Monday, December 29

Feeling Adventurous



The Megan Buckle Flat, by the Frye Company
Found at Frye online: $158
Purchased at Crossroads: $35
Successful thrifting: priceless

Inspired by my thrifting win last week, I'm taking L on a thrifting adventure through San Francisco's Mission District tomorrow. Our scheduled stops include Clothes Contact, Thrift Town, Mission Thrift, Community Thrift, and Goodwill. This time, I'll remember to bring my eco-friendly shopping tote with me.

Twilight + Amélie

I was just perusing Youtube earlier when I stumbled across this:



This is probably the best video posted to YouTube since communitychannel put up her Harry Potter video. It effortlessly blends two things that sit very high on my favorites list - Twilight and the Amélie movie soundtrack. As strange as that sounds, the video captivates me like no other. I find myself falling in love with Amélie all over again - all the while gaping at Edward Cullen with my mouth hanging slightly open.

Sunday, December 28

pencils and empty ketchup bottles

I just watched this movie:



Possibly the best line ever:

"When we kiss, I see stars and he sees fireworks, and he says that means that we're in love, and he's right because otherwise, when we kiss, we'd see stuff like pencils and empty ketchup bottles." - Anna Faris as Shelley Darlington

I learned a new word, too - vapid, as in, "you're so vapid." By definition, it means lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat. I just took it to mean stupid.

I hope everyone has gotten their textbooks for next quarter. I sure haven't.

Thursday, December 25

Merry Christmas!

I was jostled out from under my warm covers at the ungodly hour of 8 AM. I unwillingly donned an overly festive bright red bow headband, sparkly snowflake earrings, my ski jacket, and my furry boots to visit my grandparents. As I drifted off to sleep on the drive back, my dad commented on how he loves waking up early because it makes him feel productive.

We got home shortly before 11 AM, just in time to clean and vacuum before welcoming the slew of relatives that will be staying with us for the rest of the week. We put off opening Christmas presents until tonight, but we've entertained ourselves with foosball, board games, and Xbox.

Everyone left for a walk around San Francisco, leaving my mom and me to make Christmas dinner. When we finished most of it, my mom gave me an early birthday gift (because I'll be at school on my birthday).

Check out my 19th birthday present!



That's an 18K white gold Hello Kitty sitting on a cultured white pearl. I didn't know Sanrio made jewelry other than the outrageous costume stuff they sell in stores.

So here I am, contently wasting away time in front of Lappie, waiting for my family to get back from their walk.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Wednesday, December 24

I heart boys who sparkle!

So S and I walked into Hot Topic today and found a small bottle of roll-on body glitter priced at $10. It's selling point? It'll make your boyfriend shimmer like Edward Cullen in sunlight! No lie - it was the last bottle on the shelf. Apparently, shiny vampire boyfriends are a hot commodity these days.

While we were shopping, S and I discussed the concept of Santa Claus. I told her that my parents never tried to convince me Santa existed. They would just present me with a gift every Christmas morning and I would be grateful to my parents, not to some jolly old man who sneaks into people's houses via chimney in the dead of night and leaves presents in exchange for milk and cookies. I'm not a Scrooge or a cynic, I just find the idea of Santa Claus a little strange. Why can't we just celebrate the holidays with family, the way it's meant to be, and leave the old man out of it? Anyways, when I opened my Firefox browser earlier, instead of displaying my iGoogle homepage, it displayed Yahoo.com, which featured a story of the military tracking Santa's sleigh ride around the world (for the non-believers).

Twas the night before Christmas, and what have I to do? Gotta clean my room and vacuum in preparation for my cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents' visit tomorrow morning. So good night, sleep tight, and pass on my hello to Santa if you catch him in your chimney!

Sunday, December 21

Fortune Cookie

I spent over a hundred and twenty dollars at the Gilroy Premium Outlets today. (Bad Mel, I know.) I meant to buy Christmas gifts for some people, but last-minute Christmas shopping is just so frustrating and stressful, I ended up getting things for myself. Plus, everything was so cheap due to sales upon sales, and I do love finding a good deal. Even so, talk about shopping fail.

After Gilroy, S and I, with the rest of our families, ate at Crazy Buffet in Santa Clara. While there, I opened a fateful fortune cookie that contained perhaps the worst fortune I've ever encountered. It read, "The real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and is happy that the system works." On the back, the LEARN CHINESE word was "disease." Talk about a bad omen. Maybe I should play it safe and stay in bed tomorrow.

Well, here are some things I bought last week, both from Forever 21.



A plaid shirt to grunge up my look. I love that it has a woodsy feel to it.



This dress was $26 and 100% silk. Talk about a good deal! I know it's a bit impractical for Winter in San Francisco, but I'll be back in LA soon enough, and I'll be able to break out my Spring/Summer wardrobe again. Sunshine, how I miss you!

Monday, December 15

sex god

I finally saw Twilight with P today. We both loved it! What surprised me most about the movie was not that it was corny and predictable, but that there was a character even hotter than my vampire, Edward Cullen.



Meet Dr. Carlisle Cullen, sex god extraordaire.



P and I literally started hyperventilating when he came out in his white medical coat and all of his godliness.

Sunday, December 14

It's good to be home.

I'm back in my favorite foggy city. The first night, I was so happy to be cold. After that... I was just cold. At least my family keeps the heater on during the winter so nice and toasty inside. I've missed my bed, my carpet, and my bathroom ohsomuch. Oh, being home just makes me so happy!

My first night back, I drove to Millbrae to visit my buddies there. We congregated at J's house and played perhaps the saddest, shortest game of Taboo ever played. Then I watched as they drank (I had to drive home). Midnight marked J's 19th birthday, so happy birthday again!

Yesterday, I went shopping with my mommy. I love this:



PANDA! The purchase of this adorable panda benefits the World Wildlife Fund, so don't feel guilty buying more than one. :) You can get it here.



And check out these open heel and toe leggings. I thought the foot part was a giant stirrup, but I guess I was wrong.

Last night, I finished reading Breaking Dawn for the second time. I skipped Jacob's book and found it a lot more enjoyable this time. I'm off to see Twilight with P tomorrow right after she gets a second ear piercing. I'm so excited for her!

Thursday, December 11

Happiness

My packed bag is sitting in the middle of my almost empty room. I get the room all to myself tonight because both P and D have left for winter break. Not that I don't love P (D can go die for all we care...), but I do love me some privacy every once in a while.

I'm overjoyed - blissfully happy - to be done with finals. I'm ready to fly back to my foggy city and wear my cozy winter apparel. What else is winter good for now that global warming has killed the snow on the west coast?

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my happiness with you via some incredible Fail moments. For those of you who consider yourselves to be prudes, you should probably stop reading here.





...just 1 more day!

Wednesday, December 10

Crushes

C was listening to this song that P fell in love with. P then played the song in our room and I fell in love with it, too. The song is called "Crush," by David Archuleta. Remember when he was a wee little tot on American Idol? Well, he hasn't grown much since then. Maybe that's a good thing because his voice is still as beautiful as ever.

After finishing the song on YouTube, "Crush," by Mandy Moore showed up as a related video, probably because the titles are the same. This one took P and me all the way back to memories of eighth grade.

I'm so happy now that my two hardest finals are over. I have my calculus final tomorrow morning, but math doesn't faze me anymore. After Chan, college calculus seems almost like a joke.

...2 more days until I go home!!

Monday, December 8

Obsessions

I'm currently taking a break from studying for finals. After yet another strenuous day of cluster review, I figured I deserve a break. To lighten the mood, I googled pictures of my current obsessions.

The first is, of course, Blair Waldorf, the picture of perfection. Love her or hate her, you can't deny that Queen B has style. No matter where she is or what she's doing, she always looks flawless. (Love her tights in that second picture!)







The second is my favorite vampire, the love of my life, Edward Cullen. A girl can dream, right?







C called me earlier to inform me that our friends from summer orientation have gotten together. Her source? Facebook. Not really relevant to anything, but it somehow seems important to me right now. Maybe it's only because I've been studying for so long that my mind is longing for some non-academic stimulation.

I got a package from Delizcious today! It made my day! :)

...4 more days until I go home!

Sunday, December 7

Chem overload

The floor's Secret Santa dinner was a success! We exchanged gifts over a yummy sushi dinner. Thanks, R, for the massive stash of chocolate! Mmmm, hearts hearts hearts! After dinner, we congregated to play Apples to Apples, one of my new favorite games.

Saturday was devoted to studying. I spent the entire day in our lounge with my textbook and course reader and re-learned a quarter's worth of Chem. I tried to go to be early, but P was typing her essay with the light on, so I let her type while I tossed and turned.

I took the Chemistry final this morning, and I guess it wasn't too bad. Most of us are just praying for a good curve. While I was taking the final, P got sexiled by our other roommate, R, and her jerk of a boyfriend. We took turns commenting on how unfriendly and gangster he looks. If he were attractive at all, we'd at least be more inclined to be nice to him. Sadly enough for him, that is not the case. That asshole.

Two more finals to go and 5 days until I go home!

Wednesday, December 3

Consumer Heaven

Between hours of writing my research paper, I took constructive break periods to shop online for Christmas presents! I finished most of my Christmas shopping before I finished by essay (of course), but not before making a few purchases for myself as well!

Hello Urban Outfitters



I finally bought this Silent and Noise Bowery Dress!



I also got a Sparkle and Fade lace slip dress.



BDG Denim Mini. I know it's winter, but I do live in LA...



Floral moccasin slippers! Lovelovelove <3



Triple buckle boots from Forever 21.

Today, I got my Secret Santa gift in Westwood, again, not without getting something for myself. I'm now in consumer heaven.

I'm almost done reading Breaking Dawn. It's so unbelievably good. Broken into three books, the novel first reads through Bella's point of view, switches to Jacob's, and goes back to Bella's. Seeing the world through the eyes of Jacob Black really turned me off. Not only does he lack the clumsy, disjointed thoughts that I enjoy reading through Bella, but he clearly does not admire Edward as the godly being he is. Oh, Edward. What will I do when my vampire lives happily ever after and I have nothing left to fantasize about?

...8 more days!

Tuesday, December 2

Shit.

You've seen the bumper sticker on Facebook, right? The one displaying an open Microsoft Word document with the cursor at the very beginning of the empty, untouched document. The caption simply reads, "Shit."

...Shit indeed.

Monday, December 1

Le Rentrer

Le Rentrer means "the return." In France, this is when children return to school after a break of some sort and celebrate all the happiness that is education.

In my case, coming back to school was a mistake. I should have just stayed home and hid from my 7-8 page research paper, chem homework, and upcoming finals. If I stayed home, I wouldn't be miserably trying to pass the time away during my pathetic cluster lecture.

Last night, instead of working on said homework, I finished reading Eclipse and started reading Breaking Dawn.

Love Love Love Love Love Love Love.

How much do I want my own vampire? So much.

Anyways, it's dead week at UCLA and I'll be glad when it's over. This week, I have to finish the research paper, catch up on all of my chemistry homework, and prep for finals. Friday night, some friends and I are going out to dinner to celebrate our Secret Santa affair. Saturday is the USC game, not that I really have any desire to go. Maybe I'll give S my ticket so he won't have to steal it from L after all.

...11 days until I fly home!

Thursday, November 27

Happy Thanksgiving

This year, like most others, I have a lot to be thankful for, like the fact that I'm finally home! Unlike my dorm room, my room at home has so much free space, and the carpet is so squishy it sinks underneath me. My towels are so thick, I disappear into them. I took a shower barefoot and it felt great!

I finished reading New Moon. Now I have to get my hands on Eclipse before I drive myself insane.

Tomorrow is Black Friday. Who's ready to get their shop on? I know I am. I guess I'll be seeing you in the commercial rush.

Wednesday, November 26

New Moon

Yesterday, I went to Santa Monica via Big Blue Bus. I did some shopping, and came home with two chunky sweaters, boxers, a silk dress, and New Moon. Due to horrendous traffic, the bus ride back to UCLA took almost two hours, so I had ample time to curl up and read. The first half of the book was terrifying. It made me anxious and frustrated - I felt like a part of me was actually missing as I was reading it. I really have to stop getting attached to fictional characters like this. It can't be healthy.

I stayed up pretty late last night. P and I had an unwelcome visitor in our room. He came over from De Neve because he had been sexiled. He wasn't really unwelcome at first because we felt bad for him, but he overstayed his welcome. Once he left, P and I jumped into bed, reading our respective books. She read Twilight, and I read New Moon.

It's raining today! I would be even more excited if I didn't have to travel today, but I'm welcoming the rain nonetheless. I'm looking forward to another hour or so of reading on my flight home.

AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING HOME!!!

Monday, November 24

Bite me.

I finished reading Twilight last night. I endured quite a few scowls for getting caught reading it in the lounge, but it was worth it. The scowlers clearly have not read it themselves. Not only does Stephanie Meyer write a gripping (though somewhat typical) plot, she creates perhaps the sexiest protagonist I have ever encountered in all my years of reading. I've decided that I'll only be dating vampires from now on. I'm sorry, human boys. You just can't argue with perfection.



Now P is reading the book. I need to go buy the second book, New Moon, before I go crazy and read the entire thing in pdf format online.

I haven't read a book for fun since the last of the Harry Potter series. Indeed, it has been that long. Twilight made me realize how much I missed reading, so I'll hopefully be doing more of that now. Thanks, Ms. Meyer.

Friday, November 21

Daydream

Yesterday was beyond beautiful. It was almost too perfect. Towards the end of the day, I was wondering if I had really woken up from my sleep the night before. Maybe it was just a dream. Who cares? It was perfect.

I had fallen asleep reading Twilight the night before, and surprisingly, I woke up sans alarm clock. I took my time walking to South Campus, listening to my iPod and mentally reviewing chemical equilibrium. I got to class early and I breezed through my chem quiz without having to think twice about anything, so I'm hoping that went well. [KNOCK ON WOOD.] I also got my quiz back from last week - I had raped it. RAPED. IT.

I finished my quiz early, so I went back to my dorm and scheduled my classes. I got both the classes I wanted. I then returned to my room and watched Gossip Girl white eating a turkey-avocado-garlic herb cheese spread sandwich.

I went to my math discussion, through which I played Sudoku with Y. I got a perfect score on my homework for the first time in three weeks. On our way back from class, we picked up tapioca milk tea (!) for just $2.

At night, there was a Lowell dinner - really really small, but fun! This cute boy approached me at dinner and asked my name. When I told him, he smiled and walked away, without telling me his. His face was so familiar, but I couldn't for the life of me remember where or how I met him. He mentioned that his friend, J, also lives on my floor, and this should have hinted at how I may or may not know him, but it didn't. I must consult J on the matter.

Closer to midnight, I played in the lounge with my floormates, watching YouTube videos and playing games on R's iPhone. I climbed into bed around 1AM, and once again, fell asleep reading.

Saturday, November 15

You've got mail!

I've got mail! Upon opening my mailbox for the first time in a week or so, letters came tumbling out at me. This was extraordinary in two ways:
1) I remembered my mailbox combination.
2) I got mail!

Dear A,
Thank you for the letter. Thank you for the picture (Damn, I am sexy!). Thank you for the CD. Thank you even for the bumper sticker. I'm not sure what I want to do with it... actually, I'm not even sure what it means. I remember getting really excited while we were Skyping, when you told me you were going to mail everything to me. I checked mail (almost) religiously, but it never came. Honestly, I kind of gave up and forgot about it, and the minute I did, it showed up in my mailbox. You have this uncanny ability to remind me of how much I miss you when I least expect it. This morning, my friend came into my room and scoffed at the CD (it was sitting on my laptop). I got pretty defensive about it...everyone loves Mandy Moore! Anyways, as I should be trying to be productive, I think I'll just Skype you later.

Dear S,
I love getting your cards - every single one of them. This particular card was squished at the bottom of the stack. I was rather angry with the mail staff for just shoving it under the other mail. They should know better than to wrinkle my mail. Anyways, I may need more room on my wall to tape this one up. A few things: 1) the hug is adorable, 2) my conversations with J...HAHA, and 3) I MISS YOU SO MUCH. I think I need to call you now.

Dear Mommy,
I hate getting mail from you. When I see a letter from you, I'm afraid to open it because I know I'll cry reading it. I've never been away from home for this long, and I'm so tired of being homesick. I know it has to get worse before it gets better, so I just have to stick it out. I also hate that you're in Taiwan because it means two things: 1) you're on vacation while I'm in school, and 2) you can't call me. No one else calls me every night without fail. I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving.

So, I'm trying to mail out some letters this week. Hopefully I'll actually sit down and write them, and everyone will get them before Thanksgiving break. Sorry in advance for the ghetto binder paper. It's all I have until I go home and get my stationary...

I visited icanhazcheezburger.com and found these cuties!





I also found some cuties that reminded me of some friends. I posted those to your respective Facebook walls.

Wednesday, November 12

I love weekends!

I'd like to start off this post with a little funny, taken from one of my favorite go-to's for funnies, Failblog.



Last weekend, I went to the farmers' market! It is nothing like the farmers' market back home. The farmers' market here in Westwood consists of a total of seven booths - one for flowers, one for hummus and pita, one for dried fruits and nuts, two for fruits, and two for jewelry. Though I was disappointed with it's size, I still found everything I needed - grapes, nuts, persimmons, earrings, and a ring.

I took the bus to Santa Monica again, this time with TJ and some others from our floor. After spending an eternity at Crossroads, we emerged with what I consider minimal purchases - a vneck tee for TJ, and a cashmere sweater and quilted [probably fake] Chanel bag for me. Tired of shopping, we promenaded down Third Street in search of street performers. We did find a very talented and entertaining dance group called "One Love Crew." They told us to find them on Youtube, but as hard as I looked, I couldn't find a single one of their videos. Ah well, if you're ever in Santa Monica, be sure to check them out.

That night, I engaged in a game of Mafia with my floor, followed by a game of Taboo. P, the losing tam captain, sportingly agreed to have his nails painted. Past midnight and not yet tired, we learned a lot about each other over games of "I never..." and "Would you rather..."

"Things we learned about R tonight: he walks around his house naked, cuts his pubes, has never masturbated before, but watches porn." - N

Good luck to me on my math midterm today!

Saturday, November 8

It was a great night.

This one is for you, Yellow, because you told me you live vicariously through reading my blog. I miss you so much, and I wish you could have been with me last night. We would have partied Paris-style.

It should be noted that I didn't even plan on going out last night because the week had tired me out so much, but a series of three events changed my mind:
1) I ran into D, who we call H because his last name is more fun than his first, and decided I needed to get my weekly fix of the weirdest conversations I can only have with him.
2) I called C, and she sounded really excited about this party because she actually knew people there.
3) I helped TJ get all dressed up for her first clubbing experience and her excitement seemed to rub off on me.

TJ helped me pick out an appropriate party outfit before she left - silk top, dark denim, fringed boots. I decided it's a good look for me. I even pulled my hair into a high pony and put on long, dangle-y earrings.

All dressed up, I left with P and her friends to meet up with H (and his roommate, A) as they were taking us to said party. When we got there, things didn't seem too excited, but we drank, danced, and danced some more. Things quickly heated up when P's friends kept encouraging S and AS to chug random mixes of juice, vodka, rum, and soda.

S is a cute drunk. He likes to dance, bend over, and drink more. He also doesn't comprehend anything unless it's explained to him very clearly. Towards the end of his drunkenness, he gets tired and likes to curl up and sleep anywhere he can.

A is a crazy drunk. He does anything from spinning his hat around on his head to grinding his friends who aren't dancing. Unlike S, he seems to be aware of his whereabouts and tries to run away from those carrying him home.

AS is a touchy drunk. He thinks everyone is crazy attractive, and that S is his best friend forever. He brings up his ex-girlfriend, and pretty much every other love interest he's ever had. He finished by telling all the girls how sexy they are.

Just when S, A, and AS, [SO STRANGE how their initials do that...] got so drunk they couldn't stand on their own, the police showed up and the party started clearing out. The police promised they didn't want any trouble, and just wanted us to keep the noise level down. They didn't even mention anything about the obvious underage drinking taking place.

When the police leave and the party starts up again, H approaches me and goes, "Do you know what C said to me when she left? She said, 'Take care of Melinda.' Seriously? Like you're the one I should be worried about!" The moment he said this, his roommate, A, falls over onto him, nearly taking me down with him. We decided it was time to go.

Dragging the drunktards back to their dorms must have been the best part of the night. I had A draped on me because he refused to walk with H. S's roommate ended up picking him up and carrying him because he kept trying to sit and sleep in random places. The rest of the group took turns pushing AS along. We managed to get all three of them down the stairs of the apartment, back up frat row, up the wooden stairs to campus, and into their respective dorms shortly after 2...maybe 2:30am.

Just when I thought I could relax, I got a call from J, who was hanging out with D. They are both drunk out of their minds and hungry. It took some time to convince them not to turn on the stove, or drive out and get food. In the end, they decided they weren't hungry, and told me that they were interested in women most of them time. They only liked men on Wednesdays.

My phone kept vibrating throughout the night (I don't know how to turn it off...) because J and D spent the rest of the early morning drunk texting me until they fell asleep. Needless to say, I took it easy today. I woke up at noon and found TJ. We studied, painted our nails, and watched Gossip Girl.

Tuesday, November 4

Cheers to the next four years!

For a change, I let my shirt speak for me and found myself feeling more self-conscious than I thought I would. Walking to Westwood, I felt that people saw my chest before they saw my face. I guess what's one way to get a message across...



shirt (says "vote, declare yourself."): American Eagle
jeans: Joe's
sneakers: Asics

I took the bus again today. I was really excited to find an Out of the Closet on my way to the arts and crafts store. On my way back, I stopped by Buffalo Exchange, Whole Foods, and Rite Aid. By the time I got back to the dorm, I was carrying yards of string, a variety of charms and beads, organic grapes, vitamin water, body wash, a collared shirt, a belt, and a silk top. It was a productive shopping trip.

I turned in my Vote-by-Mail ballot today. I don't think it really mattered because Obama won the election before the polls even closed here in California. Wait, who cares? OBAMA WON!! I guess I don't have to relocate to Canada after all.

Friday, October 31

Epiphany

I think I had an epiphany today. This morning, during my Cluster discussion, this girl in my class just stands up and sort of sways her way over to the door. She stops when my TA asks her if she's ok, then collapses to the floor. Before I knew what was happening, I'm next to her and shaking her awake. She's fine, just tired...and dehydrated from over-partying last night (not that she would admit that to our TA).

Even though nothing really happened, I surprised myself with how quickly I reacted - without hesitating, or even blinking. In my head, I was going over all the steps to CPR/rescue breathing and thinking how unpleasant it would be to give her direct mouth-to-mouth because I had no breathing barrier with me. It wasn't just my ability to recall my lifeguard training that surprised me, but really my readiness to help a complete stranger. After the incident, I looked around the room and realized that only two other people had gotten up out of their seats to help.

I told this to Y, my RA, and said, "it takes a certain type of person to just sit there, unwilling to move when someone clearly needs help," to which he responded with, "and it takes a different kind of person to get up and help without being asked. You'll be surprised how rare this kind of person is." He suggested that perhaps I should become a doctor - a really intense one (think Christina, from Grey's Anatomy). I agree with him, and this is the career path I've chose, at least for now. I think I'm even willing to put up with another two years of chemistry [note hatred from last entry] plus a quarter of biochem to fulfill the Pre-Med requirements.

So, after a good, long blog session, I've [probably over-] analyzed my morning, stopped fuming, and apologized to the girl across the hall [also from last entry], and now I feel much better. Maybe I'll even start studying for chemistry...but that may be seriously overreaching.

Happy Halloween

Last Tuesday, I boarded the Big Blue Bus with the intent of going to Santa Monica, but, being late as usual and spotting a Verizon Wireless store from the bus window, I hopped off midway and found myself somewhere between Brentwood and Third Street Promenade. I walked into Verizon Wireless with a temperamental [Did anyone else know that "temperamental" has that "a" between "temper" and "mental"?] speaker on my cellphone (it only works sometimes), thinking they'd send me away because the phone is otherwise fully functional. I was pleasantly surprised when the employee took a few glances at my almost-one-year-old Motorola Krzr and offered to replace it at no charge. He even transferred all of my contacts, photos, downloaded ringtones, and speed dials into my new phone without asking! No wonder Verizon is consistently rated best in service. Between that and the unbeatable coverage, I'm not sure how anyone can settle for anything less than being IN.

Wednesday morning, I took my LA Cluster midterm. It was surprisingly reasonable, and I emerged from the testing room feeling fairly confident. Still, I'm set on dropping that class as it bores me to death. Only one out of the three professors can hold my attention long enough to get his point across. I would rather take retard-English than suffer through another quarter of that nonsensical, irrelevant course.

Today's chemistry class put me in such a bad mood. I have nothing against my professor, but the way he teaches makes me want to take my own life. I can honestly say I feel as if a boredom knife is stabbing me through the heart...encore et encore et encore. It even sounds excruciating. The worst part is that next semester, I have to take the same professor because he's the only one teaching the class. He has a fucking monopoly on chemistry classes. Tell me, in a capitalist society that thrives with perfect competition, HOW IS THAT FAIR?

[Cute little joke from my chem professor: What is CH2O?]
[Answer: Seawater!]
[See? I actually kind of like the old chap aside from his teaching.]

So I come back to my dorm, fuming the entire time because I don't understand anything in that class. Instead of studying for my midterm, I straightened my hair because I thought that would make me fume less. Apparently, it didn't work because I just exploded at my neighbor across the hall for taking my laundry spot. We both have places to go later, but I signed up for the spot, so I had every right to be angry. Still, I don't think she deserved the multitude of death stares I gave her... maybe I'll go apologize later.

Tonight is Halloween night. What are my plans? Game night on my floor, and a party afterwards. I'm not even in the mood to go out anymore. Fuck chemistry. Fuck my life.

Monday, October 27

Midterms: The Beginning

I brought Lappie with me to class this morning and we actually took notes together. Professor Zasloff, the interesting law professor, lectured today, and kept me entertained the entire time. After the lecture, I returned to my room and had a nice turkey and garlic & herb cheese sandwich. As I was washing the dishes from my lunch, I realized I was late for my Math midterm. I grabbed my bag and ran across the campus, but was still a few minutes late. Even so, I finished the test with time to spare and felt like I did really well, hence the facebook status, "I raped it." One down, three to go!

This was my Math-midterm-conquering outfit:



tunic/dress: Zara
tights: Xhiliration, Target
moccasins: Minnetonka, Nordstrom

I'm now sitting in a midterm review for my LA Cluster with K and TJ, listening to quite possibly the most ridiculous questions being asked. One example: "How should we allot our time between writing short answers and the essay?" Seriously? I can't believe I pushed dinner back for this.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. ME-day! I should probably be studying for my next midterm, but going to Santa Monica is rightfully higher on the priority list.

Sunday, October 26

Warm Fuzzies

Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron complement each other almost too perfectly. They don't even have to fake the chemistry between them on camera. Watching it all in High School Musical 3 was mind blowing. Not only is that movie naively feel-good and cheesy, but the entire cast is adorable (Who can argue against Corbin Bleu's fluffy fro?). So take Gabriella, a curly-haired, beautiful braniac, and Troy, a sensitive jock with beautiful eyes, put them on a rooftop, and watch them sing and dance in the rain. This song is called "Can I Have This Dance." It's my favorite from the movie and it's just magical.





The only thing that bothered me througout the movie was how Gabriella calls her boyfriend "Wildcat" instead of his name. There's a scene in which she actually says, "I love you, Wildcat," as opposed to, "I love you, Troy," which would mean so much more. I forgive her, though.

So I actually went to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood to watch a special screening of the movie. They had this little shrine set up outside the theatre:



These are the costumes from the scene "A Night to Remember."
Ahhh, Disney. They know just how to make a movie I want to watch again and again and again. Warm fuzzies all around.

Thursday, October 23

Obsession

This was me yesterday, without homework:



This is me right now, looking at my essay:



This is what I need to do tomorrow, with my chemistry book:



[pictures from I Can Has Cheezburger]


p.s. I bought shoes today while I was supposed to be writing my essay. I think I've already said how obsessed with shoes I am. I got it from my mom, who has closetfuls of shoes.


Asics: $38


T-Strap sandals: $18

My euphoria after the purchase: priceless

Wednesday, October 22

Just Staring

As I got up late this morning, I was forced to go to class in a sweatshirt and oversized tee. Feeling particularly schlep-y, I returned to my room right after class and changed into one of my little black dresses and felt much better.

I decided to skip math today because we were reviewing the chain rule, again. I was strolling campus aimlessly when I ran into Pretty Boy J. He was hungry, so we sat down inside Ackerman and chatted over my second lunch. In an hour, I had learned way more about him than I had expected. I came to find that Pretty Boy J is far prettier on the inside than he is on the outside, and god knows his outside is pretty (keep in mind that I refer to him as Pretty Boy). After munching, we walked to chem and got there early enough to get a seat towards the front.

After class, Pretty Boy J left with some friends and I nearly walked into R as I was saying goodbye. Never one to pass up an opportunity to socialize, I stayed in the chem courtyard and chatted with him until the shade from the tree moved so far that we were left standing in the over-90-degree heat.

Earlier, P and I were iming via Skype because we were bitching about all the things we couldn't bitch about out loud. She informed me that D was staring at us, and had been for some time. When I looked up and asked what she was doing, she responded with, "Oh, I'm just staring." Now I have to ask, who seriously admits to staring at other people?

My outfit from yesterday (I tend to change during the day if the weather changes):



sweatshirt: UCLA (well, obviously)
leggings: Forever 21
boots: Steve Madden



cardigan: Mossimo, Target
tunic: unknown brand, Crossroads
boots: still Steve Madden

I really need to stop procrastinating and get on top of my school work. (Excuse the image.)

p.s. PARIS, TU ME MANQUES BEAUCOUP!



Here, we see brie (Champignon brand, not President) and spreadable garlic & herb cheese on wheat bread (not fresh-baked baguette).

I hate my cluster.

I brought my laptop to my cluster lecture today because I've noticed that most people do. I've also noticed that, within the first ten minutes of class, most people are already well into their mindless Facebook stalking routines. I brought my laptop today not really to Facebook, but mostly to keep me awake in class. Between staring blankly at quite possibly the worst PowerPoint presentation ever made and taking notes via Microsoft Word, I've checked my email, facebooked, and read all the blogs I follow. (A bit counterproductive, I know.)

I was reading A's blog earlier and came across this:



On the left, a video call shot of A (taken by yours truly), and on the right, Kevjumba (taken from his "Girls Are Like M&M's" video.

For a second, I forgot I was sitting in a lecture hall with over a hundred other students. For a second, I forgot I was bored out of my mind. For a second, I laughed out loud and quite a few people stared.

I looked back up at the PowerPoint and realized I now have no idea what my professor is trying to say. She has this unique way of lecturing in a monotonous drone that sounds more like a lullaby than an engaging professor. T and I are counting down to the end of class - 21 more minutes.

This morning, I walked into the hallway in my usual half-asleep, groggy state and was shocked to find Halloween decorations adorning the walls and ceiling. I then remembered that today is All Hill Halloween. UCLA is involved in a program where inner-city kids are transported to the campus to trick-or-treat in the dorms because their own neighborhoods are unsafe. G and I are going to partner up and tour the kiddies around the dorms. Can't wait!

One last thing... I went to Ralph's yesterday to fill my refrigerator and spent over $40 (!!!) on a loaf of bread, a quart of milk, a container of orange juice, a hunk of brie, some spreadable garlic and herb cheese, Kraft American singles, some sliced honey-roasted turkey, yogurt, Nutella, and organic grapes. If you haven't noticed, I really like cheese. Now, this may sounds like a lot, but it didn't even fill two paper bags. Since when were groceries so ridiculously expensive?

...11 minutes to go. Tick tock.

Sunday, October 19

Therapy

Two types of therapy I find most effective - blog therapy and retail therapy. The first is obvious. There's nothing quite like putting your feelings on the internet for all the world to see. Blogging has this amazing way of taking all the stress away. It's like keeping a diary, except easier and faster for those of us too lazy to write (I actually do both...). Retail therapy works a little differently. Shopping is more mindless and doesn't require coherent thought processes. When I shop, I shut my mind off completely. I then indulge in buying things I don't need and it feels great. I mean, we all know it's bad, but it feels so good.

I was missing thrifting so much when C suggested going to Goodwill, so I went with some friends and bought a few things I couldn't be without: a clear cup (for make-up brushes), a lunchbox, a wool jumper, and a silk top. All of this came out to $9.47. Only at Goodwill can you find silk tops for under three dollars.

That night, I bonded with my floor over dinner and some hang-out time afterwards. I've been doing that a lot lately. I figure I'll be here for a whole year, so I should at least attempt to know the people I live with. A highlight from the evening: R was the victim of our pointing-and-laughing when he couldn't understand why reading "Iam sofa king we todd id" out loud was so funny.

I remember one of my first Psychology classes at Lowell when Ms. Kwong, my teacher, asked the class which statement we identified with more - "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" or "Out of sight, out of mind." At the time, I chose the latter, but now I'm not so sure anymore.

Friday, October 17

Still homesick... Damn.

It's so difficult to get to know a new place. I love seeing new places, but I like the comfort of familiarity. I love meeting new people, but I miss my friends back home. I miss the people who get me - who, at times, know me better than I know myself. I miss not getting lost on my way to class. I miss knowing exactly which bus to take to get wherever I want to go. I miss the way my parents tell me I stay up too late. In short, I miss home. I miss home so so so much.

Speaking of parents, P asked me why I talk to my mom every night. She went on to make a rather critical comment about how I'm now in college and shouldn't talk to my parents all the time. Alright, that hurt. I tried explaining to her that my mom is my best friend, and like most best friends, we spend a lot of time talking to each other. I'm pretty sure this open communication is a sign of a healthy relationship with my parents. Am I wrong? I mean, however far away I may be, I'll always be their daughter, and they'll always be my parents. Just because I don't live with them anymore doesn't mean we have to grow apart, right? And to be frank, almost everyone I've discussed the matter with talks to their parents every night, too. That's right. Every single night. I'm not saying all of this to prove how I'm right and she's wrong, but really, every parent-child relationship is different, and she shouldn't have criticized mine for being different from hers. Of course I didn't say all of this to her. I was too busy fuming... damn.

So, on a less I'm-really-homesick and I'm-really-defensive note, my floor designated Fridays to be game nights. Yesterday, we played a very intense game of Taboo. Being the captain of the losing team, N agreed to dye his hair blue. The color, though blindingly bright on the box, came out quite nice on his head. I just have to give him kudos for being such a great sport and actually following through with the hair dye.

Early this morning, I went to bed at 3:30, after Skyping A for a very long time. Five hours later, I woke up to go to the UCLA vs. Stanford football game. The first three quarters passed slowly and disappointingly. Our team made an epic comeback in the last quarter, winning the game by making touchdown in the last five seconds. Watching this gave every single bruin or bruin fan in the stadium a rush of adrenaline like no other. We then high-fived and embraced even strangers sitting near us. It made sitting under the sun in unforgiving Pasadena heat seem worthwhile, but what goes up must come down, right? Our happiness was dampened by our bus breaking down in the middle of the freeway on our way back to UCLA. The driver made us get out of the bus and wait on the side of the freeway for rescue buses. These rescue buses already had people on them, so we had to sit on the floor all the way back to campus.

I've had these pictures, but haven't posted them yet, so...
(I know they look identical, but look closely... They're not.)





dress: Japan
flip flops: Rainbow
sunglasses: a gift from UCLA's Blue & Gold Week

I just saw this amazing bag at Old Navy for just $12.99.



This makes me want to go shopping tomorrow. Oh, and I talked to R and told her all about how no one thrifts here in LA. I miss her so much!

p.s. A friend asked me a few days ago to remove her name from my blog. I had unintentionally said something that she didn't want the world to know. So, I've taken to writing just first initials of names, an idea I got from C, also known as noncommittal. Just wanted to give her credit for that.

Thursday, October 16

Bitching

This morning, I took my first quiz in discussion. When our TA called time, J just looked over at me and shook his head. It was that bad. I've been studying like crazy for Chem lately. I'm so frustrated because it seems like all my studying is amounting to nothing. After all my hours of hard work, fundamentals still seem difficult, and it takes me a long time to work though simple problems, like deriving empirical formulas.

Anyways, back to J for a second. That boy has the most amazing, piercing eyes I have ever seen. Our friend, L, who has read the entire Twilight series, convinced him to audition for a part in one of the Twilight movies as a vampire because the vampires apparently have beautiful eyes. All I could think was, I definitely wouldn't mind watching a movie with him in it. Rawr! He's going out dancing tonight. When asked if I wanted to go with him, I almost cried (on the inside) when I realized I had to say I couldn't. See, I promised myself I would never again go out on Thursday nights because I have early class on Fridays. So, that's that. Pretty boy J is going dancing tonight...alone.

I'm sorry. Really, I'm so sorry...but I have to get this off my chest. I've talked to P about this and she totally agrees.

10 Things I Hate About My Roommate:
1) She never takes out the recycling.
2) She never vacuums, even though she says she will.
3) She never refills the water filter, even though she uses it daily.
4) She used out all of P's Kleenex and left the empty box standing on her shelf.
5) She uses our laptops because she doesn't have one. There is a computer lab downstairs.
6) She uses our cellphones because she doesn't have one.
7) She refuses to keep the door open. (Hello, antisocial?)
8) She uses massive amounts of disgustingly musky perfume with the window closed.
9) She stares at me while I put on make up in the morning.
10) HER BOYFRIEND IS A JERK.

Last Sunday, her boyfriend decided to pay her a visit at 7:30am. Instead of knocking on the door as normal people generally do, this guy tries to break down the door by banging on it. I was woken up by that, and her shrieking "OH MY GOD!" when she answers the door. She introduces me as "my roommate" instead of Melinda, which I resent because A) I was in my pajamas in bed so she shouldn't have been talking to me in the first place, and B) I HAVE A NAME - of course I'm her roommate...who else would be sleeping in that bed?! Anyways, she lets him and his friend in and they decide to watch YouTube videos - at 7:30 in the morning while I'm still in bed.

My second encounter with the boyfriend: I'm at my desk doing homework and he walks in with my roommate. She reintroduces me as "Mel" and I explain that I was in bed this morning while he was here. Instead of apologizing for waking me up, he bluntly says "oh, so you're Mel," to which I respond, "yes, I am."

My last encounter with said boyfriend: I walk back into the room for my Periodic table and find him making out with my roommate on her bed.

I'm so frustrated that I got a shitty roommate with a shitty boyfriend. Please excuse my language, but...UCLA totally fucked up with our fucking roommate assignments. This girl isn't compatible with P or me at all. WHAT A BITCH.

Saturday, October 11

Lowell Day

I woke up to a call from Greg this morning. We went to brunch and chit-chatted about this past week. The craziest sounds come out of that boy when we talk.

After brunch, I met up with DENNIS HO, who came to visit his sister (and me!). We, along with Connie, Karrie, and Jon, explored campus and went on a coupon-redeeming spree. Highlights of the trip include investigating the inside of Royce Hall, and Connie capturing Dennis, Jon, and me taking turns mounting the bruin bear.

As I was finishing up my shower routine, I got a call from Connie. She informed me that the group would be picking me up to take Dennis and Eleanor to Diddy Reise. Having already brushed my teeth, I decided I wouldn't get ice cream, but went with them anyways. I'm so glad I went because this is what happened while we were walking back.

Me: [insert dirty comment here]
Connie: "You can dip it in my milkshake."
John: (turns around) "What did you say!?"
Boy-whose-name-I-have-yet-to-learn: (turns to look at me and Connie, right before walking straight into a pole, and ricocheting right back)

As Yesenia said, "that was gold." I hadn't laughed that hard in so long, and I welcomed the feeling of being out of breath from laughter. Thanks, Boy.

When I got back to my dorm room, I found myself reminiscing about the past four years. I think the presence of Dennis and Eleanor made me realize how much I miss my high school friends. I then found myself feeling quite sad as I'd love to keep in touch with all of my friends from Lowell, but I should know better. I need to accept that people move on and things change. I need to give it time, though - I'm not ready to let go just yet. I find it comforting to know that I won't have to worry about losing my closest friends. I believe some things do last forever.

On a different note (the musical kind!), there are few songs I feel are truly beautiful, but I've fallen in love with a song called Love Story, by Taylor Swift. I saw the video yesterday and it swept me away with its pretty melody and powerful (if cheesy) lyrics. Because of that one song, I've actually started to like Taylor Swift, even though she generally sings country music and looks like a cat. Since UCLA frowns upon illegal downloading, I have the song bookmarked on YouTube. Seriously, it's beautiful.

Speaking of YouTube, HappySlip made a poignant video doing a cover of Rihanna's "Take A Bow." She wrote her own lyrics to accompany the comely melody of the song because she felt Rihanna's were a bit too harsh. I think she did a wonderful job with it. Aside from sharing her lyrics, she also entertains with her skills on the piano, powerful vocals, and cutesy comments. You can see the video here.

Pictures will come when I charge my camera. The YouTube videos should be plenty entertaining for now.

Friday, October 10

I finally uploaded pictures.

I went clubbing last night. I had fun, but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't stayed up until 3am the previous night studying chemistry. The club was decent, and good music was playing (at least I recognized most of the songs). By the end of the night, though, I was so exhausted and so over my aching feet, horny guys, and drunk girls. This is what I wore. (Notice the 4" heels.) The second picture is one of me being vain in front of the mirror.





silk tank: Express
jeans: Hudson, Bloomingdales
oxfod booties(!): Fioni, Payless

I stumbled back into the dorm room, showered, and fell into bed after 3am, again. I got up 4 and half hours later and have been tired ever since. As I was walking up the stairs, an epic yawn came over me and I tripped. Thankfully, it was too early in the morning for anyone to be awake to see me fall.

So I was posting a comment on a friend's Blogger earlier and it occurred to me that these security measure things...



...always fluster me. Am I the only one who has trouble making out letters in these boxes?

Also, one of my roommates has gotten pretty sick, so to prevent myself from getting whatever virus she's carrying, I stopped by the student union to pick up some Emergen-C.



Everyone who has had Emergen-C knows that the stuff tastes like powdered children's vitamins...and not the good kind, so to encourage myself to keep drinking it, I treat myself to a gummy every time I finish 2 oz. (I'm taking around 16 oz.)

And since I finally uploaded pictures, here's a shot of my new hair:



People kept walking past me the first week I got it because no one recognized me anymore. So now you know, and you can say hi to me when you see me. :)