Secrets

I was really productive today. After my Chem tutoring session, I got together with a small group to do Calculus homework and study Chem. I really love Calculus. I understand a great deal more now that I'm learning the principles a second time.

Tonight was about floor bonding - getting to know each other on a personal level and sharing our "secrets." It was a worthwhile experience, although I wish I had known it would take so long. I would have done more homework beforehand.

I got back to my room shortly before midnight and decided to study Chem (specifically, Stoichiometry and other fundamentals) some more. By the end of the study session, I could balance equations, and work out empirical/molecular formulas, something I was really proud of even though most people learned it in their sophomore year of high school.

Because there wasn't a new episode of Gossip Girl this week, I found myself drooling over pictures of the cast on people.com.



Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and Ed Westwick. They are the reasons why "prep" is such a turn on for so many girls. They are also the reasons why Gossip Girl is the single show I follow religiously. I would probably sell my soul to meet this cast... or even just Leighton Meester.



Here, she's dressed up as Blair Waldorf, but you have to admire her daring, darling style whether or not she's in character. Who else could pull off that floral bubble hem sundress with matching pumps and pearl earrings?

Some Alone Time

Today, I got up without an alarm clock. I went to the Clinique counter in our student store for a free consultation, then headed over to the gym for a workout. In the afternoon, I bussed out to a mall in search of a Sanrio, but found a Payless instead. As Payless was having its trademark BOGO (Buy One Get One half off) sale, I bought these patent oxford booties with a slick 4" heel:



and these double-strap Mary Janes with covered heels (half off!!):



And it all came out to under $50. Mmmm, gotta love Payless. I mean, designer shoes are wonderful to gawk at, but I couldn't imagine actually wearing down the heels on a pair of $500 Jimmy Choos.

Tuesdays have become my designated me-days as I don't have classes that day. Our dorms are so close-knit. I mean, I love the social aspect of that, but I miss the calm and quiet of having my own room. I like having a day that I can spend alone - strolling through campus, sitting under a tree, shopping in Westwood - without having to deal with other people. I will admit that sounds a bit antisocial, but I do need time to myself every once in a while, and once a week is pretty reasonable.

I think most of us are at the point where the novelty of college is wearing off and we're starting to miss the familiar things of home - friends, family, our own beds. It's makes me sad that I won't be seeing old friends until Thanksgiving, when I fly back for three days. I'm glad there are so many things going on here to keep me busy, so I don't miss home as much.

Is anyone else excited for the premiere of Disney's High School Musical 3? UCLA is taking us to the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood the night of the premiere, so I'm really looking forward to that! Besides, the whole cast is adorable, and I love Vanessa Hudgens's style!

I miss you.

Just a few days ago, I sat at my desk admiring all of the pretty pictures I had put up when I realized I have no pictures of my family. I then wondered what kind of person puts up prints of friends, cute animals, and scenery around the room, and forgets to bring one of family. I guess I'm just missing home. And it doesn't help that I'm skyping the people I miss. Seeing them does make me happy, but the moment I sign off, I start to miss them again.

Yesterday, a few friends and I went to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. That place is truly a shopper's paradise. I can't wait to keep exploring the different parts of LA. Public transportation isn't that bad...

I'm looking to buy a mini-fridge for my dorm room. Yes, I know it's late, but whatever. I think I'm getting the Haier. At 4.0 cubic feet, it's around $140. If you know of a cheaper one, or one that comes in colors other than black, white, and silver, please let me know.

Michelle left a comment on my Facebook that said she and Dennis are coming to LA this weekend! This couple of lines on my wall made my entire day. I asked Alex to come down with them. Ohhh, I'm so excited!

So I know it's bad to complain about roommates, but I just woke up not to my alarm clock, but to a conversation being held by my roommates at 9am. Now I love both of them, but do they really need to speak so loudly in the morning? I personally really enjoy quiet mornings when I'm lost in thought, undisturbed by other voices. And I'm completely disoriented in the morning, so anything I try to say would come out kind of funny anyways... Plus, there is a reason I scheduled my first class for 11am. I'm really not a morning person. That is all.

The USB cord hasn't moved since my last post. Pictures still to come later.


EDIT::

The UC quarter system doesn't allow us to take Columbus Day off. This means two things:
1) Michelle/Dennis/Alex can't visit.
2) For the first time in the history of my education, I have to go to school on Columbus Day.

Stupid For You

This past week, I've been trying out for different a cappella groups. I sang "Stupid For You," by Marié Digby over and over again, and it's been stuck in my head for quite some time now. If you haven't heard it yet, go listen. I got called back to one out of the three groups I auditioned for, but I decided not to go because it was an all-girls group. I'm not sure why I even auditioned in the first place as I'm all for co-ed when it comes to singing. I hear back from my last audition tonight. Wish me luck?

Chemistry has been kicking my butt lately. I'm so lost during lectures, and if possible, even more lost during discussion. I considered dropping, but as I'm taking entry-level Chem, there isn't a lower-level class I could take. I'm determined to pass this class, and determined to not let my lack of high school Chemistry hold me back. I went to the library and checked out a beginning Chemistry textbook, titled Introduction to Chemistry, and I've been reading it on my own. I know it's rather pretentious of me to say this, but I've never been fazed by classes before. I've always been at the top of my academic game, which is why this is so frustrating for me.

Last night, Huberman took us out to another party. I played my first real game of beer pong, and won! Who would have thought my hand-eye was that good? Not me, for sure. I also met this guy I went to elementary school with! The really amazing thing is that we still remembered each other even though he's a grade older than me. What an incredibly small world. Now I know drinking isn't good, but you have to admit it's strangely satisfying/entertaining to watch your friends when they're drunk. So even though the party ended up getting broken up by police (like every other party on Frat row), it was a good night.

I'm going to my second football game tonight. It starts at 7:15pm, so it'll be nice and chilly in the stadium. I can't wait to soak up the cold.

I have some pictures on my camera, but I don't feel up to standing up and getting the usb cord to upload them, so pictures to come later...

Big Blue Bus

I'm not sure why I didn't post this when I finished it, but here's the post that should have been posted Tuesday:

I did my first load of college laundry yesterday. While my clothing was in the dryer, I went to Westwood with Greg to get my Chemistry course reader. We also took a short break at Red Mango for some green tea flavored frozen yogurt with mochi on top. Yum!

Today I saw LA by bus as a homework assignment for my cluster class. I took the Big Blue Bus line 2 towards Santa Monica. It turned out to be a real test of my self esteem as I was sitting by the window not only taking notes furiously, but taking pictures as well. I got a few interesting stares, as well as an offer from an older gentleman to take me sightseeing around LA. Creepiness aside, he made me realize how incredibly touristy I must have looked with my bus map and camera.

I also went to Urban Outfitters for an interview, but discovered that they're looking for seasonal employees and can't hire those leaving LA for the holidays. They told me to contact them again in January, when I'll be staying for the rest of the school year. I guess that's fair. On the plus side, I found a couple of fellow UCLA students to socialize with.

Firsts

Last Friday was Resfest in the John Wooden Center. It was a huge festival of games, sports, and free stuff. I waited in a seemingly endless line for my first Henna tattoo. It was worth the wait because I'm really happy with the way it came out. :D



Yesterday, I got up early to get to the football game on time. The rooter bus I was on got lost and had to snake down steep residential streets. At an especially sharp turn, the engine stalled, broke down, and refused to start again. We then had to walk the 2-3 miles in the midday heat to get to the Rose Bowl. We cheered the Bruins on for the entire 4 hours of the game under 90 degree heat without shade or breaks. I felt myself sweat through my shirt and shorts - it was that hot. The worst thing is, that after all we went through that day, we still lost to Fresno State.

My only consolation is that I met Cute Boy in tunnel while I was trying to escape the heat. We had a friendly exchange, and he gave me his room number so I could "look him up." This makes me super excited!

So that was my first-ever football game. It wasn't a total loss. At least our marching band totally showed up theirs. And at least it makes for an interesting story.

That night, a group of girls and I went to a dance party hosted Sproul Hall, one of UCLA's newly-renovated dorms. We saw Huberman there, and he offered to take us to a Frat party. We weren't really tired, so we followed him to Frat row and into the backyard of some Frat mansion party. I chugged (with Hilary) my first Irish Car Bomb, danced, and watched the guys indulge in some beer pong. We also hung out with an adorable kitty named Misty, who Karrie wanted to take home and hide in the dorm.

So there you have it. My first football game and my first Frat party...all wrapped into one very interesting Saturday.



This doesn't really relate to the post, but I just had to put up the apple. The picture doesn't do it justice, but the color is so pure - so amazingly green!

Bruin Pride

Having gotten out of class early this morning, I decided to observe the campus on my walk back to the dorm. I paid extra attention to the neatly trimmed hedges and small spots of shade under our massive trees. The sky was clear blue this morning, and at 10am, a nice breeze was still blowing. There's something about this place that makes it so likable - so warm and homey. Most people here actually care what they look like in the morning, so I feel the push to try just a little harder to look composed every day. I'm glad our campus isn't stuck in the school-sweatshirt-and-denim rut. There isn't much I can say about bruin pride. The school pride here is one of the big things that initially drew me to UCLA, and it's something that makes this huge school feel just a bit smaller.

I've been spending a lot of time with Palina since moving in. One morning, we got up early to run the campus and find our classes. Though we got a bit disoriented, we managed to find everything just before lunch. After showering and eating, we spent the afternoon shopping (our favorite pastime) in Westwood. Needless to say, I bought a few things.



The plain white v-neck by American Apparel. (photo taken off their website)



Yet another pair of Blowfish flats. These are purple(!) and feature a ruched toe.

We also stopped by Ahhhs and I bought a Hello Kitty box for my makeup that matches my Hello Kitty jewelry box. :)

I've also been hanging around Lowell people a lot. I mean, I have made other friends, but I spend a lot of my time with the ones I graduated high school with. We've been chilling, playing pool and ping pong, watching all the season premieres on Connie's TV. Maybe I should start branching out to other people - like the cute boy sitting next to me in my GE Cluster discussion.

So, I have a few adventures planned for the near future. Today, I'm going swimming with a few girls for the first time at Sunset Canyon. I've heard the place kind of feels like camp, so I'm excited to see it. Tomorrow, I'm going to see the football game against Fresno with a gallon of sunscreen, my blue and gold gear (and maybe even body paint!). I'll also be seeing LA by bus as an assignment for my LA Cluster class. My friend and I decided that we'll take the bus to Santa Monica and shop. Connie and I have yet to set a date, but star searching in Beverly Hills (and Hollywood, possibly Bel Air) is definitely in the plans.

Yesterday, I bought a fitness pass at the John Wooden Center and decided to put it to good use by participating in a core workout (kind of a buttbuster-type class). I engaged what felt like every single muscle in my body, and as a result, I woke up this morning sore from my biceps down to my quads. What I need now is a good friend majoring in massage therapy with a lot of free time.

I had planned on napping as soon as I got back to the dorm, but Blogger distracted me yet again. I'm so tired from going to sleep late and waking up early, but I feel like it's all worth it. I'm happy tired.

And this is what I wore today. (pictures taken in the dorm)





v-neck tee: American Apparel
skirt: Gap
fringed boots: Steve Madden
shiny necklace(!): Crossroads