Some recent adventures
Sep. 25th, 2005 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarigwaemirLowell House, on the Feast of St. Finbar
Many thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! I don't feel nearly mature enough to be twenty. I had a hard enough time remembering I was nineteen, and once I finally got used to the fact, boom, I became twenty. Twenty. Even the number is intimidatingly round and sophisticated, too much for insignficant little me.
Amusingly enough, the first kendo practice with new members fell on my birthday. I made sure not to mention this fact to any senpai--or any kendo club members for that matter--to avoid any, um, "congratulatory special birthday keiko"...Of course Daera managed to push me around in jigeiko afterwards, so I did get my due. >_> Note to self: stop letting people hit hiki-men on you, and stop pushing your right shoulder forward.
Haven't been updating LJ much lately (by my standards, anyhow) because nothing interesting has happened, other than that hilarious lecture from Mark Ptashne, who ranted freely and unreservedly about what he saw as, hm, misguided tendencies in the biological community to dismiss the significance of recruitment or cooperative binding. Hahaha...you might need to be a biology major to appreciate the humor though, so I'll spare you (for the moment).
I woke up atrociously late after having stayed up last night finishing Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk thriller. I enjoyed it thoroughly, first page to last. Yes, even all the bad puns, like Hiro Protagonist. In retrospect, it's kind of amazing how Stephenson convinces me to swallow all the exaggerations and implausibilities because his world is just that cool. ^_^ Even more amazing considering that Hiro Protagonist is the exact delusional self-image cherished by numerous dorky immature boys for whom I had no patience in high school and have even less patience now. Heh. The female characters are especially strange because while Stephenson is in no way sexist, Y.T. and Juanita are definitely male constructions. Not that they aren't strong personalities or whatnot...but I mean, that whole scene with Raven and Y.T.--no female author would ever write something so ridiculous. (Honestly, I know Raven is supposed to be this hunk of hypermasculinity--large, dangerous and domineering--but the image I get is more like a giant walrus.) But no, snarking aside, I liked the book, and who knows, I may even muster the courage to attempt the Baroque Cycle someday. Also, isn't it neat that the book I pick up from the Farnsworth Room on a complete whim happens to contain relevant themes for both of my Core courses? Near Eastern and Biblical mythology complements the course on the Book of Job, and language "infrastructure" and acquisition complements Knowledge of Language. Stephenson's ideas would never hold water in a scholarly paper, but that's the beauty of fiction: you can draw brilliant connections and create interesting paradigms without having to bother with the details of sufficient proof. ^_^
Well, after the excitement of the Metaverse and neurolinguistic hacking, I couldn't go to sleep, so I started reading Have His Carcase, which I thought I should finish before continuing on with Gaudy Night. >_> Hence, waking up late this morning. After some half-hearted attempts at doing homework,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
schwimmerin and I decided to go off to karaoke (our respective roommates did not accompany us, choosing instead the probably wiser but much less exciting path of productivity). This time, we did not get lost and wander the entire length of Brighton Ave. before asking for directions; no, we went straight to the noraebang without any mishaps. (Psst, I started off with 김종국's "사랑스러워" just for you, Angelette.) schwimmerin picked out many amusing pop songs from our middle school years...like Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle". Hey, don't laugh, when else can you sing embarrassing teenybopper songs from the late 90s?! We also sang "Mambo no. 5" at the very end, hahaha. Endless giggling, but so much fun. ^_^
Went to dinner and ran into Jason from Hunter, of all people. O_O I hadn't seen him since graduation even though he goes to MIT. Apparently he had to be at Harvard to organize some event and dropped by to visit Jonathan, who happens to be living upstairs from me this year. Yes, the Hunter connections never cease. ^_^ Found it rather odd to find myself talking to him more easily than I did senior year when we were in the same classes and same extracurriculars. I guess that's what it means to grow up. Anyway, Hunter reunions are always nice, particularly when they are unexpected.
Hm, that reminds me, one of these days I ought to visit MIT so I can payunrequitedangst a visit. ^_^ We had a lovely lunch together last Sunday, and I attempted to show her around campus, although I did a very bad job of it since I don't know very many interesting places. ::sighs:: In any case, I know even less about the MIT campus, so do show me around, Amy? ^_^
Thenschwimmerin and I dragged Nan off to see Pirates of the Caribbean, since she hadn't seen it before. We sat out on the lawn of Tercentenary Theatre and ate the free popcorn and candy supplied by the UC. It's an annual event, nominally sponsored by President Summers, to show an outdoor movie at the beginning of the school year. I'd never gone before, so we didn't know to bring blankets or cushions, but we managed to enjoy the movie despite the dropping temperature, staticky speakers and hard, bumpy ground. This was my third time seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, by the way, and although I never considered myself to be a fan, I still laughed at all the jokes. I suppose that's what makes a good film in the end.
Yours &c.
Post-script: Oh yes, I changed my layout. "A Novel Conundrum" was stylish, but I must admit that "Smooth Sailing" is more utilitarian and allows for more customization.
Many thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! I don't feel nearly mature enough to be twenty. I had a hard enough time remembering I was nineteen, and once I finally got used to the fact, boom, I became twenty. Twenty. Even the number is intimidatingly round and sophisticated, too much for insignficant little me.
Amusingly enough, the first kendo practice with new members fell on my birthday. I made sure not to mention this fact to any senpai--or any kendo club members for that matter--to avoid any, um, "congratulatory special birthday keiko"...Of course Daera managed to push me around in jigeiko afterwards, so I did get my due. >_> Note to self: stop letting people hit hiki-men on you, and stop pushing your right shoulder forward.
Haven't been updating LJ much lately (by my standards, anyhow) because nothing interesting has happened, other than that hilarious lecture from Mark Ptashne, who ranted freely and unreservedly about what he saw as, hm, misguided tendencies in the biological community to dismiss the significance of recruitment or cooperative binding. Hahaha...you might need to be a biology major to appreciate the humor though, so I'll spare you (for the moment).
I woke up atrociously late after having stayed up last night finishing Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk thriller. I enjoyed it thoroughly, first page to last. Yes, even all the bad puns, like Hiro Protagonist. In retrospect, it's kind of amazing how Stephenson convinces me to swallow all the exaggerations and implausibilities because his world is just that cool. ^_^ Even more amazing considering that Hiro Protagonist is the exact delusional self-image cherished by numerous dorky immature boys for whom I had no patience in high school and have even less patience now. Heh. The female characters are especially strange because while Stephenson is in no way sexist, Y.T. and Juanita are definitely male constructions. Not that they aren't strong personalities or whatnot...but I mean, that whole scene with Raven and Y.T.--no female author would ever write something so ridiculous. (Honestly, I know Raven is supposed to be this hunk of hypermasculinity--large, dangerous and domineering--but the image I get is more like a giant walrus.) But no, snarking aside, I liked the book, and who knows, I may even muster the courage to attempt the Baroque Cycle someday. Also, isn't it neat that the book I pick up from the Farnsworth Room on a complete whim happens to contain relevant themes for both of my Core courses? Near Eastern and Biblical mythology complements the course on the Book of Job, and language "infrastructure" and acquisition complements Knowledge of Language. Stephenson's ideas would never hold water in a scholarly paper, but that's the beauty of fiction: you can draw brilliant connections and create interesting paradigms without having to bother with the details of sufficient proof. ^_^
Well, after the excitement of the Metaverse and neurolinguistic hacking, I couldn't go to sleep, so I started reading Have His Carcase, which I thought I should finish before continuing on with Gaudy Night. >_> Hence, waking up late this morning. After some half-hearted attempts at doing homework,
schwimmerin and I decided to go off to karaoke (our respective roommates did not accompany us, choosing instead the probably wiser but much less exciting path of productivity). This time, we did not get lost and wander the entire length of Brighton Ave. before asking for directions; no, we went straight to the noraebang without any mishaps. (Psst, I started off with 김종국's "사랑스러워" just for you, Angelette.) schwimmerin picked out many amusing pop songs from our middle school years...like Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle". Hey, don't laugh, when else can you sing embarrassing teenybopper songs from the late 90s?! We also sang "Mambo no. 5" at the very end, hahaha. Endless giggling, but so much fun. ^_^Went to dinner and ran into Jason from Hunter, of all people. O_O I hadn't seen him since graduation even though he goes to MIT. Apparently he had to be at Harvard to organize some event and dropped by to visit Jonathan, who happens to be living upstairs from me this year. Yes, the Hunter connections never cease. ^_^ Found it rather odd to find myself talking to him more easily than I did senior year when we were in the same classes and same extracurriculars. I guess that's what it means to grow up. Anyway, Hunter reunions are always nice, particularly when they are unexpected.
Hm, that reminds me, one of these days I ought to visit MIT so I can pay
unrequitedangst a visit. ^_^ We had a lovely lunch together last Sunday, and I attempted to show her around campus, although I did a very bad job of it since I don't know very many interesting places. ::sighs:: In any case, I know even less about the MIT campus, so do show me around, Amy? ^_^Then
schwimmerin and I dragged Nan off to see Pirates of the Caribbean, since she hadn't seen it before. We sat out on the lawn of Tercentenary Theatre and ate the free popcorn and candy supplied by the UC. It's an annual event, nominally sponsored by President Summers, to show an outdoor movie at the beginning of the school year. I'd never gone before, so we didn't know to bring blankets or cushions, but we managed to enjoy the movie despite the dropping temperature, staticky speakers and hard, bumpy ground. This was my third time seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, by the way, and although I never considered myself to be a fan, I still laughed at all the jokes. I suppose that's what makes a good film in the end.Yours &c.
Post-script: Oh yes, I changed my layout. "A Novel Conundrum" was stylish, but I must admit that "Smooth Sailing" is more utilitarian and allows for more customization.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-26 03:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-27 12:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-26 04:14 am (UTC)Twenty was weird for me because my father's mother was nineteen when she died (struck by lightning), and she'd already been married three years and had two kids. Strange, right? To think of yourself in a similar situation.
Twenty is also one year older than Sanosuke (from Ruroken), who was "too old to change" (self-declared). Sometimes I think I know how he feels. And sometimes I think, that's the biggest piece of garbage I've ever heard. Too old? At nineteen? What about the rest of us?
Smooth Sailing owns, although the organizational capacities are wasted on me since my entries are all mixed up anyway. I like your colorscheme, very clean! Reminds me of Colgate toothpaste!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-27 12:20 am (UTC)I definitely know what you mean--in all the children's classics like Anne of Green Gables or Little Women, twenty is the age when you're essentially grown up and married, and I...don't feel grown up at all. >_>;;
Hee, come to think of it, this color scheme does in fact match my mint toothpaste. XD
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-26 11:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-27 12:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-28 01:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-28 01:14 pm (UTC)