Life after college, week 1

Eh, it's going to be a pretty boring entry since it's just going to be a list of things I've been doing and want to do (once again, an over-ambitious list that will go undone). I kind of want to keep a log of what I do, since I cannot remember for the life of me what I did the senior summer of high school. I'm assuming nothing (which is always nice), which is why I don't remember it.

Before I left Berkeley, I did a photo montage with Joey and Mike, that was fun. It's entitled "bitches", and just a brief little thing on how it got started. A few weeks before school ended, me and joey sat on the bench by the Campanile and were just chatting. Joey, for some reason, started beatboxing, and I started rapping (well, poorly), "Bitches on a bench, bitches on a bench, yeaaah." And came up with the characters in "bitches." Also, I watched some episodes of Freaks and Geeks with Rey; I really like it!

Drove back down to Socal last Wednesday with Theresa, and that was rife with word games and delicious delicious fast food (ok, breakfast at Jack in the Box was gross, but that's my fault for getting the worst biscuits ever). Basically reminisced a lot. My car tires were a little flat so we stopped by inflate, where I fumbled with the machine and was mostly puzzled the entire time, but we got home alive, miraculously. (And no speeding trouble this time ;) )

Once I got back home, well let's see... things I've been up to

Cooking!!!!! My dad used to cook dinner for us, but lately I've taken over as the head chef in the house, hehe. So far my repertoire includes (ok they're all really easy to make, gimme a break):

1. Chinese meat sauce
2. Grilled asparagus
3. Roast asparagus
4. Baked Squash
5. Chinese Chicken soup
6. Pan-fried chicken cutlets (aunt's recipe)
7. Dumplings

Other things I wanna try:

1. More chicken dishes
2. Fish
3. Steak sandwich?
4. Mashed potatoes
5. French Fries
6. Egg-drop soup.

Okay, fine, they're easy dishes, but I'm workin' on it, k?

Been jogging again, it's really really nice. I should start lifting again soon. Blah, i wish I had a stricter regimen for exercise while in college - I've gotten way too sedentary. It's nice to work out. Plus I tire out too quickly, so need to build up that endurance for my hiking trip in August.

Asia: Excited.

Shopping - got new pants, lots of new sandals, new monitor cause my old one broke. Unfortunately, my list of necessities (ok fine, not necessarily necessities) increases as my weeks progress and now I need (aka want) more button down short sleeves, shorts, new cross trainers.
Been watching: House, some anime
Been reading: Joan Didion, Y the Last Man
Saw: New Pirates movie, WTF?

Cleaned out my room
Donated some books

Basically hung out with people back at home, though, to be honest, I haven't really been terribly aggressive about it - I kind of just wanted time to myself for a while. Think I'll be more social in a bit. Too bad half of my friends are gone starting this Monday/Tuesday, oy.

I want to:

Visit museums and touristy spots in SoCal
Visit Berkeley
Clean out my room
Learn more Chinese
Figure some things out.
Oh and, sell my books.

I wrote an emo post earlier about graduating then deleted it from the public eye, but dammit, I'm going to write another one. (How original!)

I can't do this. I can't leave. It's 1 AM right now and I'm losing sleep over how much I'll miss this place. I haven't been this distraught over leaving somewhere since I moved from Taiwan to the US. I was playing frisbee earlier today, and walking around Telegraph, and eating, and helping a friend move out, and just generally being around campus on such a beautiful day and I realized: I can't leave. I love this place.

How did 4 years go by so quickly? I remember freshman year better than all the other years (arguably even this one). How did so many things happen, but it felt like no time has passed at all since I got here? And how did I change so much (maybe for the better... well, hopefully) but not even realize that I've changed until just today?

It was too short, but I know if I stay any longer I will go insane/also won't be happy.

My neighbors upstairs have been vacuuming, and apparently now they're drilling. That I will NOT miss. What douches.


I remember being not too terribly concerned when others older than me graduated, and I didn't get what the big deal was. It's a hard feeliing to explain - it's a reluctant kind of sadness, but also a sense that you know that this was something inevitable that was going to happen and that there's no use fighting it.

I guess I just don't want to stay in my empty room any longer. I just want to go home, and delude myself into thinking that I'll still be coming to Cal in the fall.

Addendum:

Apparently he also gave us the adult channel. Comedic gold.

I made friends with the cable guy

So my internet and cable has been broken, ironically around one week before I move out. My technician showed up today, and said that I should have enzymes in my body. "Enzymes are good for you," he said, "you know where I can get some enzymes in a bottle?" As far as I know, I don't think they sell enzymes in a pill, but I told him maybe he can eat vitamins instead. He seems upset that he can't eat vitamins, and I went back into my room.

Then he yells from the other room, "are you doing homework, or are you tired of me already?" So.... I went into the room where he was fixing the cable, and we chatted. He talked about his son, who might be going to juvenile hall, and how he tells his daughters to do their best. He says that nowadays Juvie (Juvey? Juvy?) costs money to the parents, and it might even work. "Back when I was in Juvie, my mom didn't have to pay nothing." And "Oh, and I might get fired from my job because I have to go pick up my son everytime he gets into trouble. I find out today." Who votes to charge parents to pay for juvenile hall? This is the exact thing that exacerbates problems among high crime communities. Making their lives harder to live, probably will just send more kids into poverty, and more kids into crime. People make these decisions, because they assume that their kids will never get into trouble, and for the post part, they're right, but this doesn't solve the problem. Anyway, I digress...


His girlfriend then called him, and he didn't want to pick up, "Girl only wants my money... You gotta work hard, y'know? You can't go blaming other things, blaming other people. I work hard, etc."

"Hey, I got to get going but thanks for listening. Good luck in school" I replied, "Hey no problem, I like listening to people and their stories."

"STORIES? OH I'VE GOT STORIES FOR YOU!"

Then he stayed another half hour to tell me about the existence of UFOs and the Loch Ness Monster. They were really interesting, actually, and he really knew how to tell stories.

As he left, "Hey Jenny, you all right." Nicest compliment ever.




Oh, and I think he gave us free HBO and Showtime, but I'd have to check my bill first >.<.

I suck at Spanish

Yesterday, our Spanish teacher passed out a sheet of paper with everyone's name on it. On that day, we were doing advertisements/commercials in Spanish on our chosen product (Coke, McDonald's...) And some people have already filled out "orange juice", "Cheese", "Plates." So naturally, I wrote down "shampoo."

Later on in the middle of the class, my teacher came up to me and said "Jenny, this is a list for the picnic we're going to have on Friday. Um, I don't think we need shampoo, can you bring napkins instead?"

My mother's day card says:

I actually remembered Mother's Day. This time. Don't get used to it.

Anyway, thank you for all that you have given me, including your genes. I hope you are having fun on your alumni website, and that your clinic will be very fortunate. I am so lucky to have a family like ours.

Jenny

Awkward? I think so. I think she'll like it.