Sunday, September 26, 2010

Birthday

And so begins my second decade on the face of this earth. Let me tell you something about my birthday. My birthday is not auspicious at all, being one of this days that coincides with a large traumatic event shadowing all attempts to be cheery and festive. (Think Pearl Harbor.) Therefore since middle school, I have mentally lessened the importance of my birthday, choosing instead to partake in the mass remembrance of those lost. Now it is the 9th anniversary and for some friends who lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Boulder, Colorado, or even Singapore, Singapore, or Mumbasa, Kenya, the tragedy that my friends and their parents witnessed first-hand was not as vivid.

What did that mean for my birthday? A party.

Therefore for those of you who saw me on that day, you must forgive my odd reactions to cards shoved underneath my door, presents behind people's backs, and masses of people entering my small room shouting "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!". (Because you are curious, my reaction was to back into the corner of my room and say "Help! I'm claustrophobic! Let's move to the lounge!" Hehe.)

However you must understand that I am grateful. I truly am. The purpose of the celebration of one's arrival to this world is to make that person feel unique and special. (This actually is a very socialized concept, because in truth, you share a birthday with 18 million people in the world. That would be 3.6 million Chinese, 3 million Indians, 824,456 people who reside in the United States, 90,682 Canadians, 166,052 British, 225,813 Germans, and 349,216 Japanese.) But it worked. I bought into it. The fact that dozens of people wished me a happy birthday and smiled at me that day and the tons of freebies associated with you birthday (Hotcakes gives you a free slice of cake) gave me warm fuzzies. I really enjoyed my birthday.

Which is why I made funny thank you cards! I utilized the motif of a robot, because that may have been what I was before: absolutely indifferent to the day when the last bolt was screwed in my head. However, some robots are obviously female, some have hearts, and some love to listen to music. Robots have souls too!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Clemons Update

I am sitting in Clemons Library, listening to a teaser of the latest song by 2NE1, a Korean girls group. Nothing new. What is surprising is the fact that I'm doing the preliminary work for an essay that is due in two weeks.

WHAT?

This semester has been all about being on top of my readings. When class participation is 30, 40, 50% of your grade, you better come to class prepared and having done your readings. As of right now, September 4 15:20:32, I am on top of my readings. What now?

That's right. I am writing my essay. I just wanted to report that in writing so that I will believe it three months later. Have a nice Saturday.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

5/8 semester

My schedule is finalized. I've decided that the best way not to get annoyed with SIS is to plan everything far in advance so that you have only minimal contact with the hideous beast that is SIS. (On a side note, I heard a first year called it S.I.S., which technically is its name but no one says the letters S.I.S. Anyway, I thought it was adorable and I beamed a smile at the poor 17-year-old redhead. Yes, I am now a third-year so I can officially creep on the young ones.)

Therefore I am taking all the classes that I desired. Although I had to drop my art-class-of-the-semester, I decided to opt instead for an interdisciplinary class taught by a Darden Professor, Gregory Fairchild. Googling his name reveals a plethora of news articles singing praise, videos about "Gregory Fairchild on Business Ethnics" or "Gregory Fairchild on Entrepreneurial Research," and still shots of this man in action in the classroom. Obviously he is a celebrity, a demigod, a super being descended upon us little undergraduates to bestow his wisdom. Because of the fact that he cold calls, uses cases in class so that I HAVE to do the reading beforehand, and split the class into teams each headed by a MBA candidate in a cold competition of wits and advertising campaigns, I am impressed by his ability to keep me in his class--- AND drop an art class to stay in.

My other classes are also seminars--- loads of reading. Ah wells.