Go Bears!

Welcome to Welcome Week! This is it: I am now an official student at Berkeley. College seems like it's just another summer camp, but this time, it's real. So many exciting events to choose from. I've gotten so much free stuff and free food from Caltopia and the various events that go on every day.

Sunday was move-in. I live in a double suite in Foothill; it's fairly far everything and I need to climb a bunch of steps, but thank goodness all my classes are nearby. Suites are basically three to eleven room clusters with bathrooms. We have about nine rooms in our suite and two bathrooms. And our rooms are twice as large as the other res halls, but it does cost more to live here.

Classes officially started yesterday. The math discussion was basically a calculus review section. I was surprised that I actually remember msot of the topics and concepts that our GSI talked about. At Berkeley, I should mention that professors teach the lectures, but certain sections (mainly discussions) are led by GSIs which stands for Graduate Student Instructors. They are graduate students that lead discussion (meaning reviewing problems and concepts) sections.

And I was enrolled in Chemistry 4A and waitlisted in Chemistry 1A, so I ended up having a busy schedule full of non-stop classes. My schedule for Wednesday was quite packed:

8am-9am Calculus Discussion
11am-12pm Chemistry 1A Lecture
12pm-1pm Chemistry 4A Lecture
1pm-5pm Chemistry 1A Lab

As you can see, I didn't get a break at all in between classes after 11am. The dining common opens then so I did not eath lunch. Luckily, I got off the waitlist which I found out during the lab, so I don't need to attend 4A anymore! Now, I will actually have time for lunch.

Football is HUGE at Berkeley. Pretty much everyone goes to the all the games. There are numerous events, rallies leading up to Game Day. Rally Committee is an integral part of keeping up the spirit on campus, maintaining school traditions. They do a bunch of awesome things like card tricks, flag waving, and more. Flag waving as in 14-feet poles with humongous flags; not your average every day flag.

Here is everything above in a video: (Also, a tour of my dorm room.)

The Last Day of Summer & The Start of Something NEW

This is my last day of summer! Tomorrow I am moving to Berkeley, which is only an hour and a half away from my home. I should be packing right now, but I am too tired and lazy to do so. Labor Day weekend is coming up, so I might as well just come back next weekend and grab whatever I still need or forgot to bring. Isn't that much simpler than lugging everything and having so much stuff that I won't use? I am quite excited about living somewhere else than San Jose for a change. Berkeley has interesting shops and eateries. Besides, it's right across the bay from San Francisco. Since there's a BART station right next to campus, I can take it right into the city.

Also, tomorrow is the closing ceremony of the Olympics! We get cable in our room (included in our tuition) and I can't believe Berkeley has more channels than I do at home. There's everything but the premium channels. I could spend my whole academic at career in my dorm watching television, but that wouldn't be a smart thing to do: spend $26,000 a year on cable television. :P Hopefully my roommate has a spare TV to bring so we can watch the Olympics closing ceremony. If not, then I'll find some way to watch it. Maybe record it or find it online.

Well, I am headed off to Berkeley while all the other UC students are still squatting at home drooling for another month. This has been such an awesome summer and I am READY for school. Berkeley, HERE I COME! GO BEARS!

Taiwan Vlog #1

Finally, after a long wait, here's my first video in Taiwan!



More videos to come...

Sweet Home California

I'M BACK HOME! It feels so great to be back home in my own warm bed, in my own clean bathroom, without the annoying mosquitoes and gianormous cockroaches. Now, I can finally enjoy things in the comfort of my home...like watching the Olympics!

And guess what was waiting for me when I got home? (This was totally unexpected.) I won free tickets to Warped Tour at Shoreline Amphitheatre this Friday from peta2!

This also arrived as well: my signed Legally Blonde Playbill! (Sorry, didn't get a chance to rotate the photo.)

Now I'm off to watch Olympic re-runs on TV. Stupid time difference. Go TEAM USA!

The Lounge

For another time here in Taiwan, I have internet. Currently, I'm in the Evergreen Lounge. There's unlimited food and beverage, live Olympic coverage of the USA vs. China men's basketball game, and Wi-Fi. How sweet is that? There are dozens of people here on their computers chatting, doing business, and other things. The guy next to me is on facebook. There's also a game room with four Xbox 360 consoles.

My flight leaves in about 50 minutes, but boarding begins in 20. For sure, this will be the last time I will have access to internet until I get home. My Olympic fever is getting more and more severe as the days progress. See you guys in 12 hours!

Frustration

Local Time: Sunday, August 10, 2008 1:31am

Don't you hate it when you lose a very LONG post that you put alot of effort and insight into it? I do.

It just happened.

Expect a post when I get back home.

Father's Day...Today?

Happy Father's Day! Make no mistake, today is Father's Day in Taiwan. In Chinese, father is ba ba, which sounds like 8/8 (August 8th). So the people of Taiwan celebrate their Father's Day each year on this day.

Also, I forgot to mention: According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, yesterday (lunar: 7th month of the 7th day, Gregorian: August 7th) was Valentine's Day. Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

So this should be my last post in Taiwan because I won't have internet connection until I land in the states Sunday night, unless I miraculously get internet. Anyways, this has been an fantastic trip, much different from previous trips. Although I didn't have many opportunities to explore the night markets, I had a great time living up in the mountains with my great aunt and uncle with the fresh air and nature. See you guys back in the states, for the five of you that read this blog. I'll upload videos onto YouTube once I get home.

Have fun watching the Olympics in Beijing!

MASSIVE Photo Update: Taiwan

Our plane to Taiwan

Night time in the sky

The bug that I found in my food

High Speed Rail from Taichung to Banciao/Taipei

Dragonfly

The creek next to my great aunt and uncle's house after the flood

A warning sign next to the creek

Around the residence

The local police station

The sign post for our street

Inside Costco

Ximending, where they sell the latest fashions

Neidong National Forest

Neidong National Forest

Neidong National Forest

Neidong National Forest

Neidong National Forest

One of the many spiders I encountered in Neidong

Neidong National Forest

At the Computer Applications Show

Inside Taipei 101. It's basically this large mall selling expensive goods.

Another view inside Taipei 101

My cousin and I

My cousin with the large duck

Me and the large duck

My cousin and her broken umbrella

Dharma Drum Mountain

Dharma Drum Mountain

The infamous satellite houses located next to the ocean which have been unoccupied for more than 30 years

There's no place like home

The view of Danshui at sunset from the 24th floor of our building

Another view at sunset

My favorite shot of the sunset

The view of Danshui at night

Me at Starbucks

I leave Taiwan on Sunday! It's been a fun, long, and tiring trip. This trip has made me realize the numerous comforts of home.

Photo Update: San Francisco

The week before my trip to Taiwan, I saw A Chorus Line with my besties, Albert and Sharon, who appear in the headline photo of this blog. The show was AMAZING. After the show, we had to time to chat with Nikki Snelson who plays Cassie in the show and played Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She was extremely friendly and signed lots of things for us. :)

Sunday before my trip, I participated in AIDS Walk 2008. All my friends ended up not going, so I went with my dad. It was a great feeling walking the 6.2 miles (10 km) with 25,000 other people. We ended up raising over $4.5 million dollars to fight AIDS. The cast of A Chorus Line, Roger Rees, Dan Ashley, among other celebrities showed up as well.

Cast list of A Chorus Line

Nikki Snelson (aka Cassie in A Chorus Line, Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical)

Nikki Snelson (aka Cassie in A Chorus Line, Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical), Albert, Sharon & Me

The cast of A Chorus Line at AIDS Walk 2008

Spring Awakening at the Curran Theater in San Francisco(September 4th-October 12th)

Can't wait for Spring Awakening! I got my onstage seat tickets already. :) I'm planning to watch the show several times.

If this problem persists...

Good news! I finished editing and I have two videos ready. However, I'm having trouble uploading onto YouTube. Something's wrong with the connection. Sorry folks! Since I don't have internet on the weekends, I'll try uploading again on Monday, but if it still doesn't work then I'll upload when I get home. Meanwhile, I'll do photo updates on here.

I have to go, but I leave you with this photo. Until later.