I stand to be corrected.

I seem to be very good at obsessing over people from a distance.

Has that ever happened to you?
You see a person everywhere and you're unbearably compelled to make contact with them, to know them, to be their friend. You silently beg for their acknowledgement. I think I die a little inside whenever I see them, and I can't bring myself to say a thing.
Maybe one day.

Listening: "The End Has No End" by the Strokes

We've Only Just Begun

Is it bad that I live for the weekends?

I just prefer the unstructured time to do whatever I please and see my friends because classes and practice don't make us unavailable! Once Thursday afternoon classes were out, I was free. Friday was spectacular-- I don't think I've been in that good of a mood in ages. I went for a run at 8:15 even though I didn't have class until noon, and the sun was scintillating. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the warm rays that kept me radiating with happiness.
After Chinese class I went to the International House (which is actually just a few designated hallways in one of the nicer dorms) for a Chinese Culture Club meeting. It's only a few girls, including some of my Chinese lab TA's, and we began discussing different activities and meeting times. After realizing that all things we're interested in doing (cooking food, watching movies, learn Mahjong, etc.) were similar to that of The Joy Luck Club, we changed our group name! So once we finalize our constitution, we'll lobby for organizational status under that name.
I'm trying to take advantage of embracing my ethnic heritage! I decided that my goal for the group is that by junior year we will have enough impact on campus and funding to take trips to Chinatown in Ottawa :).

Later that night my friends and I went to an African Drumming circle!! This guy is an expert in West African drumming and dance, and he a truckload of drums and instruments to try. We learned that the djembe orchestra is structured like a family-- the poppa bass drums, the momma middle tones and the baby slaps. Similarly, each drum itself has three ranges of tones depending on where you strike it. We learned different rhythm patterns and even attempted singing, which was hilariously incoherent. There was some freestyle jamming at the end and we just had this circle of life beat pulsating through our giddy hands and minds.
After that we went to a concert that one of the organizations/theme houses called Java organizes at their venue referred to as the Java Barn (except it's more like a psychedelically painted warehouse). There's a band performance or student music act there basically every week. It's not everyone's scene, but for me, going there all the time has increased my likening for reggae. The Heavy Pets were last night's performers. Even when they were transitioning between songs, they were still tight and had a really good vibe. The drummer could do some sick vocal beat-boxing too! I love dancing and just losing myself in the music with everyone else around me.
Today, the sun has been lost to the forlorn sky of rain. I have been sitting in a comfortable chair with some of my XC/track friends since... 11:30 after I had brunch. HA! I think I've finished a reasonable amount of homework, but obviously my blogging here isn't helping and listening to them debate indoor racing teams. Thank goodness for Sunday, except I'm doing a mini-road trip in the afternoon with a group from another class to conduct interviews and field research. We're researching Poverty in America, more specifically the North Country, so it's essential to have some primary sources.
I always have this inkling fear that I won't have enough time to finish anything, but somehow I find a way to pull it off; I need to just save myself the stress.

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend; I LOVE Saturday! Talk to you soon!

Oh, what to do.

I wouldn't mind packing up and strutting off towards the mountains at the moment.

It has been an atrociously long time since I've blogged! That always seems to be the case when I return to school, I fall off the blogging- and television-watching-boat. The former is more saddening.
I have to admit though, I love college.
My schedule has not been inherently stressful until this point, where we are a 1 1/2 weeks from Spring Break. It's bemusing-- a March Spring Break. I hope that the snow and ruddy season transition weather decides to blow through while we're gone. I can't wait for spring! I am finally running outside again (since Sunday!), realizing that I don't have to be a hamster around the indoor track to save my legs, as long as I avoid treacherously uneven footing; i.e., slush and rough ice. I am invigorated being outside, wearing a headband and finding dirt splotches on my leggings, sucking in cold air and at least starting out the run with my team.
I'm not going to assume a date for when I will participate in the workouts again. Hell, I don't even know what the four-week outdoor track season is going to result in. I spent the entire indoor season walking-jogging and helping rather than competing at the meets, but it's not like I'm disparaged. Just accepting.
Another note that's buzzing around campus is the housing selection process. Our randomized lottery numbers were delivered in the campus mail boxes today and it's basically a rite of passage that many rising sophomores are, sorry for the lack of a better term, shafted during the housing process. That's mainly because it goes in hierarchical order. Hahaha I honestly cannot comprehend how my lottery number is 624 because our class only has 616 students!
Well, I am somewhat assured that this defunct set of digits is inconsequential because I have applied to study abroad next fall. Where, through which program?
To the France program that involves host stays in Rouen and Senegal! No big surprise there, haha.
My heart is sewn there; I'm a self-declared Francophile, I'll probably expatriate from this country one day (...just kidding). Though there are many more opportunities as a collegiate exchange student, that of which I need to take advantage of.
So if I am accepted into the program, I will no longer be concerned with fall semester housing at this school.
If I am rejected from the program, it will be the biggest fml of 2011 thus far.

Clearly I have a lot of ramble about. I'm going to post soon about different things I have learned in my classes, sort of to reassert to myself that I am learning here, and I am becoming more intellectual. Maybe it attaining knowledge becomes more effortless when you aren't coerced into it. Who knows.

I'm procrastinating on a take home test!!! Some things just never change. I have to go.
Have a nice night, whoever is reading this :)

p.s. Finally figured out why Blogger wasn't pulling up on my Firefox Beta, so now I can easily blog once more! YES YES YESSSS