Kelly's Blog

Give me Liberty or Give me Dea(d Week)

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:28:00 PST

Almost the end of another quarter. Cue dead week.

I feel like this quarter went by really fast. Almost like the first day of school was just last week. Where did the time go? My friends are all spending time in the engineering lab, doing the last of their homework, or writing papers. Although I don’t have any final projects or papers due, I do have finals in all my classes that I need to start preparing for. Gotta light that fire under my butt. I feel like this quarter I was always taking quizzes or tests and not so much doing homework. Studying all of those late nights turning into early mornings. Trying to find new ways to stay awake (FRS, Starbucks double shots, Redbull, etc.) I remember one night thinking, “gee I kind of miss having homework.”

And then there were all the birthdays. It was like I made friends with mostly people that were born within 3 months of each other. One person turning 21 after the other! The other day we were sitting in our apartment with some friends and it dawned on me that everyone in the room was 21. It made me feel old. I can’t believe we are Juniors going into our Spring quarter. College is just going by too quickly so enjoy it even when you wish the day goes by faster. Youll turn into me, getting wrapped up in school, tests, birthdays, Luau, and JSA and next thing you know, BAM! It’s Spring quarter.

So back to dead week (which is actually not as dead as the name says). This is the week to get ready for finals. There are only three tests standing in the way of my freedom. And it seems like a long way to freedom. I predict more late nights, more caffeine, and more studying. With a possible hint of delirium and a splash of crying. But hark, at the end of the dark tunnel (finals), there is a light (spring break).

Vegas.

The Fantastic Four Go to the City

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:08:00 PST

Yesterday, Justin, Bryson, Meli, and I went on a little adventure in San Francisco. Justin, who planned our escapade, scheduled us to go to the famers market, check out Chinatown, and watch some of the Chinese New Year’s parade. We got an early start at about 9am in the morning and headed to the Ferry Building first. We picked up some great coffee at this place called the Blue Bottle and ate samples from any booth that was offering at the Farmer’s market. We had the freshest fruit, the best cream cheese, and immaculate EVOO. They were also offering all types of meat, oysters on the half shell, and a wide range of hot food. We decided to try the Korean fusion food, consisting of Kim Chee fried rice and Sichi Garlic Fries. Oh the things you can find at a farmer’s market.
After we had our fill of eating, street performers, and dog watching, the Fantastic Four hit up the Westfield mall at Union square next. We rode the spiral escalators and browsed through interesting stores, trying to find things to dress Bryson in. Meli and I then subjected Bryson and Justin to following us throughout Forever21. For being boys, they were excellent sports about it. (Especially when we tried to lose them.) After we were shopped out, we had some lunch at a Thai restaurant and walked all the way to Chinatown, stopping to take pictures with the famous stand-alone hearts.
I have never seen so many white people in Chinatown before. Chinese New Year must be a pretty big event to have all the non-Chinese exploring. You wouldn’t believe how packed Chinatown was! Everyone and their Popo (grandma) must have been there! They also closed off several streets to have some sort of CNY fair. We visited an art exhibit, walked up a steep mountain to get a Quickly (bubble tea), looked at a couple of booths, found us some authentic Chinese desserts, and bought some Fortune cookies from the factory. I have never spent so much time in Chinatown before.
Exhausted, we went back to Union square to check out the parade, which apparently wasn’t just for the Chinese. (There were so many cars filled with politicians!) I really liked this one float in the shape of a fan with people hidden in the creases. Fifty lion dances, papier-mâché dragons, and kids dressed up as tigers later, we left to eat dinner down on Geary or Clement street with my cousin Angela. But after an hour of driving around to find parking, we just gave up and went home. (It was ridiculous.)
Spending a day in the city with friends was super fun and tiring and I definitely slept well that night!

New Face

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:38:00 PST

I’ve had my access card since freshman year. I remember the day I took that picture during Orientation. (It was a really hot day.) My card is peeling in the back and parts of it are fused onto the plastic by super glue from my several attempts to fix it.

Today I got a new access card. We all have to get new ones by the end of March. (Something about the new technology on campus.) I personally don’t care too much for my picture. They didn’t let me save my card from the shredder claiming there was “too much information in the magnetic strip.” I will never see that pre-freshman year face again; the one which was excited to experience the possibilities of what college had to offer. David thinks my picture now looks more mature. I think I need a tan.

My Chinese Presidential Valentine Weekend

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:23:00 PST

This weekend David rented a car and we went all over Nor Cal. Well that’s an exaggeration actually. We just went to all the food places. (I’m pretty sure that is why my pants no longer fit me.) Within this too-short 3 day weekend we hit up Stanford Mall, got our Sprinkles cupcakes and had some awesome sandwiches at Max’s Opera Café. Then we went to the Great Mall for some middle of the day D&B’s. (Unfortunately, our British accented GPS took us the “scenic” route which didn’t include driving on the highway at all.) At D&B’s we had a few drinks and played some games; it was almost like an adult Chuck E Cheese for us, although since we were there in the middle of the day, we were surrounded by underage kids. After that we went shopping until our feet hurt and on the way home picked up some Hawaiian food for dinner. That night, a bunch of us rediscovered our love for bowling and went cosmic bowling down on Homestead. I’m not one of those people who tell others they’re bad at bowling and then annihilate them. No, when I say I’m bad, I mean a good night for me is getting over a 60. Even though I handicapped my team, I think everyone had a lot of fun and I have a feeling we’ll be going back again soon.

Sunday, which was V-day or Chinese New Year’s, was also food-ful. We had some dim sum with David’s parents for brunch (totally appropriate) and then went back to school to make some V-day cookies. Then for dinner, David took me out to Blowfish on Santana Row. Blowfish is the only Japanese restaurant I know that has butterfish aka black cod. Unfortunately, they were out of butterfish that night, along with ahi! (Instead I ordered the sea bass which was surprisingly good too.)

On Monday, David had his first Olive Garden experience, we picked up my favorite cake at Claim Jumper’s, and went to Cupertino to get some Chinese food for dinner. I had a great time exploring the area and can’t wait to do it again! For students, Santa Clara JUST got 2 Zipcars which are available for students to rent. I would definitely suggest renting one with some friends for a weekend just to get to know the city you’re going to school in. Nor Cal is pretty awesome.

Sleepless in Santa Clara

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:34:00 PST

The first day of class, my cost accounting teacher welcomed all the Juniors to our “quarter from hell.” According to teachers, taking cost accounting and Intermediate accounting with Ushman is not a good idea. Or taking 4 classes the same quarter as Ushman. I’m taking 4 classes and I’m taking Ushman. I’m also taking OMIS 41 from the same professor I dropped it with last quarter. And it’s been a tough road just to do okay in all my classes. I’ve been staying up so late to study that I have seen the sunrise almost every morning, minus weekends.

Since last week, the hardest part of the quarter hit. Exams and quizzes one after another. There never seems to be enough hours in a day to sleep, eat, go to class, and study. So something has got to go. Well I have to go to class and study. And not eating is NOT an option EVER. So I guess its sleep…

Wish me luck. Time to power through OMIS.

Buck the Zags!

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:21:00 PST

So yesterday, if anyone was watching, was a sad sad day for our basketball team. Actually, I wasn’t that sad. I was kind of disappointed since we actually had the chance to take it and didn’t. Usually, I never stay the whole game, or more so, attend any games at all. But despite the losing factor, I really enjoyed my first real game. David, who is in the pep band, had an extra ticket to the Gonzaga basketball game so I was lucky enough to go. I didn’t want to watch by myself so I tagged along with Jake, Roger, and Dean, who too came out to see the epic game.

Embarrassed to say, I’m not a die-hard Bronco’s fan. Yet I have never felt so much school spirit in my life. Everyone was wearing red and the cheering went up to the back row of the stands! The student section closer to the floor level was packed probably because ESPN was there. In the beginning of the game, we were up on Gonzaga and I actually took a picture of the score board because I couldn’t believe we were winning. And then we pulled even further ahead. The crowd was going WILD. There was so much going on. The pep band playing, the dance team and cheerleaders doing moves to go with the music, and Bucky the Bronco running around pumping up the crowd. And when a player on our team was doing free throws everyone did this spirit fingers thing towards him. It was like we were transferring our luck and powers to his shot. And it worked a lot of the time. It almost felt like everyone from SCU was on the team with them.

But as for all those who watched on TV or were there, SCU didn’t quite create the upset we were all desperately hoping for deep in our hearts. The game did come to an end and we didn’t make the evening news. (Which is a GOOD thing sometimes!) I recommend for all students, even if you’re not a sports buff, to just come out for one game before graduating. You’ll feel camaraderie towards people you don’t even know and you’ll find out what it really means to have school spirit.

I've Got a Full Tank of Gas, A Spirit for Life, and a Love for Adventure...Or something like that

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:16:00 PST

This past weekend we went hopped in two cars and tried to live a little. We let it take us where ever the free wind went. Well the wind decided to go to FurCon so that’s where we winded up. I had never heard of a “Furry” until about this time last year. Jake had attended the conference last year and this year tried to round up a bunch of people to go with him. You might think a Furry is a cute little animal or some guy covered in excessive hair all over his body. I guess both are kind of close. I guess the best way to describe a Furry is a person who dresses up to imitate an animal or mythical creature. They don’t have to be covered in fur—lizard skins and operations are perfectly acceptable too. And what better place to hold the annual FurCon than in San Jose?

So we parked the cars and all eight of us walked to the hotel where the event was held at. We were mostly interested in what FurCon was all about and whole heartedly respected what these people did. When we got inside, the people participating reminded me of those who would participate in an Anime Convention. There were people ranging from just facial paint and a set of ears and a tail to a full on body animal suit. Almost like one a mascot would wear. There were unicorns, rams in suits, cats, foxes, among the many furies that were in attendance. Although we were all pretty hesitant to approach one in case we offended them, I could not pass up an opportunity to get a picture with Tiger Man. (You may have seen him on TV. He’s had numerous surgeries to modify his face to look like a Tiger.)

After that little adventure, we went to eat around the area since we were in downtown San Jose. We decided to dine at Sonoma Chicken Company which was right near our parking structure. They serve pasta, pizza, salads, Mexican food, and chicken. It was tasty, fast, and affordable and I would definitely go back again. After dinner, we decided we had enough adventure for one night, went back to school, watched the Hangover, and retold the story of our night to those who stayed back.

Yellow Boots

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:13:00 PST

Since I’ve left Tahoe, about 13 inches of snow have accumulated. At Santa Clara, that’s all rain. It’s not hard to spot me on campus thanks to my bright yellow boots. This is the time of year they get the most use. I like to wear them and walk through puddles as if they were nothing, surpassing those less fortunate that stand there analyzing their ways around the giant lakes of water. Oh was that a puddle? I had not noticed. Those people wish they had boots like mine. I can see it in their eyes.

Although I don’t show it on my face while I stomp through the water, I suspect there may be a tiny leak in my right boot unless the slight dampness in that sock is accredited to an unusual sweaty right foot. (I don’t think it’s the latter though.)

Snowcation

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:57:00 PST

This past weekend, which of course was the three day MLK weekend, I went on my yearly pilgrimage to Lake Tahoe with the Hawaii club. Unlike the previous years, barely anyone out of my group of friends went. Shawn decided to go with APSU and the rest of them just didn’t feel like going this year. It was just Krysti, Mandy, David, and me, and we came to include Krysti’s friend Lauren and a few under sophomores too. While it was quite a long drive as we hit the Friday traffic, it was quite an entertaining car ride thanks to the personalities grouped together. By the time we got there, it was about 10pm and almost all the good sleeping spots were taken but I managed to find a good one for us all! The whole house went to sleep early as we had a whole day of snowboarding ahead of us.

The next day I woke up early to steal a bathroom and managed to get ready pretty fast. After I was dressed, I packed a cheese croissant sandwich and put my new cell phone in a Ziploc bag. For once I actually read the phone manual which stated that “Water will damage your phone and accessories — even a small amount such as water droplets from a soda in your car cup-holder, melting snowflakes, tears of joy, squirt-gun crossfire or steam from hot water in the kitchen or bathroom.” (Best manual I have ever read.) I couldn’t let those rogue tears of joy or melting snowflakes ruin my new phone.

I’ve noticed that every year it gets a little easier to get back into the groove of snowboarding and my butt hurts a lot less. Unlike freshman year where I got down the blue diamonds sitting, I am now able to stand up and go faster than I thought was imaginable for myself. The rush of the wind against your body, the way you have control over your board, and the loss of sensation in your toes and cheeks. It’s an awesome feeling. We rode the ski lifts and carved the mountain up till it was nothing but a pile of snow. (Just kidding. Towards the end my thighs started burning up so the mountains are safe and still standing.)

So that’s why when we had to cut our trip early due to a coming snow storm, I was pretty bummed. We partied it up on Saturday night to make the most of the trip and headed back on Sunday morning. On the way back the snow started falling hard which turned into heavy rain once we got down south enough. It was a weird feeling being back on Sunday.

But really. Two days weren’t enough. Someone take me back.

Mele Kalikimaka

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:24:00 PST

Winter break in Hawaii went by way too fast but it’s amazing how much weight you can gain in 3 weeks. It’s a good thing I planned ahead of time and brought home those stretchy pants or it would have been one uncomfortable five hour plane ride back. Here are the highlights of my break:

1. Went to job interviews. It’s a tough economy!
2. Got my first legitimate x-ray. (Dentist doesn’t count!) It was of the foot I had glass stuck in.
3. Christmas shopped. I gained weight about as fast as I spent money which is pretty fast.
4. Got thrown my FIRST SURPRISE party ever. I seriously didn’t suspect anything. It was an early 21st birthday party and it was awesome.
5. Went to the North Shore to watch waves I would never go in. I also watched someone get saved by a life guard.
6. Saw exactly one movie—“The Blindside.” I plan on buying the DVD.
7. Got my grandma drunk on apple martinis.
8. Went to at least 10 parties.
9. Got a new phone to replace the one I broke in half. (It has a key board and since my dad got the same phone, he texts me all the time now…)
10. Hung out with my family and friends till 2 in the morning JUST BECAUSE I COULD.
11. Read about Obama vacationing but never ran into him
12. Poured tea at See Dai Doo, the Chinese society which I belong to.

And of course the usual, ate a lot, cooked/baked a lot, and sweated a lot. Your allergies will just flare right back up thanks to the pollen in the air and the humidity just kills you. I actually sneezed and rubbed my eyes a lot less this year thanks to the power of Benadryl and Visine. Overall I’d have to say this break was pretty good and I’m actually amazed how much stuff I fit into the time I was there. And like always, I never go back to school with dry eyes

21

Khee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:11:00 PST

Happy Birthday to me :)

...I hear it goes downhill from here.

Goodbye Santa Clara, Aloha Hawaii!

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:00:00 PST

Hey guys it’s my blog… HAWAII EDITION! (Cue the ukuleles.)

So since I’ve been home, I’ve received my dismal grades, been to the beach, ate till I felt uncomfortably full, bake a whole bunch of things, and got my foot x-rayed for the first time in my life. As you can see I made it through finals week with the help of a lot of caffeine and an all nighter. Unfortunately, my GPA definitely took a hit this quarter and this is NOT a good set up since my schedule next quarter is pretty much a death sentence. On a brighter note, my skin is now a nice shade of tan and I’m not freezing anymore. Christmas in Hawaii usually means rain throughout the month and huge waves on the North Shore. So far, it’s only been random light rain showers and plenty of 20ft waves. The only time I’ve been cold is late at night when the temperature hit about high 60’s. How nice is that?

I’ve also helped my mom bake about a million cookies and tons of her Christmas chex mix. Now that I’m older there are a lot less burnt cookies and a lot more tasting. (Not just for myself, but for purposes of quality control of course!) And since there are only three weeks I am home, there are a lot more family and friend dinners to attend which means a lot more food to eat. I’m hoping the reason my jeans don’t fit as well is because they shrunk in the wash.

And as for the x-ray, in the beginning of November I was singing in my room to Rent’s “Light My Candle.” As I sang “well… ya? OW it’s out again!” I actually meant the “OW.” I had slid my foot across my floor and got a piece of glass from the jar I dropped earlier stuck in my foot. I managed to get the big piece out, but I suspected there was a really really tiny piece still in there. Worried, I went to Cowell, the health center, where I was informed that it would “work its way out eventually.” I shrugged it off until I came home and my doctor told me it was important to get it checked out and removed. She told me to x-ray my foot and go see another doctor to get “surgery.” Just another element of fun to my break! (I hope I get to keep the x-rays when this is all over.)

And that’s my break so far! Will they ever find the tiny piece of glass in my foot? Will I be able to fit my jeans when I come back to school? These questions all answered if you check back soon!

Sugar Coated Plants

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:16:00 PST

This morning on my way to the gym I noticed that I could see my breath in the hallway. The elevator down wasn’t working (perhaps too cold to operate?) so I took the stairs just to notice that Casa’s roof had frost on it! Excited, I ran downstairs and sure enough, there was frost on the grass. And the leaves! I picked a sugar coated leaf up and broke the tip off. It felt like I was breaking off a piece of chocolate instead of a crunchy leaf. I squatted touching the grass for about five minutes with two other Hawaii kids joining me for a minute or two, also amazed. Freezing, I finally walked to the gym and glanced at the snow on the mountains.

One Down...

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:37:00 PST

I don’t know what it feels like to be ready for a final. I’ve never been confident enough to call how I felt “ready.” “It feels like you’re about to poop,” Winston suggested. We were sitting in one of Daly Science’s lecture halls waiting to take the Finance 121 final with everyone else. “No, I don’t think that’s how ready feels,” Amanda said, probably grossed out too. All three of us were in a section of Professor Wade’s class. While everyone else had gotten to party on Friday night and have their last hurrah of the quarter, we were studying for our 9AM final. I spent almost the whole night drinking Starbuck’s double shots and listening to Taylor Swift on repeat while doing practice problems over and over again. (By the time I was done, I could probably fill in for T Swift if she couldn’t do a concert.)

Once everyone was seated, each teacher handed out a version of their own midterm to their respective students. I finished the exam in by 11, but not before checking my work three times and second guessing myself to no end. Don’t ask me how I think I did because I don’t know how I feel about it at all.

I personally think it should be illegal to have a final on Saturday. First of all, it’s not even a school day. I keep my end of the agreement and like a good kid, go to school five days a week. I like my two days off from learning. And second, I don’t know what’s up with teachers making their own rules, although I’m sure they’re allowed to. Some teachers will move the final to another day or only give you two hours to finish it. I usually don’t use all three hours, but I still like to know I have that time if I need it.

Unfortunately, I have three more finals to go and they’re all at the END of the week. But once I get through it, it’s all sandy beaches and sun…

Deadweek OMIS Stew: I'm Excited for the Leftovers

Khee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:44:00 PST

Dear You-Who-Reads-My-Blog,

Right now my apartment smells awesome and I am working on a 2000-3000 word paper for my OMIS class. My apartment smells awesome because I made beef stew tonight (this time in a real pot and not a rice pot) and I am writing a story on… data mining? Yes, you read right, a four to five page single spaced STORY on data mining. How do you feel five pages about data mining and what is it exactly? Let this excerpt answer that for you:

“So what do you think data mining is?” Detective Pine asked, leaning forward in his chair.

“Well,” Charlie slowly said, “it sounds like you have to mine, or extract, data, similar to precious metals?”

“It’s kind of like that. Except it’s more like a thorough search to find information, or a gem, which went previously unnoticed because it was stuck in a huge… rock. A better definition of data mining is ‘the process of selection, exploration, and modeling of large quantities of data to discover regularities or relations that are first known with the aim of obtaining clear and useful results.’ ”

“Wow you know that from the top of your head?”

“You bet.”

And that’s how my paper pretty much reads. Anyway, besides this paper I have my first final on Saturday (Finance 121) and I feel like panicking. I don’t feel ready for finals at all. This quarter went by way too fast. (I’m already going home next week Friday! This is ridiculous!) And when I come back, that first Monday will be my 21st birthday.( I’m not sure if that’s any better than my birthday last year when I spent my 12:01 on a plane back to school.) Oh how time flies…

Anyway, wish me luck on my finals because I’m going to need it. I have realized the older you get, the more luck you need. (So don’t waste it on a freshman.) Okay, try to stay warm, start playing your Christmas music, and I hope you have an excellent week!

Love,
Kelly :)

Thanksgiving: The Week I Gained Weight and Lost Money

Khee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:34:00 PST

This thanksgiving I was thankful for my family and friends. Don’t take any day or anyone for granted. Generic sounding, I know, but there’s some truth behind those words. I was glad that everyone was alive, somewhat healthy, and that they are all part of my life. And lucky me, I got to spend this year with both friends and family.

My sister came down from UOP last week Tuesday and hung out with me till Sunday. On Wednesday we hit up San Francisco early and went ice skating on the rink they had at Union Square. It was actually a pretty warm day so it made for a nice first time skating outdoors. (In Hawaii we have “Ice Palace,” which is the only indoor ice skating rink on the whole island.) After that, we went shopping a little and had a late lunch in Chinatown. Then we shopped a little more and caught the train back to Santa Clara.

On Thursday I woke up excited for all the food I was going to be eating that day. (When I got dressed I made sure to wear tights and a loose shirt as a Thanksgiving precaution for all the eating I had planned on doing that day.) After watching a little bit of the Macy’s parade, Jamie and I had Thanksgiving lunch, as usual, with our Aunty Vi and Uncle David and their family. And what a lunch it was. Over four appetizers, salad, two turkeys, vegetables, yams, crab, two types of stuffing, pumpkin pie, and more! It was quite the feast. My sister was so full she had to take a nap after lunch from all the tryptophan.

Dinner was back at SCU with the Hawaii orphans and friends. There were about fifteen to twenty of us who attended and only four not from Hawaii. Meli and I were originally worried about there not being enough food, but it turned out there was a cornucopia of food! Even the boys put some effort into it. Geoff signed up for corn and green beans and brought two pots full of each. And it wasn’t even from the can! (It was frozen.) Ian and Lawson made a ham that looked professional and David O. and Ken did an awesome job on the mashed potatoes and salad. And even Daynard, who was in charge of the utensils, brought his A game, providing everything from cups and plates to a trash bag for clean up. As for the food, we had a surplus of pumpkin and apple pies and two different kinds of stuffing too. I’d have to say for college kids, we ate pretty well. Then after the feast some of us played a couple games of ping pong while the others just looked through the ads for Black Friday sales.

Friday and Saturday were all about shopping for Jamie and me. We woke up at 6:30am on Friday and were standing in the checkout line of Pac Sun by 7:30am. We shopped all the way till 4:30 in the afternoon and only stopped when it started raining! I was so proud of my sister. I’ve never seen her with that much shopping stamina before. Overall, we found some really good Black Friday deals, although I am a little scared to look at my credit card bill. I hope everyone else had an awesome Thanksgiving and (now I can finally say it) Happy Holidays!

Standing in Line to See the Show Tonight and There's Long Line, Super Cold.

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:18:00 PST

It was like waiting in line for a ride at Disneyland. Except longer. The people in the front of the line had been there since 1:30 in the afternoon, camping out to be first for the midnight showing of New Moon, the second installment in the Twilight series. Krysti, Meli, and I had been there from about 7:30pm, which actually wasn’t too much farther down the line. It was almost like a tradition to see the midnight premiere of Twilight movies. We had gotten dinner from Maggiano’s and Pasta Pomodoro and hot drinks from Starbucks, but the food was definitely cold after half an hour outside. It was so cold, I did a lap around the parking lot to get warmer and followed the line which extended to the opposite corner of the lot! Finally around 11:30 they finally started letting people in. It was like a mob. People pushing you from behind, squishing you against the people in front. Well, if anything, at least it was warmer.

Then this scrawny guy tried to direct us to form an orderly single file line. The crowd instead went under the yellow tape and congested even more. “EVERYBODY MOVE BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE STANDING BEFORE,” he yelled, his voice cracking. It looked like he was going to cry. I felt bad for him, but there was no way in hell I was moving back. Besides, with the crowd against me, it was impossible. Finally they got someone with more authority on the scene and let people go in a little at a time. Inside, we found Christina who saved seats for us and eagerly sat down. (She had gone to the 9:30 premiere before.) Then our midnight showing experience got worse. The theatre no longer served kettle corn because it was “unpopular.” We had gone to this theatre BECAUSE they had kettle corn. Then this lady behind me spilled her popcorn on me. I ate one and silently wished it was kettle corn. And lastly, the manager announced the movie wasn’t going to start till 12:45 because people were still finding seats.

It was a good thing I liked the movie or the theatre would have to deal with one of my “angry” letters. (Well if it’s anything like my “angry” letter to that guy on Amazon, then maybe not so effective.) The movie was way better than the first one but I wouldn’t take a guy to see it unless they were into the books or shirtless guys with beautiful bodies. And as we drove back to school that night, the line, the cold, or the crowd didn’t matter so much as I thought about wolves and vampires.

Wish Upon a Shooting Star

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:54:00 PST

Last night the Leonid meteor shower reached its peak over North America. Even though some of us had tests the next day, this was supposedly a once in a lifetime experience so a bunch of us went to watch it. A couple of weeks ago, Shawn, David, and Lawson had taken a drive “to the mountains” in Saratoga for fun and found a great spot to star gaze. So we dressed in our warmest clothes, packed some towels and blankets, and left for the spot around midnight. Shawn and Jake drove, (without them it wouldn’t have been possible!) and made a pit stop at Jack in the Box before going to the site. The road there was surrounded by trees and winded up the mountain, making the drive feel like a rollercoaster. It was nerve wrecking, since we were so close to the edge, yet thrilling at the same time. I thought the lookout spot was beautiful. And so did a lot of other people. We sat under a completely dark open sky with freckles of stars splattered across the sky. The cold air smelled like trees and nature. It was totally surreal. Every time a car drove past or parked on the side of the road, everyone yelled at the driver to cut the lights as it ruined the surrounding dark.

It wasn’t completely quiet as everyone there was talking, laughing, and making jokes. There was a ditzy group of teens at the site too and every time one of the girls saw a shooting star, they yelled, “OHHHHH MYYYY GOSH! DID YOU SEE THAT? I JUST SAW A SHOOTING STAR” And then a guy in another group would loudly imitate her and everyone would laugh. It was freezing and the stars were slowly starting to dull so people started slowly leaving until there were only Santa Clara kids left. We were still talking and joking around until someone suggested we just sit in silence for a moment and just appreciate the moment. So we sat in silence. And there we were; just a bunch of friends in college, on a dark mountain, watching the skies for a once in a life time meteor shower.

Jimmy's Birthday

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:42:00 PST

This past weekend, my mom came up to visit me and my sister! It was my sister’s birthday on Friday so the timing was perfect. My mom flew up on Wednesday night and spent all Thursday in wine country with my aunty and uncle who accompanied her on the trip. On Friday they got me and my sister and then we did a little shopping and a whole lot of eating. Trust me, my family knows how to eat. Earlier that day I was thinking about fasting because I knew the weekend would be nonstop eating. (David wasn’t as prepared. After we fed him 2 Krispy Kremes on Saturday, he couldn’t believe we were going to eat dim sum right after.) So I packed stretchy clothes just in case. I say it’s better to be prepared than to have a massive stomach ache and a jeans’ button standing in your way of comfort. On Friday, we had In N Out for lunch (always a goodie) and went to Pasta Pomodoro for dinner, Jamie’s choice. The food was of course delicious so I was definitely looking forward to eating those left-overs.

That night, my sister opened some gifts that my relatives had given her. After putting aside a huge case of ramen from my aunty, she decided to open our grandma’s gift next. The box was wrapped in reused wrapping paper and probably a reused ribbon. (At least the wrapping paper had the right occasion on its design. I sometimes get Christmas wrapping paper since my birthday is about a week after Christmas.) The outside of the envelope read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMY” in my grandma’s cursive handwriting. Who’s Jimmy? Maybe it’s a typo. The name inside the card matched the envelope as well. “Dear Jimmy, Happy Birthday!” The gift was a hand sewn dog printed pillow case, which made Jamie happy since she absolutely loves dogs. Then, a little worried, Jamie called grandma just to see if it was a lapse in memory when she wrote the card. The conversation went something like this:

“Hi grandma! It’s Jamie! Thank you so much for the pillow case. I love it!”

“Ohh you’re welcome”

“Hey grandma, how do you spell my name?”

“J-I-M-M-Y”

“Grandma…. Am I a girl or a boy?”

“Girrrrl”

“Grandma, my name is spelt J-A-M-I-E”

“Ohhhh (hahaha)”

“Try spell it”

“Ah… J-A-M-M-I-E”

This went on for a while and was definitely the highlight of my weekend. I know my grandma is slowly losing it. But just some of the things she says is so funny. I know underneath it’s not really funny at all that she doesn’t know how to spell my sister’s name, but we all still love her and say “that’s grandma.” Last week my sister called and asked her who was holding her hand when she walks now that Jamie was away. “Oh no one,” she replied, “I’m waiting for you to come back.”

Kooking in the Kitchen (with Kelly)

Khee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:22:00 PST

Having the luxury of our own personal kitchen this year is exciting. To me it means no more cleaning up after other people. No more lugging everything but the kitchen sink to the lobby. No more holding my breath when opening the fridge. No more cooking stew, mac and cheese, and curry in a rice cooker. And no more praying that the kitchen isn’t ocupado. It’s wonderful. We have a dishwasher. I don’t even have to take the elevator to get to the stove. Therefore, I try to cook and bake whenever I get the chance and my only complaint is that our oven’s temperature is always too high.

For some of my friends, the newness of having our own kitchens is starting to wear off. It seemed like ages ago that the boy’s suite made shoyu chicken. And all Geoff and Ian ever make for dinner now is steak or fried rice. In fact, they have been making fried rice so much that Ian had an egg revelation. “You know, if you don’t move it around so much it becomes fluffy!” But for others, like Shawn, having a kitchen means an infinite amount of oven-friendly foods such as rocky road brownies, pigs in a blanket, and endless dessert experiments. (Did someone say desserts? I’m not complaining.)

For me, the kitchen is still exciting. I see it as an opportunity to experiment and make things like fortune cookies, red velvet cake, shrimp scampi, or clams, in a hassle-free environment. I absolutely love making things from scratch and seeing how they come out. I love the smell of garlic that fills the air when it’s cooking. And I love eating everything because it really does taste better when you make it yourself. I hope you can see the pictures of some of my cooking ventures accompanying this post! My next endeavor? French macaroons :) I’ll let you know how they turn out.

P.S. – Happy Birthday Mom!