Kelly's Blog

Dun Da Dun DUNN da DUNNN! SHARKS!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:37:15 PST

I was never much of a hockey fan. Actually, I was never really a fan at all. Being from Hawaii, where it isn’t exactly the land of the cold, we have exactly one ice rink on the entire island. Not really grounds for a professional hockey team. Even watching TV, I think I’ve seen a hockey game broadcasted only once. And the extent of my hockey knowledge comes from watching the Mighty Ducks movies when I was a kid. So when I went to see a San Jose Shark’s game on Saturday, I probably stood out like a sore thumb in the diehard crowd of teal and white.

David K. took Geoff, Ian, and me to this game and I’m pretty sure it was a first time for everyone. We got free tote bags as we were coming into the door and once we were in, a giant shark blimp loomed above our heads. It was crowded, we were surrounded by Shark gear, and the excitement level was high. The game itself surprised me as it was actually really fun to watch. The first time a player got slammed into a wall, I gasped, shocked. But I think that wall slamming is normal because nobody else seemed concerned about the player’s wellbeing. As the game progressed, I made it a point to control my outbursts so I would blend in.

I had two hopes for the game—that there was a fight and that the Sharks scored 4 goals in a row so everyone would get free Roundtable pizza. My wish for a fight was fulfilled pretty quickly in the first period. My second wish, unfortunately, didn’t come true. The Sharks had scored one goal in the first period, kept that same score throughout the second period, but then got scored on in the third. It made me sad. Not because the game was tied, but because there was no way I was getting a pizza.

Luckily, there was an epic ending. With 28 seconds left in the third period, the Sharks scored the winning goal, avoiding overtime! Ian wanted overtime so he wasn’t too happy. I still wanted pizza, but I settled for a cool end to the game.

(And in light of the elections: YAY BARACK OBAMA! HE’S FROM HAWAII AND WENT TO MY HIGH SCHOOL!)

One Class, Two Class, Three Class, Four

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:08:01 PST

Last quarter, I did something ridiculous. I took 23 units which are a rough equivalent to 6 classes. And I found myself taking up a second residence in the library and working the database systems like a pro. Luckily, it all paid off and raised my GPA.

This year, I’m only taking 16 units, 4 classes, and it’s just as hard! Although Punahou was a fantastic high school, their econ classes were weak. As I work hard to comprehend econ, I seriously consider writing a letter to Punahou about their econ department. Today I took a test, but it wasn’t as bad since I got a 22/24. Yay me!

My accounting class is almost like constantly shoving information down my throat. Don’t get me wrong, the class can be actually enjoyable. But it’s like digest last week’s lesson, open mouth, insert INVENTORYFIFOLIFOBADDEBTEXPENSEDEPCRECIATION, skip chewing and swallow. Repeat. In all seriousness, I really do learn a lot.

And every week I meet a few times with my Management Ethic’s group to work on our 40 page paper. Thankfully, I have a good team comprised of Jackie G, Sarah K, and David O. We get stuff done every meeting. Our goal is to finish this paper before finals roll around so it’s one less thing to worry about. We seem to be on a good track.

And my last class, OMIS17, is my “relief class.” I’m learning stuff but not exactly straining my brain. Everything is online so if I do the weekly quiz before Friday, I can sleep in till my 9:15 econ. It’s nice :)

I just thought you guys should get the DL on what I’ve been doing besides blogging and saving the world. And as for the Minor declaration thing, I’ve been putting off the retail marketing process for now and have just declared an OMIS minor! I’m not sure if I want to do the retail marketing minor any more since it requires me to do a summer internship before senior year. And that is a crucial summer for me.

Hey, don’t judge me for being indecisive about minors and majors. What can I say? Sometimes I’m fickle :)

What Arrghh You for Halloween?

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:02:25 PST

Halloween sophomore year was really different from freshman year. Different as in I had a better idea what goes on here. I actually started thinking of costume ideas before I came up to SCU and narrowed my options down to 7 potential costumes by October. Sadly, instead of “making” my costume this year, I went the lazy route and decided to buy an outfit. While searching online, I came across high prices for little outfits. Everything that came down to mid-thigh length was $30 at the cheapest. There was a nun costume that covered more skin on-sale for only $15! I bet it was on sale because it didn’t allow enough skin to show.

Alas, it is a lot colder in Nor. Cal so I thought about my costume carefully- what could I be that would keep me pretty warm? Obviously nudist was out of the question. So were Eve and a bikini model. I also figured that I was going to wear this costume for just one night so why bother spending a lot? My costume of choice ended up being a pirate wench from the price-friendly Target for under $30. What a deal. It looked pretty good on me so I hope there will be a pirate themeed party sometime this year I can re-wear it to.

The days leading up to Halloween were filled with growing common room decorations and a floor decoration contest on Thursday. That afternoon I was getting in some hardcore homework time in when I faintly heard the sound of N’Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye.” I got up from my chair and followed the music as if I was in a trance. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m a BSB girl.) It lead me to Jeff and Elizabeth who started to decorate the floor. They convinced me that my homework was irrelevant and helping them was a much better choice. The sucker that I am, I fell for it and the decorating commenced. More people began to join us as the judging time grew nearer. Our floor’s theme was “Trouble in Paradise.” When you first get out of the elevator, everything seems tropical and great. But then you walk down the hall and THE HORROR! Preposterously, our floor did not win. Well…who wants a pizza party anyway? I sure don’t :P

I started Halloween night by dressing up and going to the “Clue Party” down in Sobrato Commons. There was a spread of pizza, cake, sparkling apple cider, soda, and lettuce to eat while the movie played. And although I didn’t stay after for Sobrato’s version of the game, it looked fun. Instead, I went to a party just like last year. The party was a farther walk and I’ll admit I didn’t have as much fun as freshman year. So I came back and ended my night by hanging out with friends.

And that was how my 2^nd Halloween at SCU went. I hope everyone else had an awesome Halloween and got more treats than tricks!

Love,

Kelly the Pirate

(Arrrrgh)

To Infinity and Beyond

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:22:55 PST

Here at Santa Clara, I want to make a difference. I want to leave a mark and do something that matters. I want to do something that I can say, “When I was in college, I was a (fill in blank) in (fill in blank).” Whether it be “secretary, Hawaii club,” “volunteer, SCCAP,” or “columnist, the newspaper,” I want to fill in those blanks. I don’t want to be the girl in the crowd, applauding people that are making a difference, gushing “What you did was awesome, good for you!” You know that saying, “everyone is special”? Well, lately I feel like I just may be the exception. I’ve never won an election in my life. Do you know how many times I’ve heard “you were so close” followed by a sad smile? I’ve never found an alternative energy source. (Okay, you probably haven’t either, but still…) I’ve never got the high score on a test. I’ve never touched a group of people with a moving speech. And when I donated blood I got deferred more than once. Heck, I’m not even on the Dean’s list.

So now I ask myself, (and YOU should ask yourself,) how do I define myself? What’s my legacy? When I leave this school, will I even have a legacy? I want to be good at something that I like, or better, love. I want people to choose me first for kickball. I want to be destined for success. I want to be great.

The Day the Sky Fell

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:18:03 PST

While college is filled with happiness and fond memories, there are always going to be dark ones as well. Today I got the feared call from home. There had been a death. My sister’s pet chicken, Henny, had died last night from reasons unknown.

Pet chickens had been part of my family for a while. My sister and I both received our own chickens when I was eight years old while my mom was on a trip to China. I guess the strategy to that move was when my mom came back, she couldn’t tell my dad to get rid of them. I remember getting teased for telling people I had a pet chicken instead of having a normal pet like a cat or dog. And over the years there were times when the chickens would decide to be convicts and break out of their cages, hide in a tree, or sometimes go MIA for a few days. Fond memories, but definitely not ones of a normal pet.

I had turned my own chicken, Gaicoo, over to Jamie’s care towards the end of seventh or eighth grade. Henny’s predecessor, Henny Penny, was Gaicoo’s companion at the time. I let Jamie adopt Gaicoo not only because the mosquitoes stared to feast on my blood every time I went outside, but because I knew Jamie would take good care of her. While I’ll spare you guys Henny’s details, I’ll just say while my mom told me her version of what happened all I could think about was my poor animal-loving sister, Jamie. My cousin Kimberlee had once said, “Babies, old people, and animals love Jamie.” And vice versa.

I’ll admit that I cried a bit after the call. Although I didn’t take care of Henny much, Henny was still a part of my life. Kind of like underwear from my grandparents. Although I never wore them much, they were always there in my underwear drawer. I guess this is my first taste of “life” happening while away in college. Truthfully, I didn’t care for it much.

Rest in Peace Henny (and party it up in chicken heaven.)

Things That I Like to Eat

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:06:48 PST

Freshmen are easy to point out. They’re the ones that use trays in the Benson. (Well, more are learning not to now.) And they either emit this nervous “fresh-out-of-high-school” aura or they are one of the noisy ones that think they are just. so. cool. And when they open their mouth to say something, it’s over. You KNOW they’re new on campus just by hearing what they talk about. And with the noisy ones, you don’t even have to eavesdrop on conversations. And in my mind, I tell myself, “It’s a good thing you weren’t like that.” I know, it’s mean. And I’ll probably get bad karma and walk into a tree for thinking that. But as much as I try to avoid being mistaken as a freshman again, there is one thing that I can’t help. It’s my weakness. You would think I’m a freshman by just watching me try to befriend the squirrels. I’ve already been asked if I was one in one of my endeavors. Several times this year I have already attempted to lure the squirrels to me, promising food and friendship, but to no avail.

Although I have failed to achieve a solid relationship with them built on trust and love, I’ve come really close standing near to them. And lucky for you, I’ve decided to reveal my methods.

The Art of Getting Close to a Squirrely Friend

1. Find a distracted squirrel. He can be digging a hole, eating a nut, or making conversation with another squirrel. The attentive ones aren’t as willing to trust.

2. Walk on the grass at an angle; don’t approach them from the front. Just pretend you… “happen” to be walking there. You’re not there because of the squirrel, but because you just “happen” to be there too. It’s a happy coincidence. No squirrel likes to be focused upon directly. If you do this part wrong, they’ll run.

3. Steal glances at the squirrel while inching closer. Try not to make a lot of noise.

4. If the squirrel freezes, you’re in the danger zone. He’s about to run. Don’t make any sudden movements.

5. Now if he’s relaxed, the rest depends on you and the squirrel. Some squirrels will be curious so they’ll climb partly up a palm tree, but stick around to stare. From here, you can intrigue them by pretending you have food in your hand. Or actually have food in your hand. But let me warn you, they are picky squirrels. And as for the other squirrels, they might just scamper away and leave you sad.

It’s a hard thing to do, befriending the squirrels. But someone’s gotta do it. So if you see me around talking to squirrels, don’t judge me. And if I see you doing it, I won’t judge you. Good luck.

P.S. - I’m totally joking about the title. I don’t really like to eat squirrels.

`Okakopa (October)

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:01:05 PST

October has turned out to be a very busy and important month for me. Just this past Saturday, my Aunty Di and Uncle Al came up to visit me (and pick up some wine). They took me to lunch, out shopping, then brought me back so I could go to the Santana concert with my friends. Four of us went to the concert, Andy, Shawn, David K, and I, thanks to David. The concert was at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View and David’s dad had hooked us up with some pretty sweet seats and parking. Although the opening act wasn’t that good (Santana’s son’s band) and once in a while you could smell weed, the concert itself was awesome. I’m sure the enthusiastic dancing woman in front of us would agree as well. Although it was cold, she really got into the music. More power to her. And on Sunday, I went to a United Airline’s open house for employees. I got to walk through a two story plane and watch the Blue Angels practice. And I snagged a picture with a storm trooper. (I know, kind of random.) I think I’ll make it my next profile picture on Facebook.

Coming up in October, I have a fat group paper due for my management ethic’s class, my other job to fulfill as well, the Price Waterhouse Coopers Xact competition, and Halloween costume hunting. Well, my other job (grading papers) isn’t actually that bad. I like to draw pictures on the homework when it’s a perfect. All in fun and exciting colors of course! And yes, the search for my Halloween costume continues. It’s actually pretty hard! Looking at costumes on the internet, I realize that some clothes may not fit as well on me as I’m not tall, skinny, or Caucasian. Also, I’m not willing to dish out over 30 bucks for a one time Halloween costume. Well, maybe if we throw excessive costume parties throughout the year…. But otherwise, no.

And last thing, I am currently struggling as I decide between minors and reconsidering, JUST reconsidering, my major. I’m not going to say what I’m thinking here, but if anything becomes definite I’ll tell you guys. Oh and lastly, HAPPY TUESDAY!!

P.S.- If you don’t know what language the word “`Okakopa” is from, do some cultural learning for yourself today and Google it. (Knowledge is power!)

Weekend's the Word

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:55:31 PST

I am in my third week here already. It’s crazy how fast that was, but at the same time, I can’t believe how slow everything is going! Well anyway, if you haven t seen it yet, the blogSCU link is on the SCU homepage. No longer do you click my face thumbnail to access all of the blogs, but a fresh new freshman face!

This past weekend was a mixture of fun, happiness, frustration, and calm. On Friday, JSA (Japanese Student Association) had their first event of the year- a free dinner. The event itself was held in the Kennedy Commons and featured a spread consisting of chicken, rice, miso soup, salad, curry, baked sushi, and cookies. Oh and there was Koolaid. (You can’t have a party without the Koolaid!) After the dinner, David K. and I went to a Salsa dancing night held in Mayer Theatre. There was a live band that sounded awesome, some instruction from Salsa Clara (the SCU Salsa team/club), and extremely talented Salsa dancing couples! Although they danced only for recreation, David and I felt so insignificant dancing beside them. Our plan before the next Salsa event is to get really good in the privacy of our own rooms and blow everybody’s minds. The rest of the night was hectic and put a slight damper on our evening, but all I can say is that there are still a lot of new, and not always great, experiences to go around as a sophomore. Hopefully years from now it’ll make a good story to tell my kids.

On Saturday, some of my friends attended the UH vs Fresno game at Fresno. A lot of people thought that Hawaii was going to lose and the few who didn’t encouraged everyone else to “have faith.” Instead of going, I personally spent the day baking a dessert and watching “The Notebook,” “Titanic,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Made of Honor,” and the most of the hour long cut scene of the game “Metal Gear Solid.” The dessert turned out better than I had expected. It had a shortbread crust, cream cheese middle, a layer of jello, and fresh strawberries to top it off. (All the ingredients were purchased on campus.)

Sunday was pretty much a relaxing day for me although I did make baked sushi for dinner. (It was delicious.) And at night, the boys had an intramural flag football game against some grad students. They tried hard, but they lost. Well, it was only the first game. They also made team shirts so hopefully by the next game they can wear it (and win).

Ok guys, its Tuesday so that means Stufts all-you-can-eat pizza*. I can’t eat all that pizza so I’ll probably go just for the company :) TTFN!

*Just a thought- why are some buffets “all-you-can-eat?” Aren’t ALL buffets “all-you-can-eat?” Ya….think about that.

Life As I Know It

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:32:42 PST

I’m backkk! HAHAHA! And everyone who emailed me this summer, thanks for making me feel popular :) I was happy to answer any questions and hear that I had more than five people who read my blog last year. And current freshman, feel free to add me on facebook or say hi to me on campus. I’m really friendly. Really.

So this year, I am living on the third floor of Sobrato which means I have more neighbors and get a lot more sunlight in my room. Another new addition to the building is that the management proceeded to turn almost all the doors into “emergency exits.” If you set one off, there is a $5 charge. How convenient.

My suitemates (suities!) this year are Meli, Christina (from last year), Marianne, Katie, and Elena. Katie and Elena are the freshman of the suite but they’re kind of cool. And since Katie and Meli are from Hawaii, that makes half of our suite from Hawaii. Oh and we also have fish. At the club fair on Sunday, APSU was giving away free fish to those who signed up so Marianne and I both signed up. The fish are named Swimmy and Fin. I am hoping they’ll last longer than the one I had last year :(

As I get back into the “groove” of school, I can spot immediate differences as a sophomore compared to last year. First of all, the freshman are spoiled. When I was a freshman, everyone got an oversized grey sweatshirt that can be deemed by anyone as ugly. The only time I ever wear it is when my friends barbeque and I don’t want my other jackets to smell like meat. This year’s freshman got free backpacks with “2012” stitched on. Also, Santa Clara didn’t even bother sending the upperclassmen move-in information in the mail or even a text message letting us know when we could move in. And of course, the freshmen get to move in a day early. But it’s okay. The free stuff for the freshman should stop flowing right around this time.

It’s kind of weird not being a freshman anymore. The list of “first times” is dramatically decreasing and time goes by slowly. The excitement level is not as intense as before and meeting new people don’t happen as often. I’m… aged?

Accustomed? Well, something like that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see my friends again after the long summer hiatus, but this year is just different. But I don’t doubt it will be any less interesting :)

The End of the Beginning

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:05:03 PST

Hey guys, so this is it. Everyone is moving boxes and pushing hand trucks towards the doors. Rooms are empty and that’s how they will stay until their next occupant comes. The walls are bare, stripped of all color, pins, and blue tape. It’s a familiar scene—but it’s not quite right. The difference is that no one is staying.

The year went by much too quickly. It doesn’t feel like any time has passed but the changes around me says it did. Just the other day I was watching Punahou class of 2008’s commencement online. It made me reminisce about my own graduation—back then I felt like the world was mine for the taking. There were opportunities and experiences for me beyond Hawaii; the anticipation made me giddy. I am no longer that “recent graduate,” but am now on the verge of becoming a sophomore, a “wise fool.”

I’d like to thank my parents and Santa Clara’s generosity—without them, I would not be here at all. I’d also like to thank all my teachers because I’ve learned something from every single one of them. I’d like to thank my suitemates because they became my family. We’ve all come to learn what each of our perks and irks are and how to comfortably live with each other. And I’d like to thank all my friends because they were my home away from home and were also like my family.

And for the incoming freshman next year, here’s a list of tips that you may find very helpful. Seriously, this is all from first hand experiences.

1. Do not put a preference down for a roommate or suitemate. You meet new people this way and get out of your comfort zone. Besides, I hear horror stories about how friends rooming with friends don’t work out. DISCLAIMER: Not all random roommate/suitemate situations turn out. (A majority does though!)

2. You don’t need a lint roller. So out of all the useless stuff in my room, I have used my lint roller exactly one time. Maybe it’ll come in handy if you have a lot of black clothes that attract lint, but other than that, you won’t really need it.

3. For business students/those planning to rush a frat or sorority: bring up a suit or snappy business attire. You will need to wear it when you give presentations or when you rush. (Boys, if you don’t already, learn how to tie a tie!)

4. Get a Brita. It’s convenient, environmentally friendly, and wayyy cheaper than buying bottled water every day. (And it makes a great grad present.)

5. Don’t bring your whole closet with you. Just about everyone I know hasn’t worn half of the stuff they brought from home. And the extra clothes is just a space waster. Trust me.

6. You can buy a lot of stuff when you get here. They have a Target, IKEA, and a Bed Bath & Beyond around the area. Besides, now that the airlines are charging you for the second bag, who wants to pay extra?

7. Take a class with Professor Parella. A tourist from the mainland gave me this advice last year while I was working at Gap in Hawaii. I had disregarded her suggestion but ended up with Parella anyway. I got lucky because he really is a good/entertaining teacher.

8. T-Mobile works best at SCU. This is the one place where T-Mobile beats AT&T and Verizon. T-Mobile works in Benson, most of the library, in the dorms, and at the gym. For the non-T-Mobile users, can you hear me now? Nope.

9. Have quarters handy. Although you can use your Access card to pay for laundry and vending machine items, there are times where the Access card office decides to do maintenance. Just the other day I had to convert my $5 bill into $1s and then put those in a vending machine that accepted cash. That machine only spit out dimes. So I put the dimes into a vending machine that only accepted coins so I could get quarters. I did all this in the name of laundry. And quarters come in handy because bus fare is $1.75 one way.

10. Skateboards and bikes are great means of transportation around campus. When there is only ten minutes between classes, skateboards or bikes get you there on time. A popular choice on campus are Sector 9 long boards.

11. Besides Friday and Saturday night, Wednesday is also a prime night for “rowdiness.” (Way back in the day, there was supposedly no school on Wednesdays.)

12. Get involved. Whether it be in flag football, a culture club, Tuesday night liturgy, or on the student body, getting involved will definitely make your college life richer.

And here’s a special v-log I made… so watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT_8hP_gmqI

Thanks for reading my blog this year! It’s definitely been a privilege being a student blogger. But I feel like there is so much more I have left to say and share with all of you… If anybody, students, parents, teachers, whoever, you can reach me at khee@scu.edu or find me on Facebook.

Love,

Kelly

Whitney the Bee and Business School

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:00:44 PST

On Tuesday after making ice cream in our last chemistry lab, I went to the library’s Sunstream Café with Ian because he wanted to get a drink. While waiting for the drink to be made, I spotted my friend Arianna and went over to say hi. We exchanged hellos and then she pointed at my hip. At first I was confused why she was pointing at such an unusual spot and thought, “maybe she likes my skirt?” But in fact, she was pointing at a hitchhiker bee that caught a ride on the side of my yellow blouse. I named it Whitney and dropped it off on a flower petal outside. (Santa Clara has some pretty nice flowers.) After a few minutes, I came back to check on it and it was still on the petal. “What a lazy bee,” I thought to myself. The hive was not going to be happy.

I feel just like Whitney. Lazy. The pollen is right there, but I’m too lazy to collect it. Although I just finished four presentations this week, unfortunately, I still have a test and two papers to get through. Ugh. Tip to those recent high school graduates coming to the business school next year: bring some business attire with you. You will probably need to wear it when you give presentations and especially if you decide to rush a frat/sorority. And another tip for those to-be business students—if you plan to double major or pick up a minor in the same school, it’s not going to happen. This means you can’t major/minor in accounting AND management. They won’t let you, just a heads up. I know this because I declared a Management major on Wednesday (yay!), which was an easier process than I thought it would be. So now we can change my info on BlogSCU! I also plan to pick up a minor in retail studies and possibly environmental science too.

Anyway, the end is drawing near, so look out for a few more posts next week! Seriously, where did the year go….?

Give me down to there, Hair!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:05:27 PST

Last week Friday, I went to see the production of “Hair” with David and Roger, who had to see it for their Performance and Culture class. I had always wanted to see “Hair” since the Broadway version performed the song “Hair” at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade several years ago. So I was kind of excited. It was not only my first time seeing “Hair,” but my first theatre production since I’ve been here, sans “Unspeakable Acts.” Since my ticket was free, the box office seated me right in the front row, a supposed undesirable seat. David sat on my left and on my right sat a Caucasian conservative looking man with glasses. He had his button down shirt neatly tucked in, wore smart looking glasses, sported a slightly receding hairline, and came off as intelligent and proper. When the production of “Hair” began, I knew right away this was not the show for him. Or perhaps, the seat for him. In the first act, he had a pair of jeans thrown at him by an actor stripping to reveal a loin cloth. My neighbor held the jeans like it was a smelly old shoe, and even offered them to me. Wild times, sitting in the front row.

The show itself was really good. It was an interesting musical, as it had no plot, and the actors/actresses never broke character. And just about all the performers could sing and dance really well. I give them props for accurately knowing their set and acting around the giant hole in the floor in which the orchestra, on the bottom, played from. (I was watching how close the actors could get to the edge of the pit, and they could go close!) The performers brought the radical ‘60s to life and showed me what it REALLY meant to “have a nice trip.” I definitely give it an A+ and highly suggest it to all that have not seen it yet. However, it is not a production you would want to see with your parents, as I think they might have a several urges to cover your innocent eyes.

I thought this would be an appropriate post, since I have recently noticed that most of my guy friends’ hair has been getting extremely long. I dub this style, “college hair.” “College hair” covers guys’ ears, looks straggly, and is pretty long. It resembles hair that hasn’t been cut in months. Hopefully, their moms will make them chop it off when they go home.

O-oh, Say can you see; my eyes if you can,
Then my hair's too short!

It's Like I'm Moving Through Water

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:41:21 PST

By the end of week 8, you would expect school to be winding down. Well, not here at Santa Clara. Before the week 8 had even ended, I had 5 different books on pesticides piled on my desk so I could write a research paper for English. I found it amusing that all of their covers were some shade of green. The night I had borrowed the last book on pesticides was also the night I found out that you could borrow an unlimited amount of books from the library. “Well, that’s convenient if I need to borrow any more books for the other two papers I have to write,” I thought to myself, grabbing the two inch thick book from the librarian. In the next two weeks, I expect myself to crank out a total of three papers, each with a length of ten pages give or take. Most likely give.

By the beginning of week 9, I have just about a million things to do, no time to do them, and the motivation to do it has slipped away. Instead, I sit at my computer for hours thinking of what needs to be done, making lists and lists and lists, looking at pictures of the fun my friends are having at home, and eat away at the enormous amount of food I have stored in my room. Perhaps if I think about the task hard enough, it’ll do itself. My mind is already in summer mode, but time and my body are not quite caught up yet. I am… a vegetable? Ok maybe not a vegetable yet. Anyway, I just finished eating the corn I bought from Safeway (4 for $1) and my second package of Korean nori so I guess that’s a signal to get started on that management paper.

LU WOW WOW

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:14:27 PST

I think it’s completely unfair. The month of May robbed me blind and I have no idea where the days went. It’s almost the end of May, school is almost coming to a close, and I have just about a jillion papers to write! I would seriously like to know where all my time went.

Anyway, here is the entry on Luau like I promised. The day before Luau was hectic. It involved physical labor and patience with a knife. What I mean by that is I had to move heavy boxes of flowers, donations, and fruit punch syrup several times and had to prepare food in the SCU kitchen. Unlike other schools, the Santa Clara’s Hawaii club prepares all their own food. Besides making kalua pig by imu, we chopped up the salmon and vegetables for the lomi salmon, washed and baked the sweet potatoes, cut and shred the chicken for the chicken long rice, made the haupia from scratch, grilled the chicken barbeque chicken, and mixed our own poi. Okay, so we didn’t pound the poi ourselves, but we mixed it with water and rationed them into cups. Being on food committee was sure messy work. Between food prep and dress rehearsal, I went back to my room and showered because I had raw chicken on my pants and reeked of salmon.

When I came back from showering, the decorations committee had attacked Benson and turned it into a blue, black, and green room. The pillars were now palm trees and the panels on the wall were covered with silhouettes of hula dancers in the night. Dress rehearsal started at 11 pm and ran somewhat smoothly. By the time I went to bed that night, it was almost 1 in the morning; I had to be back for food committee at 8.

Food committee the next morning didn’t take as long as everything was prepped pretty well. The doors opened at 11 am and about 200 people (give or take) came. My fellow blogger, Justin, even came. He was expecting a fire dance, but I don’t think SCU would have allowed it. After lunch was served, the show started. I was in the Tahitian number and the couples dance. I hadn’t danced for an audience in about a year and remembered just how fun it was. After the first show ended, the Hawaii club cleaned up, prepared for the dinner show, and finally got to eat… pizza. In the break we had between shows I showered, took a nap, and met my aunty and uncle to give them their tickets. They had flown from Hawaii just to see me perform! And my cousin Angela and her friend Dao, who attend USF, came to watch me too.

There was even less food prep for the dinner show but I had to serve the chicken long rice during the dinner portion. The food looked so good, it made me hungry. After everyone was full, the dinner show started. Benson was even more filled for the dinner show! Because I had to table during the week, I knew that it was just about sold out! I messed up in the couples number right in front of my friends from who came down from Stanford, but I don’t think they noticed. After the show was over, the tables in the middle of Benson were pushed to the sides to make room for the Opihi Pickers and Kaipo Kapua concert! (They’re pretty popular in Hawaii. You should look them up.) After the concert was over, the real clean up took place and then we finally got to eat our own food! I’m not trying to brag or anything, but the food was really good and it wasn’t just because I helped make it.

Even though it was a lot of hard work, Luau was really fun. Now that it’s over, it feels weird not going to practice on Sundays… but now I have 2 extra hours to myself so no one’s complaining!

Tid Bits and Bits of Life

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:24:07 PST

So my next post will be about Luau. This one will focus on other things like the environmental information coming out of my ears, the room selections, my classes, or how all my other friends are back at home tanning their poor pale sun deprived bodies.

About the environmental stuff hacking my brain. For English class, I read a biography on Rachel Carson, the woman responsible for writing Silent Spring (the famous book bashing DDT), and then wrote a paper on it. My next paper focuses on pesticides which deal with the environmental impacts it has on our society today. I could handle that… if it wasn’t for the eco-friendly chapters I have been reading in management class. As I go through my day, all I can hear is “biodegradable, cattle, methane, green house, sustainability, etc.” I have succumbed to the eco-friendly bandwagon (fueled by ethanol from corn) while dressed in organic cotton, holding a biodegradable utensil in each hand. But in all seriousness, you all should really stop eating cattle. There are more serious issues involved with the cattle industry than their flatulence.

Tonight also happened to be room selections in Sobrato. Housing didn’t go down very well for a few of my friends, but rumor has it that this happens every year. Glad I got into Sobrato. Tonight was part one of room selections. This is the part where you chose what rooms in the suite you want. Part two, next week, you chose your suite. I’m crossing my fingers.

So I guess one of the bad things about being on the quarter system is that you start late and end late. This means that once all your friends have left for college, you will still be at home… alone. And once the end of the school year rolls around, all your friends will have gone home and you will be in the mainland… with school. The only school systems I know that work like SCU’s are the UC schools and UW. And probably some other small schools that are slipping my mind right now. But today’s weather was 90 something degrees, close to Hawaii weather, so I guess it’s not too bad except for, you know, the school thing.

By the way, I checked out the rest of this week’s weather. The highs are all above 80 degrees. Sweet.

Luaus and Libraries

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:44:11 PST

Hey guys! I’ve been sooo busy recently because Luau is this Saturday! (Tomorrow!) My cousin is coming down from USF and my aunty and uncle are flying up from Hawaii to come to the show. Hawaii club is taking over Benson tonight so we can decorate it and run through the show again. I don’t know if I’m going to get much sleep for the next two days L

One of the food items that we serve at luau is called Kalua Pig, which is piggy prepared in an imu about half an hour away from SCU. An imu is kind of like a steamer without electricity. First you dig a hole in the ground and throw a bunch of newspapers and lighter fluid in it. Then you put rocks on top and light the whole thing on fire. Once the fire is out, you put shredded banana leaves over it and on top of that, the salted pig. Then you cover the whole thing with a plastic tarp and leave it over night. Banana leaves have a lot of water in them so when the rocks turn the water into steam, the pig gets cooked. And tada! You get Kalua pig! Pretty cool, huh? It was a lot of work preparing the imu last week Friday, but hopefully it’ll all be worth it tomorrow.

Putting Luau on the side, let’s now turn to the new library. I might have mentioned how cool it is in previous blogs, but let me stress it again. IT’S SO COOL. Yesterday, I met my Management169 group in the library for a group project meeting. One of my teammates had reserved a room to use downstairs. Besides the lack of air-condition in the room, I was very impressed by the facilities. It had a large TV screen which could hook up to a laptop, a white board from ceiling to floor, internet access, and a circular table in which we could all work around. My teammate had reserved the room for two hours online a week in advance. I felt that we were more productive in that room than we could have been somewhere else. The new library is definitely an asset to Santa Clara and I am so glad that it finally opened in my freshman year of college!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend and I’ll tell you more about Luau next week! Oh and don’t forget this weekend is Mother’s Day :)

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!

In College, You Can Do WHATEVER You Want? But You Won?t

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sat, 03 May 2008 04:23:26 PST

Let me tell you something. College isn’t what I had expected. Or for potential freshmen, it won’t be what you expect either. You can read all the stats and reviews you want, tour the campus a million times, and even talk to current students, and you still won’t know what’s coming. Before I came to Santa Clara, there was a lot of anticipation for me. Anticipation of my freedom (at last!) No more parents, curfews, eating restrictions, etc. I could finally stay out as late as I wanted, do whatever I wanted, and slept whenever I wanted. And you could probably eat that pint of cake batter ice cream without hearing your mom’s nagging. You really could… but you probably won’t. (Okay, you might once.)

“Why wouldn’t you?” you may ask me, feeling confused, “It’s a whole pint of deliciousness in one sitting!” Well for one, remember the saying “a moment on the lips, forever on your hips.” But in all seriousness, the reason you wouldn’t eat that ice cream is for the same reason you do your own laundry, clean your room, and work out. You see, after you get over the initial excitement of your newfound freedom, a sense of responsibility settles in. (I know, it sounds yucky. But it’s true.) For me, I felt a need to prove myself to my parents that I could do things on my own. In college, I want to get good grades on my own. I want to eat healthy and exercise. I want to keep my room clean. There will be no more “authorita” to tell you what to do. When kids go to college, I think most will finally feel a responsibility to themselves.

Yes, college is a new adventure and could possibly the best time of your life. But it may also be a time where you finally grow up because you have something to prove to yourself and to the world.

Food and Things

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:19:46 PST

Important Updates!

Luau is on May 10^th! (Come eat, watch, and if you can, sing along.)
No more Flannery O Connor
It’s going to be sunny for the next couple days
The Mission Bakery’s yogurt machine is working again
But sadly, the Cellar’s yogurt/icecream machine is broken
The new library is awesome
Since last night, I know how to use the copy machines and look up periodicals
The Bronco has a new Island Oasis flavor—guava
And our sink’s garbage disposal has finally been fixed (It’s a great day for everyone.)

So this week has been pretty hectic for me—quizzes, papers, eating, speeches, etc etc. (I feel very academic.) And I’ve come to realize sometimes when I do public speaking my sentences don’t seem to have complete thoughts behind them. In my head what I want to say sounds great, but somewhere between my brain and tongue I get hit with the stupid stick. And then… my face turns red like a tomato. Garnished with lettuce, I would be a perfectly good salad.

Anyway, if there’s any prospective or future SCU students out there reading this thing, let me tell you about the alternative dining options besides Benson food. (Benson food is perfectly fine, but it gets old.) On Mondays, Blondies (the yogurt/icecream shop near Stuft Pizza) has a $1 cone special! And if you don’t like Blondies, you can also go to the semi-out-of-the-way alternative, Frozos! Although Frozos does not have specials like Blondies, they do offer a variety of toppings including cereals, fruits, candies, and MOCHI BALLS. Not craving dessert? How about some All-You-Can-Eat Stuft Pizza on Tuesdays? (Or every day at lunch.) Although they initially have Hawaiian, pepperoni, cheese, and garden pizzas in the early hours, if you wait long enough, they might make a pesto pizza. Or you can go to Taco Bell, which is right next to Safeway, and grab a Cheesy Beefy Melt, highly recommended by my friends. These are just some of the neighborhood eateries around SCU, but there are PLENTY more. And I guess the best part about most of these places is that they take Flex. (A.k.a. money put on your Access card by your parents for copiers, laundry, haircuts at “Great Cuts,” etc.)

Aw. Now I’m hungry :(

Small Books Make for Fat Readings

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:33:46 PST

It was a Monday night and I sat in my room reading, “Flannery O Connor—Spiritual Writings” for a religion class I would have at 8 AM the next morning. I had been going at this since about 9 and now it was close to 11:30. Although the reading was just a mere 25 pages, my eyes had trouble staying open—and it wasn’t because I didn’t get enough sleep. Then I stopped, put down the book for the zillionth time, and thought, “Flannery, baby, you bring up some interesting points in your letters but why didn’t you stop these men who put them all in a book?? This is punishment!” I was seriously burning through my 484 page Rachel Carson biography for English class faster than doing one reading out of this book. I flipped the paperback over to look at Flannery’s face framed with glasses. The picture looked like it should’ve been a still-painting rather than a photograph. While I tried to figure out if the ends of her mouth curved up to give even the slightest smile, I could hear David, who wasn’t sitting too far away, playing his PSP, clearly finished with his homework. I sighed, wishing I was too, and then opened the book again for the zillionth and one time.

Besides an occasional episode of “Friends,” eating, or extracurricular activities, this is pretty much my life outside of class. Today, we ended business early and the first thing I said was, “Yes! More time for homework!” I might as well have just said, “Yes! I’m a dork!”

For my fellow freshmen reading this, may the homework load be light on you. For the incoming/potential freshman, may you still have a life when spring quarter rolls around. And for the parents, more specifically mine, “lookie, guys! Ima studyin’!”

You've Got (No Idea How to Retrive Your) Mail

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:52:50 PST

It’s a pretty exciting time for me when I walk past the mailroom on the first floor of Sobrato and see my usually empty mailbox not empty. “Why, I’ve got mail!” I’ll think to myself, joyfully. And then comes the sour wait and anticipation.

“Wait, what anticipation?” you may ask, “Don’t you just open your mailbox and walkway with your letters?” I am embarrassed to say that for me, it doesn’t work like that. Let’s rewind to the first time I got mail in winter quarter. Unlike my friends who receive care packages or cute letters from home, I never receive anything from my parents. (And I still haven’t.) If they have something to say, it’s over email or phone. If I ever need anything, relatives who sometimes fly up bring it to me. And my friends don’t really send letters. Mailbox 3572 was just wasted space.

And one fateful day, I happened to check in hopes a letter had come for me. And there it was. I could see it through the small window sitting there at a slant. Who was it from? But more importantly, how could I get it out? After getting my combination from the desk receptionist, I attempted several times to open it. About a jillion tries from me, several tries from a stranger, and fifteen minutes had passed before I gave up and decided to ask one of my friends at a later time. I was too embarrassed to ask the desk receptionist since that would be admitting that I didn’t get any mail. Later on, I realized she probably already knew that since I had asked her for my combination.

Since then, all my friends have been able to successfully open my mailbox. And I like to keep it that way. So I usually text my friends like Ken or David to help opened the wretched thing so I can claim all the letters that are addressed to me. Today I still don’t know how to open my box and I have again received another letter. Who is it from? What is it about? These questions will remain unanswered until I can find one of my friends who is skilled in the art of opening mailboxes, more specifically, mine.

The SC - Season 3

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:19:33 PST

Just to bridge last quarter with this one, spring break in Disneyland was fun—we rode rides, ate churros, and just took a break from life. Pictures are included at the bottom. I thought I’d just sum up my spring break for you in a nutshell so I can talk about this quarter.

If my blog was a T.V. show instead, we would be beginning season 3. New cast members, new circumstances, new adventures. At the end of season 2, Bridget moved out of the double in our suite to live in Dunne so she could be in a more social environment. With the absence of Bridget, the series now introduces Momoko, a Japanese exchange student from Tokyo. Also happening this season, I am taking twenty three units, which is six courses. (One course is an upper division! Eek!) The questions this course overload poses include, “Will Kelly be able to handle?? Will her social life become nonexistent?? Will she become a hermit???” (Stay tuned for next week’s episode. Epic music plays.) I already feel like Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. How she had found the time to fight dark wizards and keep good grades I’ll never know. My mom even said, “don’t forget to have fun!” which is atypical as her usual responses to my phone calls are, “make sure you study,” or “get enough sleep.”

Hey! Ho! Let's Go!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:52:14 PST

Hey all! Now that finals are over, everyone is gone. (Including my suitemate, Bridget, who moved out of Sobrato to be in a dorm with a stronger social environment. She promises to visit all the time though, so it’s okay.) The campus is practically deserted except for the few students that chose to spend their spring break here. But let me tell you, I am not one of those students. You see, my “real” spring break starts tomorrow when I get on the bus to Disneyland! I was so excited to go to the happiest place on earth the night I finished finals, I stayed up till 4AM researching details of our trip from fast passes to hotel quirks. (And I also found myself randomly looking at reports of accidents that happened at Disneyland and tips on how to get a job there.) It feels really great to be going on a trip that just you and your friends planned on your own. So tonight it’s back to packing and I’ll tell you all about my trip when I get back! Spring break looks to be a blast!

Snappy Aloha Attire for a Snappy Weekend: Wedding in Paradise

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:34:48 PST

Hey everyone. I hope you all are enjoying “Dead Week,” which is actually not so dead. (“Dead Week” is the week before finals and also the last week of classes.) So now that I’m feeling much much better, I can tell you about my little vacation from school last week!

On the Saturday of the first weekend in March, I made that two thousand mile journey home for 48 hours to see my cousin get married. My cousin actually now lives in Cleveland (I have no idea why Cleveland) but decided to tie that knot at home, the best place ever. After I arrived, my family all went to the Bishop Museum for a tour and the rehearsal dinner. The food spread at dinner included a mixture of Hawaiian, Korean, and Chinese food, which was nothing out of the ordinary for the locals. The out of town guests, though, had trouble identifying what they were about to eat. “Do you keep the shell on and eat it?” a Caucasian girl asked me after I identified some boiled peanuts. But overall, the dinner was nice. People went up and told stories, drank, ate, and just had a good time.

The day of the wedding had beautiful weather and I was so excited. I got my nails done in the morning (after my mom insisted) and a haircut just for the occasion. The ceremony itself took place near the beach in a hotel in Waikiki. There were flowers garnishing the aisle, a floral arch at the end, a band playing, some sun burnt tourists who gathered at a distance to watch, and everyone dressed in “snappy aloha attire.” (Or “crispy” aloha attire, according to my Uncle who accidently used the wrong word.) The wedding itself was beautiful, touching, and perfect. And the after events were pretty awesome too. There were some hula dancers along with the live band, an open bar (of course not for me), a Chinese lion dance, Hawaiian food, speeches, a slideshow, and dancing. Talk about a great party. And for me, it was just really really nice to see my WHOLE (mom’s side of the) family there.

The Mahalo Luncheon took place the next day, Monday, right before I jumped on my plane back. It was held on the beach and hot dogs, drinks, Maui Onion chips, and pasta salad were served. The whole weekend itself was a nonstop eating fest. I regretfully could only stay an hour before heading off to the airport, but I savored the sun, talked with my family, and made the most of the time I had left. I was so sad to leave, that I actually teared up when I went through airport security. And then you know the rest from there. I got sick on the plane, blah blah blah.

My time home was so short, but sweet. And I’m so lucky that I got to go home, even if it was for that one weekend. But now that I’m back to the land of jacket-wearing-test-taking-no-asian-food-proper-english-speaking, I guess I should go study for finals. So congratulations Kevin and Julie! And now, I hit the books.

It Starts With an "S" and Ends With an "Ick."

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:04:00 PST

Hey guys.

So I meant to write about the fantastic magical wedding I just attended this past weekend, but instead, I’m going to tell you about how much it sucks being sick at Santa Clara. The first thing you should know is that when you go on airplanes, be wary when they announce the plane has “central A.C.” (And they say it like it’s a good thing.) Central A.C. means that each person doesn’t have an individual A.C. unit and when someone coughs in the back of the plane, the person in the front will likely breathe in that same air. Not fun, right?

The first night back, I got just about no sleep at all because my throat was dry. Then the nose started running like it was in a marathon. I went through a whole box of tissues. Cowell, the Health Center, was booked for the entire Tuesday but suggested I take some Tylenol. I got an appointment on Wednesday afternoon and they diagnosed it as a cold. Apparently, I’m not the only one sick at school. There’s something going around in the form of the chills, sore throat, runny nose, and coughing. No wonder Cowell was booked. Today I went to English class which was the first class I’ve sat through entirely since I’ve been back from Hawaii. There were a total of 9 people that attended. 10 if you include the teacher.

So if you are sick, please cover your mouth so the people that are well and healthy can continue living decongested and tissue free. And I wish you the best of luck getting better.

Send Me Home!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:41:54 PST

Tomorrow at this time, I will be in Hawaii. I know, I would be jealous too. The reason for my short trip home (coming back Monday) is because my cousin is getting married! And for me, it’s a pretty big deal because everyone on my mom’s side of the family is going to be there. If you recall, my family is huge and therefore it’s pretty rare for EVERYONE to be there.

Tonight, besides doing homework, packing, and preparing for my 9 AM flight, I’m also hanging out with my friend who flew down from Creighton during his spring break. So far, all we’ve done is eat pizza and play video games. Some Friday night, huh? Sorry for such a short post, but I’m sure in the next few days there will be plenty to tell!

Love,

Your Friendly Blogger Friend

Haunted Happenings

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:38:55 PST

Last week Thursday, David and I decided to go to the gym. On my way to the lobby of Sobrato, I dropped my access card and backtracked to the hallway by the Ignation Center where it lay, face up. So after staring at my frozen face on the card for a few seconds, I picked it up and put it in its “special place.” (Aka the card case.) Then walking on the sidewalk between Sobrato to the archway, halfway there I realize my card is not in its special place! (Dun dun dun!) How could this be? I just had it 2 minutes ago! Backtracking this time wasn’t so great as it was cold and really windy. David and I (and a few friends and woodland creatures) searched for a good 10 minutes before we decided I should call the Access Card Office. So I walked back to my suite, was grateful the door was left slightly open, and went inside. Before I went to my room, I shouted to my suitemate Alana, “You won’t believe this, I lost my access card!” Then before I could even start telling her the rest of the story, she chirped up and said “No you didn’t, its right there on the counter under that dishrag.” She came out of her room, lifted up the dishrag, and sure enough, there was my access card!

I don’t think any of my suitemates had picked it up, so how could it have gotten there? Human doing? Or perhaps… spiritual doing? And how do you get to the bell tower on top of Sobrato? (Ok, so that wasn’t really relevant, but how do you?) THIS sounds like a mystery to me.

Feel the Rush

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:07:27 PST

Happy-Day-After-President’s-Day everyone!
(Or Happy Tuesday.)

Last night, I stayed up till fivetwentysomething A.M. writing about the twentysomething generation, Generation X, for English class. When done, I shut my mood-swing of a computer off, vowing to wake up early and print the next morning in the Sobrato computer lab as I am just starting to turn in papers printed in purple and blue ink.

Two hours later, Alarm #1 goes off. I shut it off, intending to climb out of bed, but instead, go back to my dream where I get tasered for trying to escape a building. Alarm #2 goes off 15 minutes before class stars. What the fig. So I jump out of bed, brush my teeth, put my contacts on, slip on jeans and slippers all in 4 minutes. I dump my flash drive with the paper on it into a bag along with my English notebook and “I Am Charlotte Simmons,” which we are reading for class. Another minute.

Getting to the computer lab in another minute, I only need to read the sign once to comprehend that “The Printer is Not Working at the Moment.” Plan B? I got none. But my awesome friend in the neighboring suite, Pat, just happens to cross my path and is super enough to let me print in his room. Another 4 minutes.

After printing, I fly… no, I’m not that fast… I run to class which just so happens to be on the other side of campus, making it there by 8 AM, just in time to discuss the presidential candidates. Clutch.

And that, readers, was the most hectic 15 minutes I’ve ever experienced at SCU.

I Choose You Concrete Benches

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:42:40 PST

Here at sunny Santa Clara, where it has been recently shining and freezing at the same time, the warmth is finally returning to this campus and the feeling in my toes are slowly coming back. And the girls here are actually starting to tan outside again on the well manicured lawns. I was actually daring enough to wear shorts and a sleeveless top on Sunday in 60 degree weather. Rewinding 6 months back, I would’ve froze my butt off if I did that. Now… it just feels good.

Today Yahoo Weather informed me that it was going to be nice and sunny so I wore me some shorts. After eating a very late lunch with David, I had half an hour to kill before my “Kicking and Screaming” aerobic class, so we decided to bask in the sun and watch the personable Santa Clara squirrels frolic. Little did we know that sitting on the bench we had chosen would bring me great pain.

After watching our bushy tailed friends for a good 20 minutes, we got up to leave…. And the back of my thy hurt. It wasn’t like the giant-bruise-from-ski-trip hurt, but a someone’s-pinching-my-skin hurt. So I contorted my body in an odd way to get a look at the back of my leg. SPLINTERS! I have never had splinters in such an odd place before and boy, was it painful. There were these two specific splinters that started to make my skin swell up around it too.

So lesson learned- if you are wearing shorts, don’t sit on wooden benches at Santa Clara unless they look extremely sanded down.

To the Legion of Honor/Caltrain O.M.G.

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:26:37 PST

Alohaaaa.

It’s been a very trying two days in terms of sleep and school and yesterday threw me one curveball too many, but the doctors say I’ll be fine. (Geez, I hope I don’t get sick.)

This past Saturday, my Art History course forced me to go on a San Francisco adventure to visit the Legion of Honor, a museum located at the top of a golf course. (I guess after people golf, they like to be cultured in the arts?) My friends Geoff, Ian, and Daynard accompanied me on this journey starting at 8 AM. We took the Cal Train into the city ($15 roundtrip) and then caught the Muni ($1.50) to the Legion of Honor. From the bottom, we hiked up to the top, praying that our heads would stay clear of airborne golf balls. And once inside the museum ($4 with your Muni pass), we found the piece we had spent the past 3 hours traveling to see. The Tribute Money. After paying tribute to the piece and walking around, making the most out of our $4, we took the Muni to Chinatown and had lunch. Chinese New Year’s celebrations were in full swing as we walked around with our greasy food. After Chinatown, we shopped around at Union Square and then endured the long ride back to SCU.

Okay Caltrain story. So for about 75% of the ride, behind us, there were these college kids that were talking really loud about bad ID card pictures and once they got off, some equally annoying high school kids replaced them. I couldn’t help but laugh at their conversation. It sort of went like this

“Oh my gawddd, yaa she unfriended me on facebook. And I don’t. know. Whyyy.”

“Once we were sitting on the train tracks and were pretty far from the train, but they started honking at us because they thought we were closer and- and- Katelyn was totally freaking out. She was like screaming her head off!”

“Whhhaatt? She unfriended you?? When did that happen?”

“Ya I was! I tottttalllyy remember that! I can’t wait to go to our spot again.”

“Kyle do you think Kristen’s pretty?”

This continued for a good half hour. I wanted to laugh out loud or roll on floor and laugh my apples off, but I didn’t want to kill the amusing ditzy high school talk which I found annoying, but at the same time, surprisingly entertaining. I hope I was never like that in high school… actually I think it’s safe to say I wasn’t.

Don't be alarmed!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:59:26 PST

At this time of year, Santa Clara’s temperature flirts dangerously low on the bar… well at least I think so. Some days the sun will shine, but about 30 something degrees out. (Freezing point is 32.) And if you’re lucky, the highest it can get is low 60’s. And that’s IF you’re lucky.

So I’m sure you can imagine how much colder I was last night when the fire alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate Sobrato then forced to stand, shivering, on the grass. I had been just about ready to pee when all of a sudden BEEEEEP BEEEEEP. Owww. My ears hurt. BEEEEEEEP BEEEEEP. Wait, go outside?? But, I HAVE to gooooo now BEEEP NO ONE CARES BEEEEEP GET ON THE GRASS NOW BEEEEEP I guess I could try pee quickly, but then I’d have to take my hands off my ears- BEEEEEP GET OUTSIDE BEEEEEP. Unhappily surrendering, I slipped into my slippers (or flip flops) and followed the herd out the back entrance in jean shorts and a thin sweatshirt. If I had stopped to put on jeans, my ears might have gone deaf or who knows, I might’ve been done for.

The source of the fire had come from the kitchen and was caused by the same girl from the popcorn incident. (She’ll probably write about it in her blog too.) But this time, it was cake. The fire department came in their shiny red truck and parked it in front of everyone on the grass. They got out slowly and donned their important firemen suits. * Then they bravely proceeded to the kitchen and QINDCVZOIRGHADGLDFVK. Because the fire was KIVNXOQNR and they had to AIXEOVNZELDDHJF, they took forever. I’m not really sure what they did in there, but when they emerged, I had lost the feeling in my toes and now had the urge to pee more than ever. The oven is currently not available for use. Hopefully they fix it or replace it soon so I can make me some brownies.

*So while writing about the firemen, I thought of a side story. After my friends and I went to Target earlier this year to buy our big box of cooking supplies (see previous posts), we lugged everything to the bus stop and patiently waited for our only means of transportation to come. It was the best waiting period ever. Less than a mile away, we started noticing smoke rising in the air resembling fire smoke. Epic. Moments later, a procession of fire trucks pass us, but driving the opposite direction from the fire. Where you going guys?!? The fire’s that way! (My best guess was they forgot their gear in the excitement.) Five minutes after the trucks pass, the same procession passes us again, this time, going towards the fire. (Good job guys, snaps for the Santa Clara Fire Dept.) Excited and riled up by the sirens and fire, I took a picture of the smoke and texted it to my sister. She texted me back a picture of her lunch.

Let it Snow (At Tahoe!)

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:13:58 PST

The bruise on the back of my thigh can be accounted for as a souvenir from my MLK weekend. The Hawaii club Lake Tahoe ski trip was anticipated since November, but it was not until the weekend before that I bought my snowboarding pants. We left on the Friday at about 2:30 in the afternoon and didn’t arrive till it was 8pm or so. Our drivers, Matt and Michelle, were not from Hawaii, but that made them cool. The remaining 5 seats were occupied by my friends Krysti, David, Michelle, Shawn, and me. The drive consisted of countless songs ranging from FOB to Disney, a convenience store stop, sleeping, eating, talking, and an In-N-Out adventure, where a guy tried to pass off a $5 bill for a $100. The cabin the Hawaii club had rented was 3 stories and since our car was one of the first to arrive, we claimed sleeping spots first. And then after we all showered and ate, we crashed in those very spots.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, the house had become inhabited by more people overnight and the smell of food lured everyone to the top floor for breakfast. After we were fed and dressed, it was time to hit the Northstar slopes. Since I had gone skiing in the past, I can attest that it’s true- snowboarding is easier to learn than skiing. The morning was designated for practice on the bunny slopes and then after lunch, I tried a blue diamond slope with a bunch of seasoned veterans. (The colors representing levels go like this- green is easiest, blue is harder, and black is suicide.) The lift on the blue diamond slope fit 6 people to a chair. And this chair is held up by a clutch on a wire. One (flimsy?) clutch. (“The wonders of engineering!” my friend, David, said to that effect.) I wasn’t sure how liable the lift was so I tried hard not to look at the ground or focus on how long it took to get to the top. When it was time to unload, I got off perfectly fine… but then I tried to turn and fell on my right binding. It was like someone had elbowed me in the back of my leg… hard. Hence, the bruise. Besides this injury, the ride down was slow as I rode on my heels most of the way, sideways some of the way, and on my butt for a portion of the way. And you also have to take into account the time I spent on the facedown/ faceup on the ground. But I eventually got to the bottom and that’s what counts. When everyone came back to the house that night, I’m pretty sure just about everyone was sore. Feel that burn! After a rousing game of Taboo, we all went to sleep, recharging for Day 2 on the slopes.

My 2^nd morning on the slopes was spent with my friend, Ian, as it was his first day. Going up the bunny hill ski lift for his first time, he noticed the top didn’t have a loading place for going down. “Can’t go back now!” I told him. His first time getting off the lift was successful after pushing me down and leaving me to crawl out of the path of the coming chairs. (“Take one for the team!” said my friends who watched the whole thing.) After 3 runs down the hill with help from David, Ian was not bad at all. In fact, after lunch we deemed him ready to go on a green slope. But after we ate, his board had mysteriously disappeared when he came to claim it from the rack. (Probably taken by accident.) So Ian rode the gondola down to the rental place while David and I snowboarded the run down to the village to meet him there. The rest of our friends who went that day, Krysti, Michelle, and Roger, went on the green hill and promised to go again once Ian had a board. After we were reunited and Ian had a new board, we took the ski lift up and rode down the green slope. A little while into the run, I started to go pretty fast and somehow pulled ahead of everyone. And when I could see the SLOW DOWN sign at the bottom of the hill, my board got caught on a pile and sent me flying face down into the snow, and knocking the wind out of me. I was still trying to breathe five minutes later, when Michelle and Roger appeared. And just when I thought I was ready to stand up, two stupid snowboarders shredded snow all over me. That made me pissed. (I hope they got bachi.) After everyone got to the bottom, it started to snow pretty hard so we all snowboarded down the village run and left just as it got harder to see.

The next morning, we packed by 8am and left the house before 9am. It began snowing a lot so Matt had to put chains on the car wheels. Since the ride was during the day, we could see exactly where it went from horrible snowy weather to pastures, barren of any white at all. We had another convenience store and In-N-Out stop (w/o the drama) and made it back by 3pm or so. I came home to left-over decorations from Alana’s “Green Party” in our suite, and the constant inquiries about my fatty purple bruise. (I just smile lovingly and tell people it’s from my boyfriend.)

I know the trip wasn’t even 2 weeks ago, but I’m excited for next year already.

Squirrels Live in Oversized Pineapple Trees Covered in Snow

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:07:35 PST

The End is Near

After months of taking detours over grass, around portables, and the perimeter of the engineering building, students can now easily walk from Malley to Jumpstart without hiking a quarter of a mile. The detour where the wooden plank used to lie is now a yellow and brown strip of dead grass and mud, resembling a bad bikini line one would accumulate at the beach. All these inconveniences were suffered through in the name of our new library, rumored to be ready for use by next year. I’ve heard just the walkway’s palm trees, which resemble oversized pineapples on trunks, each cost a pretty penny. Or more like one Santa Clara student tuition plus housing, dining, books, and laundry costs… coming out to more than a penny, I guess. (But that’s only rumored.) I can only hope these trees hold the cure for the common cold at the amount we’re paying. But in all seriousness, this mecca of a library seems to be coming along quite nicely. I’m sure next year my friend David O, who is the epitome of a good SCU student, will make frequent pilgrimages to this beautiful building along with others just like him.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I thought Xander was joking at first, but when I looked outside today, I realized he was serious. People, there is snow on the mountains. SNOW. How great would that be if it snowed at SCU? I mean if it’s going to be cold, it might as well snow. I remember one recess back in 3^rd grade, I sat on the asphalt basketball courts heated by the Hawaiian sun and prayed hard for snow. I was kind of weird back then. Or maybe it was the heat getting to my 9-year-old self. Sadly, my prayers were never answered and not a single snowflake fell in Hawaii. It just rained a lot. And rain just doesn’t deserve the same excitement I work up for snow.

Well now I’m going to leave you with some pictures of the upcoming library, a foggy morning, naked trees, and the sidewalk behind O Connor. I would’ve enclosed some squirrels too, but I think they have this secret ban on making friends with humans. (“Can’t we just be friends? What a coincidence! I happen to like nuts too! C’mon, I don’t bite. Really… I don’t even like meat!”)

Last Days

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:47:29 PST

January 6, 2008

2:00 AM

I don’t want to go. Well not yet, at least. There are too many things I still haven’t done … (Mostly due to the December rain in Hawaii.) And 5 months is a long time from now L Tonight, my family hosted a Holiday Party at my house. There were about 40 people. All family. And when someone asked when I was going to go back up to college, I would reply automatically “I leave tomorrow.” And with each time I said it, the reality of my soon departure sank in deeper and deeper. For the past few days I had refused to accept the fact I was going back by not packing, purposely loosing track of the date and day, and pretending that January 6^th was a long way off.

I welcomed 2008 by playing with firecrackers just as any Hawaii kid would do. I played with sparklers. I lit up one of the long red stringed ones that finished with a loud bang. And a few times, I attempted to set up firecrackers in a way where one would trigger another and a long bright loud light show would ensue. After I was done being a pyro, I held my dog, Cricket, on my lap because she was scared. I don’t think any other state celebrates New Years quite like Hawaii does.

And on New Years day, I watched the Sugar Bowl, like any good Hawaii resident would do. It’s one of the biggest things to happen to Hawaii in a long time. And unlike the mainland where everyone chooses a favorite team, the University of Hawaii is just about EVERYONE in Hawaii’s team. And truthfully, it was quite a painful experience. After an unbelievable 12-0 regular season, seeing the Warriors get pounded by Georgia just broke my heart. Personally, I think we could’ve given Georgia a better run for their money, but as far as the rest of the nation is concerned, we didn’t belong. (And even though things currently look bleak for the Warrior’s future, I believe we’ll be back… eventually.)

To sum up my break. I didn’t get to do everything I wanted and I ate a lot. Seriously, Christmas is always an all day eating fest. But overall, it was good.

P.S. I hate airplanes.

Mele Kalikimaka

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:49:26 PST

Before I say anything else, let me cure your need for the answer to last post’s cliffhanger. I did make it home and my bags in followed in suit. The flight wasn’t too bad, although I did come home to a wet and humid Hawaii. I know I haven’t been religiously posting updates about my time back, but I’ve compiled a bunch of posts I meant to finish but instead just started new ones.

12/12/07

Today marks the fifth full day back home and color is finally returning to my poor pale sun deprived skin. I have a light shade of gold, not quite a tan, but a color expected from only two semi-sunny days at the beach. I also have a purple bruise on my left knee from the night I walked into my unfamiliar dark garage to get something from the fridge and instead hit a table. And to top it off, I have red scratches and scabs from the reef on my toe and on the side of my body.

12/14/07

I haven’t been home even a week and my mom has got me cleaning out my stuff. So now I sit here, sorting through memories, each holding some sort of urgent importance at points in my life. I’ve just finished accumulating 2 bags worth of schedules, dates, college essay drafts, college applications addressed to KLly H e. It comes out to 25 lbs. (I weighed it.) All this college stuff sitting before me makes me think about how I used to be on the outside looking in. What I mean by that is I used to be the one looking at colleges, wanting to be part of just one of them. Now I am part of a college. I am now on the inside.

Next thing I tackled was all the old high school papers. Senior sing music, biology notes in neat handwriting, incomplete Japanese worksheets, etc. It was painful to throw away so much of my past, but if I didn’t, how would I make room for the future? In the end, I kept a small pile of papers. Amongst the pile, it consisted of “The Easiest Reading Quiz in the World” on which I scored a 0/5, the edition of the marching band newsletter when we went to the Rose Parade, the cover of a Pepperdine University brochure (because the material felt nice and I could use it later for art projects), and stuck between the environmental section of a binder, a program from my teacher’s memorial service after he passed away last February on a school boat trip. Some four years.

12/16/07

Today I got a haircut after 4 months. It is… short. Oh and by the way, I finally put leash on my body board. Yayyyyyyzhdigndk.

12/18/07

I have been TV and movie deprived since I went up to college, with the exception of UH football games, DVD’s, and online TV shows. And now that I’m at home, I took the opportunity to become knowledgeable once again on reality shows such as A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila and I Love New York 2 and to catch up on my movie going. Today I saw I Am Legend. The whole movie was carried by Will Smith. And a dog. It wasn’t horrible, but I wouldn’t see it again.

12/25/07

Hello everyone. I spent my Christmas Eve like this. I ate sushi with my parents and sister. Mmm. Then we were supposed to see a movie that night, but since everyone was so tired, we just went home and watched “It’s A Wonderful Life.” I fell asleep when Clarence took George to the cemetery and then woke up when everyone was donating money. Aww.

As you can see, there was a decrease in my writing quality and content as the days became busier. But if it makes you feel any better, I think I got fatter. I have a week left of vacation. In this week, I plan on watching the Sugar Bowl (Go Warriors!), celebrating my birthday, seeing my friends, having a holiday party at my house, and going to the dentist. But I’m mostly looking forward to seeing Colt Brennan play on January 1^st. People say coming back from Winter Break is the hardest for Hawaii kids because they got a taste of home. I just might have to agree.

My First Time

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:07:24 PST

It happened during the day. It was cold outside, but the feeling of impending bliss kept me warm. After waiting so long, it was finally happening to me. I was a little scared I wasn’t going to do it right and mess up, but if my friends could do it, why couldn’t I? When I stepped inside, I got lost and couldn’t find him right away, but eventually our eyes met. And then, he checked out my baggage to make sure it met his standards. It was perfect, if you know what I mean. After it was all over, he handed me my ticket and told me to have a safe flight.

I’m not a novice to flying. I’ve done it many times throughout my life. The only difference about this time is that I’m by myself. No mommy. No daddy. Nobody. Hitorbochi. All alone. But whatever. It’s cool. I almost freaked out when my ticket didn’t process when I checked in because I was in the wrong ticket line and then proceeded to walk the wrong way to my gate, but hey, I’m at my gate now. And it’s cool. My check-in suitcase was EXACTLY 50 lbs and my plane is 45 minutes late, but guess what? It’s still cool.

Right now, I am sitting here listening to the guy at the Gate 84 desk repeat the same thing over and over again. I get it already—the plane is delayed, everyone kindly stop asking him about Flight 75 to Hawaii, and will the passenger named J. Taylor PLEASE go to the desk. Oh and of course, CNN is playing in the background. (Why is it always playing in the background?)

Truthfully, I hate flying. You can all keep your germy pillows, scratchy blankets, and packaged snacks. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of travelling. It’s exciting. It’s the “getting there” step I hate. Planes are stuffy and if you have even the slightest congestion, your nose is doomed for the entire flight. And those who end up with seat E in any row, I feel bad for you, unless you enjoy the constant invasion of people inside your personal bubble. Good luck going to the bathroom. And girls (and guys who have long hair), don’t you all absolutely love the feeling when static makes the hair on your head stick to your face? (Or is that just me?) And lastly, if you are the person that keeps sneezing on the plane, heads up. Everyone hates you.

Okay folks. I am finally boarding soon. So now I’m going to close my computer and say a short prayer that my bags end up in Hawaii. Goodbye California, hello humidity. I mean, Hawaii.

I am the Queen. The Queen of Procrastination.

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 10:23:17 PST

JUST IN! I am going home in 1 week and 1 hour from right now, but hey, who’s counting right? As the day I return home to Hawaii approaches, I find myself looking more and more forward to it. Maybe it’s just because I miss the food. Or maybe it’s because I’m disgusted with just how pale I am.

Anyway, today I finished up my last classes of the quarter. I missed about an hour of math because I woke up late and like a dutiful student, attended the last five minutes. (Actually, I just wanted to get my homework and quiz from Wednesday back.) Art History class was a review for the test that spells out my doom. Hello fun-filled weekend of studying! The FINAL class was the Christian Tradition, and I actually regret saying it was my last. I really enjoyed Parrella’s tangents, interesting facts, and the amusement I got out of watching my classmates get picked on. This fall quarter went by pretty fast, but you know what they say, “time flies when you’re having fun.” I guess this quarter was just a cornucopia of fun for me.

Now rewind back up to “I missed an hour of math because I woke up late.” I am usually not one to be an hour late to a class, nor one to miss class due to oversleeping. No. I am the kid who sticks a “SCHOOL IS COOL” pin to their shirt and goes to class even if I learn nothing. (Kidding about the pin.) But after the past 48 hours, I think we can just let one tardy slide. This is why.

I wrote 2 (minimum of) four page papers in two days. Two days. Two papers. (Mom and Dad, if you are reading this, this whole post is a lie. I got these papers done weeks ago. It’s all good.) Both of these papers were for The Christian Tradition class. Because we don’t get marked off for tardy papers, you can turn it in whenever the feeling strikes you all the way up till today, November 30^th. I started the first of the two papers on Wednesday and managed to finish it by early Thursday afternoon. Feeling pretty good about myself, I let myself relax a little. I think for every hour of work I did on the paper, I relaxed for two. The second paper had a rough time getting off the ground as I kept falling asleep while reading, but eventually I got one paragraph done by 8pm. And that’s how it stayed for the next 4 hours. In those 4 hours, I “gathered my thoughts,” danced in the common room, ate food, and went to the Bronco. When I got back from the Bronco, I noticed a few other classmates in Sobrato Commons pulling an all-nighter to write their PAPERS. Not feeling so horrible anymore, I finally buckled down and did my paper from 2am-5:45am. I’m not gonna lie, I am tired. But hey, they are DONE.

Now all I have to do is get past finals week….

Love,
Her Majesty, the Napper

THANKS for GIVING me food

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:34:25 PST

When Thanksgiving break rolls around at Santa Clara the campus is deserted. And when the mainland kids are away, the Hawaii kids come out to play. For a few days, there was no one left on my floor. Even my CF, Monique, was gone. Being alone was creepy at night, but during the day I sang at the top of my lungs with the windows open, popped my gum as loud as I wanted, played guitar hero forever, and left the bathroom door open when I dried my hair. I told Monique that after she left I’d run up and down our halls in just my underwear because I could. But since it was so cold, I regret to say it didn’t happen.

Since Benson was closed, I also did a lot more cooking and a lot more Safeway runs. With my remaining Hawaii friends, (I can count all of them on one hand,) we made spaghetti, yakisoba, sushi, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, cookies, and frozen food. Delicious.

This lifestyle lasted till about Wednesday when the real nonstop eating began. I got picked up on Wednesday afternoon by my aunty and uncle who live in Palo Alto and stayed overnight. The next day, I celebrated Thanksgiving lunch with their family and watched part of the Macy’s Day Parade on TV. For dinner, I met up with family from my mom’s side and ate dinner with my auntie’s (Angela’s mom) family who lives in SF. (Note I stayed with Angela’s family (parents and 3 siblings) till Saturday.)

The next day we all went “Black Friday” shopping, but that didn’t last long just because the lines were ridiculous. It’s just not worth standing in line for a few articles of clothes. So after about an hour of window shopping, we left and went to a district called Haight instead. It felt like we had just stepped into the 60’s mixed with a bunch of Hot Topic similar stores and a handful of specialty stores. It was nothing like I’ve ever experienced. We walked around there for a while and then had dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

On Saturday I attended Angela’s cousin’s red egg party in Chinatown. (A red egg party is usually thrown by Chinese people for their 1-month old babies.) And while I was in Chinatown, Angela also took me to a fortune cookie factory where I dropped a pretty $8 for chocolate and regular fortune cookies. Totally worth it. J After we left Chinatown, we all went to Golden Gate Park and went pedal boating and row boating in the lake. At one point while I was pedal boating, a bunch of pigeons flew over my head a few times and I flipped out. I don’t like pigeons. But other than that, pedal boating was really fun. I highly recommend it. Then we hung out at the park for a while and rode the carousel, slid down the super cool gravel slide, and watched some hippies play drums. As daylight began to fade, we made one last tourist stop at Ocean Beach. It was the first time I had ever been to a mainland beach in my life or have seen the ocean since I’ve been here. This was also the first time I’ve ever walked on sand all the way up to the shoreline in boots. It was really cold and I have no idea how the people in Northern California surf. I think I’d cry. And there was a bunch of jellyfish washed up to shore. I poked one. It was squishy. For dinner we were joined by yet another aunty and uncle from Hawaii who were in San Jose for the weekend. And since they were staying in San Jose, they took me back to school.

And THAT is what I did for thanksgiving.

Fall Forward

blogSCU@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:59:31 PST

As the days progressively get colder and random showers litter the skies, I begin to realize how different the weather is in California. Jackets become a must and boots become a favorable fashion choice for kicking up those crunchy leaves on the ground. So this is autumn.

For those of you (and I mean all two people that read my blog) comfortably sitting at your desks, let me share with you my scrap book from the past 2 months. Due to format complications on this blog, I can’t place the text next to the images, so I apologize for the cluster of photos at the bottom.) Oh ya. Nice long post to make up for the recent absence of Kelly blogs.

MAROON FIVE TICKET

Last week Tuesday, my friends Krysti, Shawn, David, and I caught the bus to the Maroon Five concert at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. It was REALLY really really good. The opening acts for them were Phantom Planet and The Hives, which are two bands I have been WAITING to see in concert. (The Hives are good live.) And the tickets were pretty super duper too- 35^th row on the floor! I was so excited, I even called my mom to let her hear “Sunday Morning” and then I texted my sister to make her jealous. From the opening acts to the last song, I think sitting next to me would have been pretty embarrassing.

GREAT AMERICA PARK MAP

This is a map of the theme park (duh). It looks like it went through the washer because I rode the raft ride twice in a row and got soaked. This formerly soggy map represented one of the funnest days here in Santa Clara, but you should know that already if you’ve been reading my posts for the past two months. And if you haven’t, just go back and look for the Great America one then IMMEDIATELY bookmark this page.

ALL DAY VTA BUS PASS

You can get this little piece of paper for just FIVE DOLLARS!! If you ride the bus 4 times in one day, you’re saving TWO DOLLARS!! (Think of all the great things you can buy with $2.) So although the date is not November 11 on the ticket, I have a story to tell you about the VTA bus system here at Santa Clara that happened on November 11^th. First, let me tell you that my friend Krysti is EXTREMELY pro at planning out all of our bus trips. She has a plan AND plan B. This is my story about catching the bus without Krysti L

Yesterday I had planned on going to Santana Row/ Valley Fair with my suitie Michelle. We originally intended to leave on the 12:14pm bus but neither of us was ready so we opted for the 12:42 instead. We got to the transit center across the street with a few minutes to spare and our hunger tricked us going into Cramer’s Bagels. Once we got our yummy bagels and went back outside, it was about 12:43 or 12:44 and we prayed that the bus was late. But it wasn’t. We ended up catching the 1:14 bus and did the walk of shame back into Cramers for a second bagel while we waited. How ridiculously on time are these buses?? I mean it’s a good thing, but we caught a bus an hour later than we initially planned.

BOX OF STUFF

That is a box of cooking/kitchen/baking stuff my friends and I chipped in to buy at Target. We tend to cook a lot in Sobrato kitchen and finally decided on getting our OWN stuff. “Stuff” meaning a pot, pans, dish towels, solid plates, cutting boards, ladles, sushi roller, rice strainer, etc. We figure it’s a good investment since we will be here at SCU for a while. Hardcore, right? On Saturday, we broke in our box of fun for the first time during the UH game and made miso soup, Zippy’s Chili, rice, and cookies.

THE DOOR

You might be wondering why I have a picture of my door down there. Or maybe you’re not… but that would just be weird. Well, for those wondering, the reason I have a picture of my door up is because I have another story to tell! Last week Thursday as I was leaving my room to go to a lecture in O Connor, I grabbed my notebook, picked up my shoulder bag, searched my room for my cell phone, found it outside, and then shut my door. I SHUT MY DOOR. Not even a second after I closed it, I realized my keys were still hanging on the hook inside. And I had that feeling. The one where you have this uneasy cold rush come over you while thinking a big fat uh-oh. Exasperated with myself, I left for my lecture and called campus safety when I came back. 15 minutes later my door was opened and that is the story of the first time I locked myself out of my room.