one of those survey things ...

99 Questions

1) Do you have a crush on somebody?
of course. duh.

2) Do you hate more than three people?
yup.

3) How many houses/apartments have you lived in?
13. three in Taiwan. two in Lake City. two in Florence. four in LA. one in London. one in Boston.

4) Favorite candy bar?
Reese's Pieces

5) Have you ever tripped someone?
I don't think so. Not on purpose, at least.

6) Least favorite school subject?
Chemistry I Honors. Evil Ehlman implied that I really shouldn't consider the science field.

7) How many pairs of shoes do you own?
waaaay too many.

8) Do you own a Britney Spears CD?
yes, yes I do.

9) Have you ever thrown up in public?
kinda. on an airplane. I have motion sickness.

10) Name one thing that is always on your mind?
Newspapers and the news.

11) Favorite genre of music?
hard to say. poppy-rock? rocky-pop? pop? classical?

12) What is your zodiac sign?
Sagittarius

13) What time were you born?
no clue.

14) Do you like beer?
not particularly

15) Ever made a prank phone call?
yes! once.

16) What is the most embarassing CD you own?
mmm ... Backstreet Boys. :)

17) Are you sarcastic?
very.

18) What are your favorite colors?
yellow, pink, green, blue and purple

19) How many watches do you own?
one that works

20) Summer or winter?
winter

21) Is anyone in love with you?
you should ask other people that

22) Favorite color to wear?
Black.

23) Pepsi or Sprite?
Sprite

24) What color is your cell phone?
blue

25) Where is your second home?
I'm moving all the time.

26) Have you ever slapped someone?
no.

27) Have you ever had a cavity?
yes.

28) How many lamps are in your bedroom?
two.

29) How many video games do you own?
none.

30) Ever had braces?
yes.

31) Do looks matter?
to some extent, but other stuff matter more.

32) Do you use chapstick?
I am an addict.

33) Name 3 teachers from high school:
Mrs. Chapman (yearbook), Mrs. Purvis (U.S. history), Mrs. Franco (English IV)

34) American Eagle or Abercrombie?
neither. ew.

35) Are you too forgiving?
no.

36) How many children do you want?
two. adopted.

37) Do you own something from Hot Topic?
no.

38) Favorite breakfast meal?
I don't eat breakfast.

39) Do you own a gun?
no. nor do you want me to own or touch one.

40) Do you miss your ex-boyfriend or -girlfriend?
mm

41) When was the last time you cried?
don't remember. I don't usually cry. Crying is dumb. It solves no problems.

42) What did you do three nights ago?
became officially employed for the summer

43) Olive Garden?
too much. too expensive. too greasy.

44) Have you ever called your teacher "Mommy"?
no. But Mrs. Chapman's nickname was MOMC.

45) Have you ever been in a castle?
yes! yes! I have!

46) Nicknames?
Jules, Spud and some others

47) Do you know anyone named Bertha?
no.

48) Ever been to Kentucky?
no.

49) Do you own something from Banana Republic?
no. I would really love to be able to afford things from Banana Republic.

50) Are you thinking about somebody right now?
yes.

51) Ever called somebody Boo?
no.

52) Do you smoke?
no.

53) Do you own a diamond ring?
no.

54) Are you happy with your life right now?
most days.

55) Do you dye your hair?
I did once sophomore year. auburn highlights.

56) Does anyone have a crush on you?
I don't think so.

57) What year were you born?
1983.

58) What were you doing in May 1994?
In the fourth grade. Probably arguing with Lea Coleman about how to pronounce Boston. I insisted it was BOE-ston. I wasn't very bright.

59) Do you own a Backstreet Boys CD?
yes. See No. 16.

60) McDonald's or Wendy's?
Wendy's.

61) Do you like yourself?
most days.

62) Are you closer to your mother or father?
both, for difference reasons.

63) Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex?
height.

64) Are you afraid of the dark?
No.

65) Have you ever eaten paste?
no.

66) Do you own a Web cam?
no.

68) Ever broken a bone?
no, but I broke my sister's arm once! :)

69) Do you chat on AIM often?
often enough to be a distraction.

70) Pringles or Lays?
Pringles.

71) Have you ever broken someone's heart?
probably not.

72) Rugrats or Doug?
Rugrats.

73) Full House or The Brady Bunch?
Full House.

74) Did you like your high school guidance counselor?
yes.

75) Has anyone ever called you fat?
yes.

76) Do you have a birth mark?
no.

77) Do you own a car?
technically, yes.

78) Can you cook?
if I want to

79) Things that annoy you?
oh, many, many things

80) Do you text message often?
not too much.

81) Money or love?
love. my chosen professions are journalism and education. neither is going to let me pay off my student loans early.

82) Do you have any scars?
yes.

83) What do you want more than anything right now?
to know which path to take.

84) Do you enjoy scary movies?
no.

85) Relationships or one-night stands?
relationships.

86) Big Red or Juicy Fruit?
Juicy Fruit.

87) Do you enjoy greasy food?
sometimes.

88) Have you seen all of the Rocky movies?
none.

89) Do you own a box of crayons?
yes.

90) Ever had sex in a public place?
what is sex?

92) Who was the last person who said they loved you?
don't remember

93) Who was the last person who made you mad?
can't tell you that.

94) Who was the last person who made you cry?
don't remember, but it must be something major. I don't really cry.

95) Who was the last person who made you laugh?
James.

96) Who was the last person you fell for?
oh, dear.

97) Who was the last person who instant messaged you?
my sister

98) Who was the last person who called you?
James

99) Who is the person most likely to fill this out?
don't know.

July Fourth!

Ever since I decided that I would be in Boston, I've planned to go to the Boston Pops July Fourth extravaganza. There was somewhere else I wanted to be on July Fourth (BBQ on a roof, anyone?), but c'mon, can you really just let an eight-year-old dream die like that?

I bought those little blue ice pack things, sunscreen (SPF 45), bug spray, water and food. I brought my hat, sunglasses, cash, flip flops, books and iPod. I dragged along a blanket, a tarp, an umbrella and a pillow. I was so prepared. Rain or shine, Charles River Esplanade, here I come!

This being Boston, where the Revolutionary War basically started (technicalities aside), they're pretty patriotic here. Not only do we have "Patriot's Day" off in April, there was also no school on July 3. Exciting, huh? So I spent July 3 interviewing for summer jobs and obsessing over July Fourth. I found out online that gates open at 9 a.m., but people start lining up at DAWN. I got stuff ready the night before and woke up at 3:30 a.m. to shower, pack some more and ... wait until 5 a.m., when the first T train runs.

I get there at five till 6, and where were already lots of people there. Apparently, there were people who planned to camp overnight, but Boston police wouldn't let them until 3:30 a.m., so they had to mill around the area until then. By the time 8:30 a.m. rolled around, the lines (there were three) wound around trees, gates, concession stands .... madness.

When the gates opened, security checked every bag that everybody brought and gave everyone a wristband, but after that, it was a free-for-all. The group of us who got there around 6 claimed the spaces somewhere in the middle of the field called the Oval. My perch was literally in the middle of the Oval. It was perfect.

See? A perfect spot. Notice the flag in the middle is a colonial flag.

From 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m., when the concert starts, it's just me, books and sun. Until it started to rain. At 2 p.m. And 4:30. And around 7. This is where the (waterproof) tarp and umbrella came in handy. Around 8 p.m., there are people crammed in every grass space available, and organizers have stopped giving out wristbands to entry.

The concert was spectacular. Amazing. Definitely worth all the wait. And Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were awesome. Of course, everyone left after Steven and Joe and didn't get to hear "Stars and Stripes Forever." Confetti flew. Fireworks exploded. People cheered. Fantastic!

Rockapella!

Many people missed out on the confetti.

I love Keith Lockhart. Did you know that he got his undergrad at Furman in Greenville?

Another secret crush: broadcast journalism. gag. OK, so print also makes dumb mistakes. But we employ copy editors.

The fireworks ended at 11 p.m., and I got back to my apartment around 12:30 a.m. Utterly exhausted, and there was class the next day. :(

BUT

My friends James and Christina both have blogs. See the "blogs/links" sidebar or just click on their respective names. So, if you have time, give them a read. James is a reporter in Adrian, Mich., and is as weird and nerdy (perhaps nerdier) as I am. Christina is also a reporter, and she is also weird. And obsessed -- OBSESSED, I say -- with food. And she is a tiny, tiny girl. They are both hilarious. Plus, they write for a living. How can you go wrong with that?

ok. so I lied.

Classwork (pfffft) and procrastination (that's more like it!) has gotten the best of me. There WILL be photos and updates.

But I went swing dancing Friday night. THAT was fun. Wow. I don't think I've had so much fun in a long time. :)

July Fourth

I camped out to get a good spot at the Esplanade yesterday for the Boston Pops July Fourth free concert. There will be photos and stories this weekend! The featured special guest star are Rockapella and ... STEVEN TYLER and JOE PERRY from Aerosmith! Needless to say, when Steven and Joe went on stage, it was mayhem. :) I have pictures of them, too! So that's this weekend.

LOST! and other adventures in Boston

This is what I wrote in an e-mail to my friends this morning, with additions and revisions. Have a peek!

I had to get this book for my Literacy and Assessment class, and I happen to have a Borders coupon, so I thought I might as well use it. There is a Borders near the Downtown Crossing T stop, and the map tells me that I would be about two blocks away from Borders. After my lone Tuesday class ended (about 6:30), I took the T to Downtown Crossing and asked the T guy (his official name) where I should go to find this street that Borders is on. He said to go out of the exit on the right and take a left and then a right and I will see it. Great!

So I walk and walk and walk. I need to tell you guys that because I don't have a printer yet, I have the map of the area in my head, semi-memorized. So I walk for about 20 or so minutes, but I don't see it. Where is it?! I stopped outside a restaurant and asked the valet where is this street. And he said, oh, you're quite a ways from it, but if you continue going straight for about five blocks, you'll hit it. Wonderful! Thanks.

So I walk and I walk and I walk. I walked for another 20 minutes or so. Waaaay passed the five blocks, but I decided to have some faith. Well, I hit the parking lot for the aquarium. Now, I know from my semi-memorized map that I should be NOWHERE near the water or the aquarium. This is trouble. I made a left at this point so I would be walking parallel to the water and then made another left, thinking that at worst, I would just go back to where I started.

I walked and walked and I figured that it's now a good time to ask for directions .... again. I stopped by the Marriot hotel at some cutom house and asked the front desk person where I can find this street and he gave me a map (!!!!!) and highlighted it and told me to take a left and an immediate right when I go out the exit. Awesome! Thanks!

Map in hand, I go out the exit and made a left and a right. But I was standing in the middle of one of those five-street intersections ... and I was turning round and round with a map in my hand, apparently looking very befuddled because a lady in a hat stopped me and asked me what I was looking for. So I told her.

She said walk down the street where a car had stopped and to go ALL the way down until I got to Post Office Square and then to keep going. I'm supposed to see the Borders right in front of me. Yippeee! I thank her and am on my way.

I knew I was going the right way when I got the Post Office Square and saw the Borders two blocks later. It was awesome. It only took two hours of walking, four people and a map. I got back from my adventure at 10 that night, completely exhausted.

Classes are going OK so far, if a bit overwhelming. It's a lot of new information with actual, experienced teachers in the class, so it's a bit intimidating. Hopefully that feeling goes away because my classes are fascinating. For my Literacy and Assessment class (yes, the same one), I had to get a MySpace account. Am not happy that I now have MySpace. I was holding out so well! I have a feeling that class is going to be really high maintenance.

On Sunday, I explored Harvard Square with Erika's friend Dan. It was fun, if rainy. :)

On Thursday, I went to a karaoke bar with Andre and his friends and sang that Proclaimers song about 500 miles ... it was hilarious, apparently, because I was giggling through most of the song.

one-week check-up!

it's been a very eventful week, but I'm tired and a bit cranky, so I'll just list them. Maybe I'll expand on some of it later.

1. got lost for two hours in Downtown Crossing
2. filled out A LOT of job applications
3. classes are hard. new material. with actual, experienced teachers in the class. very intimidating.
4. found the BC bookstore. very small.
5. found the student commons. well, one of them. I think they have other "commons"
6. read front and back of the last issue of the spring semester's BC Heights. very well written, from what I've read so far.
7. went to Harvard Square
8. found the public library. got a library card. explored library. got lost in the library. put a book on hold.
9. freaked out about amount of homework required. ahh.
10. went karaoke-ing Thursday night. it was awesome! :) had Pabst for the first time.
11. got a MySpace account because of my literacy class. BOOOOOO.
12. developed London pictures that were on disposable cameras.
13. finished "The Devil Wears Prada"
14. found my mailbox and got code for it. can now receive snail mail. yippee!
15. Boston is really hot and really humid.
16. still exploring. but hopefully not getting lost. :)

I'm exhausted. So I'm going to sleep. I do, however, have two job interviews on Monday. And my friend Todd from high school is coming to visit tomorrow! yay! :D

no more wondering/waiting

because I'm in Boston! I got in Saturday afternoon, so I got to miss the deluge that was (apparently) Friday. I went to the Prudential Center that night as a way to explore the T -- and what adventure THAT was! I was mildly confused for a little while.

On Sunday, I went on a hunt for a grocery store that is accessible by T and was very successful because the Shaw's (owned by Albertson's) was AMAZING. They have deli/ready-made food/bakery/sushi (!) on an ENTIRE side of the store, food and seafood on another entire side and the produce on the third. It was pretty awesome. They also have an entire section (multiple aisles, complete with its own hardwood floors) devoted to organic/natural foods and an aisle just for international cuisine. It's so clean and refreshing and wonderful.

I also found the CVS, which came in handy because I couldn't find a pad of graph paper and don't know where I put the one I had leftover from L.A. I also found TJMaxx, where I bought a bath rug because I hate getting out of the shower and stepping onto bare tile. It's the worst feeling.

I'm pretty sure BC put the summer students in one of the older dorms because this school has A LOT of new res halls. But it made more sense when I came back from grocery shopping on Sunday that there were a lot of parents and teenagers milling around with BC bookstore bags .... ah, freshmen orientation. Of course, they had to put the new students in the good dorms. All schools do it. They've gotta impress the parents! :) But when you think about it, why try to impress them? They've already paid the deposit (BC asks for a deposit), so these families are already financially committed to this school, and their children have probably rejected everywhere else. Anyway, thought it was interesting that colleges are still wooing the already-wooed.

Today, I went job-hunting. It was no fun. Now I am tired. My feet hurt. And I feel gross because it was really hot today. And I found a Trader Joe's. woohoo.

T-minus one week

Hellooooo!

Sorry about the non-writing. I've been busy procrastinating. I've been watching a lot of "House, M.D." In fact, I've finished the entire first season on DVD .... repeatedly (you know me....).

I've been reading quite a lot, too, but have not finished a book recently ... I'm in the middle of many books. Right now in the pile beside my bed is "The Jane Austen Book Club" (for the second time ... mine is red), "Shakespeare of London" (for the umpteenth time) and "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" (new acquisition ... and am NOT pleased that it is an Oprah Book Club selection. I did NOT choose it because she said so. I do NOT support the Oprah Book Club). The last one is written by Carson McCullers, who wrote "The Member of the Wedding," which I read an excerpt of in high school. But I heard about this book from a list that has the top 50 (100? 10?) most famous first lines of novels in the world. "Moby Dick" reigns over the list, and "Pride and Prejudice" is second. Also on the list: "Tale of Two Cities" and a Mark Twain and a couple of John Steinbecks.

I leave for Boston in exactly one week, so I am spending this week cleaning my room and packing for the journey. This is getting very exciting. :)

birthdays

I haven't spent a birthday at home since my senior year in high school. And I won't this year, either. Freshman, sophomore and junior years I was in LA because my birthday never fails to fall during exam week. I believe I actually spent one of those birthdays either taking an exam or writing a paper (definitely junior year). Last birthday, I was in London. This birthday, I will be in Boston. Next birthday? Who the hell knows?! :)

books! glorious books!

Before I left LA, I started and finished "Freakonomics." It was awesome. I highly recommend it.

I then moved on to "Blink," which wasn't as good. I'm not sure if it's because I had a logical reasoning overload or if it's the author, but it just wasn't as satisfying. I also think it has something to do with the structure of the book. The writer needs to break his chapters down a bit because they're really long.

I also read "Stiff," a history and use of cadavers in various scientific, practical and medical studies. Cultural, social, sometimes political. It is also very good. I stayed up many a nights trying to finish just this chapter! one more chapter! then another ... and another. Until I just had to sleep because I can't realistically finish it and still function the next morning.

I've been waiting for the "Da Vinci Code" to come out in paperback for a looong time, and it finally did, and I finally bought it. Except that it's a dud. WAIT. Before you chastise me. I read the "Rule of Four" over winter break, and it was AMAZING. Riveting, in fact. Couldn't put it down. Maybe it was Dan Brown's overly dramatic writing style that really annoyed me. Maybe it was that "Rule of Four" was written more casually. It didn't treat itself as a super-mystery. Also, I think it has something to do with the endless over-promotion of the book/movie/plagarism allegations/etc. Anyway, I was disappointed by the first 20 pages. And promptly put it back on the shelf. Sorry, "Da Vinci Code" fan. Not my cup of tea.

Read the "Rule of Four," though, if you want more stimulating reading regarding ancient codes. The London Independent called it "'The Da Vinci Code' for people with brains." Publishers Weekly wrote that the "Rule of Four" was to be compared to "Da Vinci Code," but it is the "more cerebral -- and better written -- of the two." Read "Rule of Four."

Currently, I am rereading "Shakespeare of London," a biography of the Bard from the perspective of his being an ordinary man/actor/playwright in London from fairly ordinary background. This is a book a bought at a public library used book sale and inspired me to write my USC scholarship essay on. I've read it at least three times. The intro, which I read for the first time, said that almost all biographies of Shakespeare treated him as the Bard that he is, as this towering literary figure. What Marchette Chute was trying to go is to humanize him a bit and tell about the life of the London actor from Stratford-upon-Avon.

I still have a large stack of classic literature that I need to read. I also have a three-page Amazon.com wishlist that is acting as my lifetime reading list. I love it. Reading for a lifetime! That's my dream life. To be able to sit/lie on a comfy couch and just read. :)

I got a job!!!!!

A teaching internship that apparently pays very well. :) What a relief. I was getting seriously worried.

The copy desk at a Boston paper said they're not looking for part-time people right now. But I do have some good experience, they tell me. They just don't wanna give me a chance. Even though they have TWO positions open on the desk.

What a bummer.

I watched the National Spelling Bee all day. I love it! So many kids! All so smart! I bet some of them have "stage parents," though. So much pressure! I was really rooting for the Canadian girl (apparently, you just need to be from an English-speaking country) to win, but alas, it was not to be. I love it!

bleh. I'm done.

Your True Love Is a Capricorn

Why you'll love a Capricorn: Hard working and driven, a Capricorn will work overtime to win your heart. Be prepared to get wined and dined, even once you're convince that your Capricorn is the one! Why a Capricorn will love you: You don't rush things. You know it will take a while for a Capricorn to trust you, and you can wait. Social and outgoing, you can introduce normally shy Capricorn to a great circle of friends.

What Sign Is Your True Love?

leaps of faith? I prefer stability in my life, thanks. :)

You Are Indigo

Of all the shades of blue, you are the most funky, unique, and independent. Expressing yourself and taking a leap of faith has always been easy for you.

What Color Blue Are You?

I'm not too sure how true this is

You Are Emerald Green

Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

What Color Green Are You?

hmmm

Your Linguistic Profile::

60% General American English

20% Dixie

15% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

but ... but .... :(

American Cities That Best Fit You::

75% Chicago

70% New York City

70% Philadelphia

55% Boston

55% Los Angeles

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

I am a blue flower!

You Are a Blue Flower

A blue flower tends to represent peace, openness, and balance. At times, you are very delicate like a cornflower. And at other times, you are wise like an iris. And more than you wish, you're a little cold, like a blue hydrangea.

What Color Flower Are You?

here's an idea!

Maybe I should give up copy editing and teaching and go into the bread-baking business! It's $10 an hour, which is higher than the Massachusetts new nation-high minimum wage, and the company has a "generous meals policy." What more could you ask? I could make $19,200 in a year if I work 40 hours a week ... it's like the newspaper business!

Paying off those college loans could be an interesting experience, though. But then, so is bread-baking! It's an excellent trade-off!

pfffffff

So Angelina named her kid Shiloh. so much for the big name speculation. The news, I suppose, is that Shiloh is a girl. But her middle name is Nouvel. If Angelina meant it to mean "new" in French (and seeing as how she's going for the international baby theme), then she should know that "nouvel" is the masculine form. But then, she named her girl Shiloh. Whatev.