Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Like the past few years, I ring in the new year by myself, no parties, no champagne, no countdown in Times Square (although I want to eventually). I do expect to be flooded with texts in about 8 minutes or so. Usually, I don't even bother waiting for 12am. But, this time I'm up at this hour because I've been reading Twilight, only to understand what the teenage hype is about, not because I'm in love with Edward Cullen.

I guess it's a perfect time to reflect on the year 2008. If there's one thing I realized this year, it's that time is passing too quickly. 2010 seemed so elusive when I was in high school, telling people I was in the class of 2010. Now, it's only 365 days + 8 minutes away. Oh dear, I am not ready for adulthood. Was 2008 a fruitful year? I would say yes. Made a few thousand working my first real job. Asian survived a 7 class semester. Spent nearly 8 months (and counting) with a special someone. Pulled off a trip to London with friends. *shrug* not particularly glamorous, but it was fun.

So, in the course of blogging, it has passed 12:00am. I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. Cheers to 2009.

More pieces of the past

While cleaning up my closet, I found my handy London travel book, which not only includes maps of the city and other useful travel info, but also a few I guess you would call diary entries from the spring break trip. I must say those entries are quite interesting, which means no one can lay eyes on them because they're so poorly written. It's obvious that I wrote them at the spur of the moment. Whatever I was feeling, I wrote it down. So there's happiness, sadness, frustration, etc. My travel book turned into a diary about myself rather than about London. So much for trying to be an intellectual world traveler. Funny.

If you're looking for some new chill music, I'd like to suggest Big City Dreams by Nevershoutnever!. It kinda reminds me of Hey There Delilah.

Time Travel

Until someone invents a real time machine, music never fails to transport me to the past (not physically though). It's quite interesting how a song can trigger a wave of memories and emotions. It must be the built in memory in my cortex. Anywho, just a few examples:
- Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry: the song of summer 2007, it followed me everywhere, to work in the lab, in the car, in the dorm, in stores, everywhere.
-The Fray's Over My Head/Nick Lachey's What's Left of Me: the songs of summer 2006, i heard each at least once each time i drove to and from my cashier job at the supermarket (yes, i was one of those, one of those American kids who work as cashiers in high school).
-John Mayer's Dreaming of Broken Heart: my go-to sad song, regardless of the occasion. So, whenever I hear this song, I remember the sad times. Or if I want to "record" a sad time, I'll take a listen. Depressing, yes.

That's it for now. There are a few others I may share later. Maybe.

Music from Gossip Girl

I think the producers are quite good at finding music for the show. Here's a song for Lily&Rufus and Dan&Serena, the couples that may never be together:

Ending the semester with a bang...not

-The past 12 days felt like the longest 12 days of my life. I never thought I'd get through 6 finals, but I did as always. Now, I can just kick back and watch the GPA take a beating as the grades come in. I always tell myself check after the holidays, but it never happens. Curiosity kills the cat.

-This semester passed way too quickly. Decisions that I have been procrastinating on finally need to be dealt with, such as what to do next summer and my Wharton concentration. Also, although I didn't die from 7 classes, I was close to insanity a few times. I don't want to do it again, but I really don't want to stay for the summer. We'll see.

-I'm starting a list of "lasts at Penn" already. Sad. To kick it off, next semester will be the last time I apply for housing at Penn for senior year. I think that's it for now.

-Wait, is it already the 18th? I need to go Christmas shopping. First thing on my list is Love Actually for myself, since I apparently broke it by watching it too many times. Then, must get a few things for friends and family. Oh and decorate my secret santa Munny. I'm not artistically talented. I'll post a picture of how it comes out.

TTFN. Christine is going home. =]

So close, yet so far away.

Lacking motivation on this Sunday morning. 2 more finals, come on Christine, you can do it.

But first, let me blog about something: 我知道我不善於用字言表達自己. 有時後很直接但沒惡意. 有時候會口是心非. 有時候講一件事但我講的方式會引起聽的人想成別的意思. 媽媽常講說我講話很白話. 聽到的人可能會被傷到. 下次, 先用大腦想一下在開口吧.

The Wall

It happens to me every finals season. I hit a wall midway through my finals and lack any motivation to study. All I can think about is the fun things I can do during winter break. But, it won't last for long as I do need to study for my finance exam tomorrow.

Procrastinating

Random observations of mine:

1. I think we're hitting the age/year when more people are thinking more about relationships, be it ai-mei-ing in attempts to start one or actually being in one. I attribute this to guys finally becoming more mature and man-ing up.
   
2. Currently, my most feared feeling/state of being is loneliness/being alone. I start thinking and panicking about my petty problems. I feel the constant need to have someone bring me back to Earth, to have them remind me that in the grand scope of things, I take some things too seriously, and there are more important issues than a letter on a transcript, such as physical and mental health. To quote my cheesy RA, "a grade is just one letter in the book of life."
3. Lastly, regretfully, I realize that I have nothing to remember this semester by besides the 7 classes I took. Wait, nevermind, there was you, too. =]
   

Fall '08 lineup

Wed - Marketing
Thurs - Japanese, Physiology
Fri- Finance
Mon - Bioethics
Wed- Accounting

Not really sure how the semester is over already, but counting down the days to freedom.