Randall Thompson), Ave Maria, Simple Song/Warm-up (Bernstein), O Frondens Virga (Hildegard), and Deep River for the first half.  The second half showcased Bach’s Magnificat, which consisted of twelve movements including amazing solos from upperclassmen.  My favorite three movements were “Magnificat,” “Omnes Generationes” (because Ben, Fermin, and I always creep each other out going “oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-hOMnes”) and “Sicut Locutus Est.”

You know, I can’t even begin to express how much I adore the Glee club.  They are like the siblings I never had.  Every time I walk in to Faulkner auditorium (or the Hop café for that matter), I am surrounded by such love and support.  I’m going to miss them so much over winter break, and I really, really hope that I can share more memories with them during spring tour in San Diego.  All I need is for my mom to say yes and… well…give me some $$.

I'll update when we come to some consensus on my traveling opportunities. Of course, now that I want to major in Japanese and Linguistics, there's Tokyo to consider. But I've written so much already, I might devote a new post to my passion for nihongo.

Oh Dear… (11/6/11)

From the Dream Dictionary: “To see a deer in your dream symbolizes grace, compassion, gentleness, meekness and natural beauty. It has feminine qualities and may point to the feminine aspect within yourself. It also represents independence, alertness, and virility. Consider the symbol to be a pun for someone who is "dear" to you.”

I won’t delve too deep into the Artemis Orthia aspect of the deer, since I spent way too much time reading journal articles about this for a project, and it really has nothing to do with the connection between the dream and how I feel.  (Artemis is the goddess of the hunt whose characteristic animals is the deer.  In post-Messenian War Sparta, there was a sanctuary built to which people offered lead figurines).  So, the actual dream was just a really, really adorable deer running after me in a field and then lying down to go to sleep. Random, right?

Last night, I returned to the classical ballet lessons, but because of the Dartmouth-Princeton Hockey game, I was the only one there.  Dancing is my priority, and I really enjoyed having a private lesson.  The girl taught me this really cool across-the-floor leap combination.  I never realized how gracefully and gently I could move until I saw myself in the mirror without anyone else around me.

On the flip side, I spent much of the night with floormates on McCulloch 3.  We decided to waste the extra hour we had from daylight savings time.  Yes, I know that we were unproductive in our work, but I felt like such a cool college student hanging out with them.  Some questionable things were said, according to the quote list, but it was 2 AM…  However, I was alert, and I remember everything.  Maybe I’m too accustomed to being nocturnal!

And finally the pun.  I have someone who is dear to me.  I have some more who are dear to me.  Although we are polar opposites, but we shared a dipole moment in the McCulloch 2 study room.  

Give A Rouse!

It's about time that I detail my very first Dartmouth Homecoming experience. I’ve been slacking on recording my life because of all of the make up assignments I’ve had to do this week as a consequence for “festing it up” this weekend. Where shall I begin? I know that when I'm an old alum(na), I'll probably read this again, hoping for a (very) complete narrative in order to visualize the events “like it was yesterday.”

For me, the festivities started on Friday morning, when I dressed up in green. Thinking ahead for the cold/hot conditions of the bonfire, I chose to wear under armor and my fleece jacket underneath my long-sleeve Dartmouth ’15 shirt, with leggings and athletic sneakers on the bottom.

Professor Perry was kind enough to cancel class, so I was able to sleep in for once. It felt amazing, and I was all rested for the long night ahead of me. Unfortunately, Christesen did not cancel class, and my mind was wandering through that whole hour of Spartan History. To make matters worse, students building the bonfire were visible right out the window of Reed Hall, and I just couldn’t wait to get down there at 11 AM! I met up with my roommate on the Green, and after lunch, we had the opportunity to climb up. I think we looked stunning in our hard hats. It was scary to use the ladder, but we faced our fears and we succeeded! Strangely enough, our moment of victory will forever be preserved on video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d6HyICNurU).

In reality, I had a lot of work to finish before the evening, and we made our way to Rauner Library to study for the afternoon.

My energy spiked ten-fold when the clock hit 6 PM. The Brace Commons Cluster Party was about to start! I made my way downstairs to meet a floor mate handing out fluorescent bracelets and glow-in-the-dark shade glasses and made sure I could find one of my fellow Glee Club members. An hour of dancing ensued. We busted our moves to the DOC classics, like “Blame It On the Boogie,” “Everytime We Touch,” and “Salty Dog Rag.” Even though I didn’t go on a trip, I was familiar with their traditions.

At about 7:30, the screen in Brace Commons lifted, and the UGAs ushered us outside to wait for the Freshman Sweep, in which the alumni and upperclassmen paraded the ‘15s throughout campus and up Main Street to Dartmouth Hall. We Gleekers had to run off before we even passed Berry Sports Center, but at least we saw the sweep coming our way. For the next couple minutes, we warmed up with the “Twilight Song” and cooled down with “Son of a Gun,” well, at least the ‘15s did, anyway. As we hit our last notes, the upperclassmen busted some cans of Keystone and thoroughly drenched us in the most disgusting alcoholic drink in existence. I was shivering for the rest of our performance, and I couldn’t wait to run around the bonfire.  After some long speeches by the President (his son is adorable), the Dean, and athletic coaches/captains, the Glee Club concluded the ceremony with “Dartmouth Undying” and the Alma Mater ("Dear Old Dartmouth, Give A Rouse!"). At the end, they pushed us to begin our laps.

I will never forget the rush of excitement when the bonfire was lit and we pushed our way through the crowd to enter the ring. Burning on one side, and freezing on the other, I had never felt so united with my class, and Dartmouth in general. To make up for all the times I missed Dr. Kim in the dining hall, I high-fived him THREE TIMES. Win. Unfortunately, I only ran 15 laps, while many of my floor mates completed the 115. I wish I could have been as awesome as them.

After showering — I felt so gross and sticky with beer in my hair, down my neck, on my back — I changed into my “frat clothes,” since obviously my ’15 shirt would shout FRESHMAN. Even with my roommate, a Dartmouth-obsessed guy (since I shouldn’t reveal names), and a couple other friends, the dance parties were actually quite disappointing, since the people got really creepy and the music wasn’t that great. I guess nothing can compare to my very first time. Regardless, I enjoyed my night as a whole although it ended on a less-than-ideal note. Let’s just say, I can never listen to Rihanna’s S&M ever again without thinking about… nevermind. Apparently it’ll be a good move in the long run to stay friends, in order to avoid awkwardness or tension later during our college years.

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Let the games begin! The Dartmouth-Columbia game was so much fun. I actually didn’t show up until the second half, but I really enjoyed spending time with the marching band up in the bleachers. They were so enthusiastic and they made me really want to join! Now I just need to get this metal extracted from my mouth before I can pick up a flute or piccolo again… “Glory to Dartmouth” is on my list of songs that I MUST learn before the end of the fall term. I did hang out with Dartmouth-obsessed guy up front after he rushed the field (lucky him!) but I have to admit, it was a little awkward since none of our other friends were with us, and it was definitely not as interesting as the marching band. Of course, I abandoned him! Haha… so mean…

Well, I wasn’t that mean. We played tennis afterward, and he beat me 4-6. I just can’t seem to figure out his slices to save my life! Grr…

And that concludes my Homecoming weekend

Pictures

Full Metal Jacket...

Was the most disturbing movie I have ever, ever seen – even more disturbing than Hitchcock, because nobody committed suicide on a toilet.  The shower murder was much more tame than the realistic reenactment of death in the Vietnam war.

Why would a person like me go to see this movie?  Long story.  In sum, I went with a couple friends to turn an accidental date into a group night out.  No, it was not my accidental date, but to protect the innocent, I will not go into further detail.  And yes, the movie was the guy's choice, not ours.

It is hard to decide which part of the night was the most memorable.  While eating out for dinner with five of my friends was a positive memory, I think there must be way to reframe the movie as a positive memory as well.  We met at Yama, a Japanese-Korean restaurant along Hanover's main street of shops.  Thanks to my roommate's recommendation, I ordered bibimbap, served in a heated bowl – absolutely DELICIOUS! It was my first time tasting Korean cuisine, one of many items on my "Dartmouth Freshman Firsts" list.  My next one will be Homecoming on Friday, but that's another blog post. :)  Despite the graphic nature of Full Metal Jacket, I was surrounded by amazing people.  Since a few friends broke off after dinner, we had a more intimate group in which we could actually lean over to whisper without being disruptive.  Of course, we also found the need to curl up in fetal position in utter disgust at a few of the scenes.  I can't believe it has already been a month since I landed in Hanover.  Already I wish I could relive this month, but there is still so much to come during my first year here!  Time really flies and I need to remind myself to slow down and look around me in amazement that I am really finally here, that I am student at Dartmouth College.

Running in the Rain

I must say, yesterday was not one of the best Fridays I have experienced here.  I woke up late, and in my 5-minute scramble to get to Greek on time, I left my lifeline – a keychain with my cellphone, key, credit card, and student ID – in my room.  I had only gotten 5 hours of sleep since I had to cram intensely for a quiz on the omega-verb conjugations of the middle/passive voice.  My eyes usually turn bloodshot and sting when I am overtired.  At least the bottom rims of my glasses could cover up the dark circles underneath.  By the time Sparta came around, I was totally falling asleep, but the hunger pangs and the pile of B-papers handed to me made me alert again.  I've been trying so hard to understand all of the readings in that class, so I was greatly disappointed.

Things looked up in the afternoon, though.  My roommate saved me from homelessness and starvation, and we met at FoCo together, and then attended an "intermediate" classical ballet lesson.  Yeah, right.  According to the Blitz, if we knew what a pique turn was, then we'd be good to go, but this class was SO much more difficult than I'd expected.  We ended up sitting out for the last 15 minutes so we wouldn't become obstacles to the other dancers!!  However, I absolutely loved it.  I hadn't realized how much I've missed dance, and I had forgotten that wonderful feeling of moving my body.  The other dancers looked so beautiful and effortless – I am ready to work hard to improve myself.

Running in the rain made the day all worth it.  Last night was the "Fire and Ice" freshman formal.  To keep true to the theme, I chose to wear my short red dress – fire!  I really enjoyed getting ready with my floor mates, from my across the hall neighbor checking himself out in the mirror to my room mate doing artwork on all the girls.  She has such a good hand for makeup and make sure it suits each individual face.  I enjoyed how she made mine look natural, but still complement the vibrancy of my dress.  Everyone looked so great!  I don't have pictures, so I hope someone will post on Facebook.  Unfortunately, the prep was more exciting than the dance itself.  There was hardly anyone there, except our group, two other groups, and an awkward, creepy old couple fondling each other's posteriors.  Who let them in?!?!  It's funny that one of my close non-McCulloch 3 friends was there the whole time, but his friend just came in when we were about to leave.

That just meant we'd have to continue the festivities elsewhere.  To frat row!!  By the time we all changed back into casual attire and accumulated on McCulloch 3, it had started to rain.  We just made a dash for it.  Not much was going on in the frats, actually, but we did stop by one sorority house and one frat house, in which said non-McCulloch 3 friends tried *gasp* vodka.  I really hope I find them alive this morning!  Just kidding.  I saw them drink, and the cup was not even half full.

I want to go to a real dance party again.  Tri-Kap a few weeks ago was so much fun, and I definitely want to relive that night.  But not until Homecoming weekend is over!  That will be the ultimate celebration!  I really can't wait to sing and run around the bonfire.