The Day After Tomorrow

New York is now a swimming pool.

South Street Seaport

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Stuyvesant High School

Ground Zero

I'm freaking out. Just a whole lot.

Allow myself to softly remind everyone that this New York. NEW YORK CITY.
So stop complaining about the college not being closed tomorrow!
/angst/

Hurricane Day

Here at Mount Holyoke, we observe Hurricane Day, a fun-filled impromptu day dedicated to Hurricane Sandy! Classes are cancelled and students can get complimentary blowouts courtesy of our outdoor salons.

But in all seriousness, the eye hasn't even reached the coast yet and I've definitely been in worse weather without concern. I wonder if we'll get tomorrow or Wednesday off too... but don't let me get your hopes up.

Click the picture for a larger view

The funny thing is that I have an exam on weather systems and cyclones tomorrow. Which includes hurricanes which are, by definition, really big extremely low pressure cyclonic systems.

See those jet streams and the weather front? Big uh ohs.

I just hope the power doesn't go out.

Frankenstorm

NYC public schools closed for something other than a Jewish holiday? Well this time last year, we got our first snow day in six years so there's always hope. And MTA being completely shut down? That just makes 11 million people stranded. I guess its a good thing I'm here in the happy valley. On that note, classes haven't been cancelled yet and if they aren't, pray that I don't get crushed on a porch by a collapsing tree.

Anyway, stay safe, NYC. Just stay in bed and watch TV all day... I wonder what happens to all the critters during a storm like this.

Power, Passion, Pride

Congratulations to the MHC Crew team for placing second at Seven Sisters!

At the regatta today I really loved how everyone was so supportive and proud of each other and it made me really happy to feel such strong team spirit. Everything that we accomplished today really solidifies what MHC Crew stands for: Power, Passion, and Pride. We tied with Simmons for second place with 28 points and our novice boats did exceptionally well. To get there, you rowed with power. To get here, you rowed with passion. And every ounce of power and passion makes us proud of each other. Today was a beautiful day to end the season and I'm so glad that I am a part of this team. Here's to you.

On another note, we will be selling MHC Crew shirts that you (family/friends/alums/colleagues/everyone) should buy. They're Caribbean Blue.

One More Thing

1. I wrote a lovely piece about the effects that dining space has on social interactions. But it wasn't saved and I lost it :( So here's the gist: the size of a dining table contributes in determining how independent/self-sufficient/free-spirited you are. Basically. It probably doesn't make any sense, but I lost my explanation and I have no desire to rewrite it.

2. I took this picture while on the river yesterday... I just really liked the clouds that morning. Also, it was my last time on the water until the spring.

I'll try to take more pictures in the spring.

3. And last but not least, just a general announcement that right now it is the calm before the expected snowrainthunderscarestorm on Monday so enjoy the nice weather before you can't!

7 Billion

It's Friday night and I'm holed up trying to finish my Anthro paper due at midnight. I looked through the course catalogue and picked out my prospective classes for the next semester, perfectly configured on a piece of scrap paper. I'm so eager to take an architecture class again, it's been such a long time since my last.

Aside from that, it's just been a pretty mellow day on the Mount Holyoke campus. Today felt really slow although time was just ticking away without regard. The team had their celebratory Boom Chug in which we ran through campus yelling "BOOM CHUG-A-LUG-A-LUG-A" advertising our last regatta of the season. It was fairly amusing although I'm sure half of our participants joined crew because it doesn't involve running so it seemed like people were going to pass out then and there.

Tomorrow is our Championship regatta and it'll be nice to get off campus with something to do (although I won't actually be doing anything). It's sad to think that the season is over although I'm sure we all appreciate the return to normal working hours. At least we don't have to deal with the incoming hurricane (or whatever it is) and its aftermath on the river.

Anyway, I was walking back from dinner and noticed a brightly lit nearly full moon in the sky and it was really quite lovely. So, wherever you are in the world, take a moment to appreciate the moon tonight because that is one thing you can share with 7 billion other people. The world is beautiful that way.

Crazy

Mother: "So are you gonna go watch Sherlock now?"
Julia: "No, I'm going to study for my test"
Mother: "Oh! Then I should let you go."
Julia: "Yeah, I actually do work now. Isn't that crazy?"
Mother: "Yeah, crazy."

A testament of my progression in evolution. I am now a semi-productive unit of society.

Formal/Informal

I've just realized how informal my posts have become in comparison to the first couple of posts I wrote in August. Here's something formal:

Last night my roommate and I were 'disoriented.' At about 9:20, while we were both nearly ready to go to bed, a sudden clamor rung through the halls. It was, of course, our lovely senior class and their hideously loud pots. Dressed in their graduation gowns, they pounded on our door and I reluctantly answered to reveal ourselves in pajamas. We grabbed shoes and a jacket, followed them throughout the rest of our building on the hunt for other first-years, and then continued on to join the firsties and seniors gathered in front of the library. Allow me to note that it was bedtime.

Anyway, long story short: we learned the Anti-alma mater "our drinks are too strong and our morals gone, mount holyoke what's happening to meee; mount holyoke what's happening to meeeeee?!" and sang it to Lynn (at her house, mind you). It was an interesting night, to say the least.

Otherwise, with the end of the fall season and the sudden realization that I'll have so much free time now that I don't have to go to bed at 9, I've taken up a new hobby: naps in the common room. Other than that, life is just as uneventful as its always been. The course catalogue is coming out tomorrow, though! But I have a terrible registration time on Friday next week: 3:38. Basically the last person at this school to register for classes. Nbd

So much for writing formally. Off to study le Français.

Uneventful

Funny how we're only half way through the semester and we're already looking forward to taking new classes in the spring. Well, at least I am. I'm just anxiously waiting for the course catalogue to be published so I can figure out what to do with my life.

I won't be racing on Saturday at Seven Sisters, but that's alright. We don't have enough 'healthy bodies' to fill an eight, as my coach puts it. The difference between being a coxswain versus a rower in this situation is that coxswains can understand and accept the outcome better than rowers because we have a better sense of what's going on in the world.

As I've nearly given up on preparing for my anthro exam tomorrow, all this stress and anxiety is making me quite unfocused and it feels like tomorrow's Friday. Okay, I'm going to stop typing and resume my uneventful life in this uneventful town.


-intended to be published 10/24/12 at 8pm-

5-Minute Update: The Apocalypse

1. Uniqlo is magical. My order came in after I ordered it last night... LAST NIGHT! 

They should get an invitation to Hogwarts.

2. So much work, so little time, so many distractions, and then there's sleep..

3. Currently listening to: It's Time, Imagine Dragons.

I'll listen to it until I get sick of it, that's usually what happens.

4. So, the new iPad MINI... I don't know how that makes me feel.

I don't feel compelled to own any of Apple's new products like I used to...

except for maybe the iPhone 5.

5. There isn't actually an apocalypse. I was thinking of a title, then a line from Imagine Dragons' Radioactive came on:

"This is it, the apocalypse..."

and brb while I go do work for classes that my parents pay for. thanks, mom.

Sunrise

Remember how I mentioned my horoscope in my birthday post? It said something like "this is the dark before the dawn" and I said something like "I'm expecting a spectacular sunrise, then." WELL THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE. Just kidding, I'm just overly excited.

Well what the heck is making you so happy? you may ask. It's plain and simple: Uniqlo opened their online store YIPPEE! Of course, I have to pay extraordinary costs for shipping ($7) but it's worth it for a little piece of home. But now I suppose Uniqlo belongs to the whole wide world.

On another note, there was a marvelous sunrise this morning. Lots of atmospheric gases to refract that flaming ball of fire. Quite lovely.

Only four more practices until Seven Sisters! Five more early mornings, five more rows (or not), one more regatta, and after this week I won't know what to do with myself. I wonder if I'll be coxing this Saturday. I also haven't been in an eight in a while. Maybe that's why I'm so angsty. Oh well, brb while I drown my feelings in Corn Pops.

It's Zac Efron's Birthday!

This morning my horoscope (which was delightfully delivered by a rower) said that right now it's the darkest before the dawn (probably referring to all my teen angst) so i'm expecting a pretty terrific sunrise in the near future. Anyway, it's another birthday come and gone but numbers are trivial. Sure, I may be a legal adult now, but it rarely changes how I feel about myself or what I'll be doing three days from now. I'll always be just me :)


On another note, Anna Wintour once said regarding fashion: "it's always about looking forward," and I'd like to adopt that as a mantra (in a general regard, not just for fashion). When things are looking "glass half-empty," just remember that what's done is done and the best thing that you can do is continue on, thinking "glass half-full."
And that's it for philosophy 102 with JLu, tune in next time for more thoughtful moments and spiritual enlightenment.

In closing, a very big thank you to all the well wishes and gifts. This little girl is all grown up! (Figuratively speaking. My high school health teacher has fully convinced me that any growth from here on out would require magical fairy dust.)

oh, and happy birthday, Zac Efron!

Happy Mountain Day!

It's not a myth! Once Smith had their Mountain Day three weeks ago, Mount Holyoke has been buzzing with speculation about Mountain Day, especially when it didn't come prior to Fall Break. Just as we were losing faith in the school's traditions, Lynn pulled one on us and voilà!

Today was a spectacular day to climb up the mountain even though I was weighed down by my hefty ski jacket (of course), but in my defense it was frigid this morning. Anyway, the foliage was gorgeous and the air was crisp as were the leaves and it was just very lovely. What a pleasant way to spend a Wednesday morning, no? Plus it was a good crewton bonding experience :)

In other news, it's also Day 3 of elfing and I'm anxious to find out who my elf is tomorrow! So many yummies and goodies to thank her for.

Rainbow Connections

"someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection..."

oh, Kermit.

I'm getting better at defining the lines between work and home. At first I thought it was so unusual to be living and working and eating and learning all in a square 2 1/2 Manhattan block-length (and I still do) but I suppose all I have to do is just not go back to my room so frequently. Problem solved! I do miss 'reading time' on the Subway though. I even rode local sometimes to extend it. Like, who does that?! Crazy stuff, man.

I'm never going to get this song out of my head...

speaking of music, I have a new app that can control Spotify with a punch to the webcam. 

"...the lovers, the dreamers, and me"

Foresight

If you haven't read my post from last night yet, then please do so and continue on from there. To make things easy, here is a kindly provided link: Click Here! <- Click there. I'll give you a moment to do that.

Are we all ready? Good. 

"This is going to be a good week, I can feel it!"

Well, America, I was right. Yep, that's my announcement. Allow myself to count the ways:

1. ELFING

When my roommate opened the door this morning I was extremely startled, confused, and didn't know what the hell was going on for the longest time. Our entryway was completely barred by a large makeshift newspaper barrier thus preventing anyone from going anywhere. I was also not wearing my glasses and therefore could not read the "You've Been Elfed!" sign displayed prominently in front of our door. Then I granted myself sight and everything made sense. Totally thought it was the crewtons at first.

2. JACKET

My favorite jacket arrived! I am now successfully equipped to battle 5AM freezer weather. Thanks, Mom!

3. YUMMIES

Along with my jacket was a bag of goodies from the typical chinese supermarket! In it was every asian child's diet until the epiphanic realization that there are other food groups of which include Pocky, HiChew, and Yanyan. Anyone who thought I was going to say rice or ramen need to snap out of it.

Please tell me that this is not a wonderful way to start your week. This is confirmation of my psychic ability and Dumbledore should hire me as Hogwarts' new Professor of Divination. Jussayin'

The Snake

My first regatta* has come and gone faster than you can say "Quinsigamond Lake." Go MHC Crew!
*not including the Head of the Riverfront in which I just tagged along

Sport Graphics should be uploading pictures from the race fairly soon so you all can ogle at double chins and expressions of pain. I'll be the one in the furry hat furiously yelling into the mic.

In other news, it's Sunday night and tomorrow is another start to another workweek. The weekend has gone by so quickly, partly due to the fact that I spent a large part of it sleeping. But that's okay because I got a lot of reading done today which is quite an accomplishment especially because the material was rather dull. I also have no sense of motivation or focus to do homework.

This is going to be a good week, I can feel it!

#YDKWYMUIG

It's fall. The leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping, you find yourself wearing a little bit more everyday, and there are a lot of geese.

It is 2:16 and I'm taking a break from leisurely reading Imagine: How Creativity Works. (Funny how that works out, huh?) I dozed off for a while but when I woke up, I found myself looking at this:

My view of the world at 2:16 on 10/10/12

So there I was, sitting in my chair and suddenly I longed for warm summer days on the beach spent reading. I'll admit that there's nothing notable about that revelation. Of course people long for summery days in the fall/winter, and vice versa. But it really hit me that you only actually appreciate things once they're gone. Or rather, #You Don't Know What You're Missing Until It's Gone. I don't believe #YDKWYMUIG will catch on any time soon... quick, mass hashtagging on Twitter!

Just think about it. This is the first time I've been away from home for an extended period of time (more than a week) without my family (or a car) and I find myself longing for so many things back home that I had always taken for granted. Like the MTA; everyone back home spews angry thoughts about it, but it's much more favorable than taking hour long bus trips to the next town over.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I had to say. That, and I do not like bowloaders. An inexperienced coxswain in a bowloader with 4 inexperienced rowers is the actual equivalent of the blind leading the blind.Also, unevenly distributed pressure makes me look like an idiot swerving across the entire river. I now appreciate rowers who can go straight without steering implements.

P.S. I disregarded the "Please Do Not Adjust Temp" sticker on the thermostat in the library and moved the gauge to the warmest setting and it's still pretty darn cold. That sticker is useless. So is the thermostat.

Things I Miss

"Once you've lived in New York City, nowhere else can compare"

• Artichoke pizza
• Rafiqi's Halal
• Spice
• Street vendors
• H&M
• Red Mango
• Kung Fu Tea
• Flushing Pho
• The living room couch
• Being able to not do work and still pass class
• Reading for pleasure
• 9:00 Cereal
• Truck food
• Cheap nonsense
• Eating whenever I want to, not between scheduled dining hall hours
• Union Sq.
• Bumming out
• SUMMER. I miss summer.

Now that it's cold out, I have absolutely no desire to step outside. The life of a homebody.

5- Minute Update

Just a quick catch-up before I fully delve into my analytical paper on Starbucks...
1. I miss the warmth. Brb while I go install heat lamps in our room
2. My blog post about the Girls' World Forum should be published on the Girl Scout website soon (it's only three months late)
3. Fall break is nearly over! Team practices resume tomorrow morning, and we'll be on the river in the afternoon too.
4. Slowly compiling a mental list of things that I need to get/do/see upon my return to the city
5. I'd like to discover the world's one true Giffen good.

5k

We did our first two race pieces this morning. Please allow myself to list all my emotions: scared, nervous, overwhelmed, anxious, thrilled, excited, determined, motivated, proud, and relieved. I was a gibbering mess. It was great, but I am so nervous for our regatta next Saturday...

Travelled to Holyoke to make a Target run and afterwards we went to Whole Foods to grab a slice. While we were graciously nomming on our pizza, the fire alarm went off. No one reacted at first, so we continued to enjoy our snack until customers realized that it was not a false alarm and employees practically pushed us out the door into the freezing rain.

Sometimes I miss science classes because I've always appreciated that they're logically explained and solidly determined. There are right and wrong answers and right ways to come to certain conclusions and there are no gray areas, and I kinda like that. You're not asked to write about your feelings (or lack thereof) and homework assignments don't ask you to delve into your inner being. I kinda miss doing math... not that I actually did math homework in high school (or ever). But I like the idea of writing out a process that comes to a single solution... #nerdingout

Enjoy your Fall Break, Mount Holyoke! Don't party too hard.

Few and Far Between

It's official. My self-diagnosis proclaims that I, indeed, have a fever. Just kidding. I haven't gotten one in years so I don't even remember what it feels like to have one. Sure, I pressed the back of my hand against my forehead, but my hand was cold, so what good is that? Isn't your forehead supposed to be warm to begin with? How the heck am I supposed to know at which warmth I can declare myself near-dead?

If I could get the answer to any question I've ever had in the world, my question would be: How the heck did I get sick and who the heck gave it to me?! Seriously though.

I hope that tomorrow's Mountain Day so that I won't miss any classes. I like my Monday/Wednesday classes. Thursday would be a lovely option as well. Hmm... I guess that means if I'm stuck in bed recuperating, I can't climb the mountain and get free swag. Oh well, I have three more years.

I figured out how to request a book from another library, so I asked for IMAGINE: How Creativity Works from Amherst. The thing about this book is that it's not in production anymore because supposedly, the author falsified some information. But I've always wanted to read it, and now I have it! So I shall germify it and enjoy it while in bed.

Je suis très malade

When you get sick, your order at Uncommon Grounds turns into "I'm sick, I NEED a hot green tea in the largest size you have. And I'll have two."

This bout of illness calls for isolation from all persons, places, and things! Just kidding, I'm paying for college. Every able body should just not come to class. I must enforce a 5-foot bubble of protection from all human beings.

With Mountain Day, this is a 4-day week! I'm crossing my fingers for Thursday. Plus, October break is this weekend, so we have Monday and Tuesday off from class! But we're rowing all day on Tuesday, so I guess that makes up for it. I wasn't planning on trekking up the "mountain," but the possibility of fun goodies is a way better incentive than ice cream. Plus it's only a mile. My immune system can handle it.

I made my biweekly visit to my mailbox and found a lovely postcard of the Statue of Liberty.