Welcome 12S! (continued)

Other non-academic things have occurred this term too.

I just learned that my East Wheelock application was accepted for Fall ’12, and Spring/Summer ’13. Phew, I’m very relieved. My housing number 4500 was pretty low, well, not as low as my roommate’s 4697 out of 4700.  I was anxious about the decisions letter, since I really wouldn’t want to live in the undesirable dorms like Mass Row or… (cringe) the Lodge.  I heard that Pranam and Evelyn will be living here too, I wonder what dorm they will pick.  After seeing Pranam’s awesome three-room double in Morton, I think I want to live there too, even though any of the four would be excellent.

Right across from East Wheelock, I am signed up for the Tennis PE on Topliff Courts.  It’s kind of like the drill class I used to attend with my mom in Waterville at the Champions Fitness Club.  So far we have practiced our forehand and backhand groundstrokes, and also serves and returns.  After dropping out of tennis team senior year, I forgot how much fun the sport was.  I enjoy playing with different types of people and figuring out how best to play against their individual styles.  Outside of class, I’ve also been playing sets with my friends on the weekends.  It’s been very challenging to get back into the fast, “first singles” pace of Erica and Chris, but surprisingly I can handle it much easier than Pranam’s painfully slow, high slices.  I still cannot beat him because he is so consistent.  I love to hit hard since it’s so cathartic, but if I really want to improve, I’ll have to become more of a patient, defensive opponent.

Since I am in tennis, I am no longer in ballet.  However, to keep myself in dancing shape, I attend ballroom events from time to time, from Thursday Night Salsa and Tuesday Night Tango.  My floor mate Cynthia is teaching TNS now, and I am always so proud of her when I watch her show other people (including me) what she loves to do!  She is also leading an East Coast Swing showcase, although rehearsals have kind of gone by the wayside for now.  Perhaps they will resume after Dimensions and midterms.

Nightlife during spring term is much more active than winter, I think, since it is much warmer.  So far, I’ve been to Tri-Kap and Heorot dance parties.  I still like Tri-Kap better because the dance floor is not in a stiflingly hot, humid basement.  Although I am adhering to my no-alcohol vow, it’s nice to let loose and groove for a couple hours. Greek life? Yes, I have really considered Greek, life, but I’m not committing to anything like those social scenes.  Since I really do not want to waste time acting superficial and stressing over fashion, I have opted out of sorority rush, and I decided to participate in something more fun, whimsical, and laid-back: COED RUSH! The two houses I must choose between are Alpha Theta and Phi Tau.  I know people from both, through Glee Club and Japanese, and I have involved myself in both, like the Staccato step show and the upcoming Dimensions flash mob.  Both houses host really cool events, like Mellows and SEX. ;)

Speaking of which, this term the Glee Club is reworking old traditional Dartmouth music and recording a demo album.  Building up to its release sometime in June, we are holding two concerts, one for Dimensions and one for Parents’ Weekend, and going to some rural area in Vermont (I think) for a photoshoot.  Also coming up is the New Music Festival, in which different student ensembles perform music arranged by other students.  I’ll be a soprano in the chorus!  However, Louis (director of the Glee Club and my voice teacher) actually told me that I have developed better as a high mezzo than a soprano.  I’ll have to try harder at expanding my range.  He did say, though, that I have reached the breakthrough of figuring out how to physically engage my body with my voice.  I am very proud of myself, and I can’t wait to prepare for the spring term recital.

I have been pretty active in the Dartmouth Japan Society, too.  Two weeks ago, we raised money for the anniversary of Japan’s earthquake through a T-shirt sale and a discussion themed “Rethink, Rebuild, Remember” in which two representatives from Japan spoke to us about the steps they are taking to recover.  There is one organization called JEN (http://www.jen-npo.org/) that employs volunteers.  I know a lot of friends on the Tokyo LSA+ are getting involved, probably not through this specific group, but Dorsey-sensei will be leading students in cleaning up around the disaster site.  Unfortunately, I will have to go home so I can help my mom relocate and rest up before 12F begins.  Something I look forward to every week in DJS is movie night.  We watched Warai no Daigaku, a hilarious comedy about a playwright who is trying to convince a censor to accept his parody of Romeo and Juliet.  If you are ever looking for odd Japanese puns, you have to watch it!  Last week, movie night was cancelled so I held my own in East Wheelock, and a lot of floor mates came!  I took out Howl’s Moving Castle from Jones Media Center.  Howl is such a bishonen, and Cynthia really fell in love with him.  I think I prefer Calcifer, such a cute fire with tiny wittle arms and legs… :3

What else has been going on?  We are having superb weather this week!  To celebrate, I’ve been studying on the green, surrounded by beach towels, joggers, and Frisbees.  I even played some Frisbee with Pranam and Ben this weekend, which totally reminded me of CTY.  I’m glad I didn’t forget how to throw the shotgun or twisted backhand, as we called them at CTY.  Yesterday it reached almost 90 degrees and I was able to wear a skirt!  After we were fire-alarmed out of the Hop, I randomly craved Gelato so I treated myself with some delicious Bacci/Cookie-dough mix from Dirt Cowboy.  Oishii wa yo~ ;)

Okay, I think I have caught up.  I’ll elaborate on the events of this week… ato de!  I’ll be pretty busy with studying, meetings, and Dimensions, so you won’t be disappointed with the next update.