the last time

I just got off the phone with a friend. We had spoken for an hour, and as it reached that hour, he brought up the last time I had seen him.

This friend, you see, is a friend who I had really given my heart to, one of those friends who you really truly wish for only their welfare and happiness, someone who you know you can trust in any and all circumstances, and who, if you knew or felt they were in any kind of hardship, you would immediately drop what you were doing and do whatever you could to help him - you wouldn't calculate the extent to which you had helped him nor counted how many times you had helped him, but only remember that you were there for each other when needed.

When I make friends, I have a bad subconscious habit of wanting to give give give, yet close off my own emotions and create a barrier in which people cannot cross or get to know my feelings. Heck, even I can't really tap into the cathartic states of being, supressing what I do not know even exists. And when I give, I usually dont do it while measuring the worth of each act and deed, but do it because of the rewards I receive in giving the help; the rewards of seeing another happy, which genuinely, brings out a joy in me as well.

damnit. if i keep writing, i wont know where to stop.

the library

totally sucks right now.



good coffee. stupid library. a;lkfdj;adkfj;adkfj

thoughts

Life in cambridge is becoming very natural.
It's still really hard having to factor in all my class lectures and sections as well as having to run all my errands (like getting groceries, doing laundry, traveling, going to plenary lectures and meetings) into a small time frame, since everything closes at 6pm latest, but now that I'm used to the town, I feel as though I've been here for a long long time.

Cambridge is a very small college town, and since everything in the town was built to make the town sustainable for college and small-town living, the joys of the residents here are far different than the excitements of those in a bustling metropolitain city.

A couple of days ago, I was going through some old photos of my time in Korea, and was really under a lot of internal conflict of why I had chosen to come to a town like Cambridge. Because my past experience abroad in Korea had been beyond amazing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I felt so constricted and confined in Cambridge, in what I had envisioned as a part of "the GREAT Britain. ENGLAND. EUROPE!!!" There was no more excitement walking from home to class back home again, a 25 minute walk one way, and the closest thing to thrills was the possible (probable) 'getting-run-over-by-a-bicycle.' I cannot even count how many times my friends had to lunge for my shoulders/arms and pull me back onto the sidewalk just as an angry bicyclist passed by ringing his bell and glaring.

However, this town is not going to determine my experience, it's really up to me to make the most of my time here.

So I decided to get a bike... and life's been looking UP ever since. Funny how a two wheeled, chain linked iron frame with handles can change my whole perspective on a whole country. haha. I know it is quite fickle of me to have such a drastic change in my outlook just due to a bicycle, but really. It's equivalent to getting a car in San Diego.

I remember how annoyed I was that I could not go to Convoy on my own my first and second year... that whenever I wanted to go to the market, I had to take the shuttle, then the bus, then walk.... and reverse to go back all the way to ERC. Thankfully, I had some amazing friends who detested the fact that I would take "nasty public transportation" and lent me their automobiles whenever I wanted (I didn't too often, though).

However, with a car, I felt like it was my first time in San Diego. My excitement for the place was renewed. I could now travel and visit the different parks, restaurants, and museums without having to sit tight on a bus for hours or bother an unwilling victim of my choice to drive me here and there.

The same with a bike here. I bought a bike for 60 gbp (in a deal that will allow me to sell it back to the shop for 20 gbp when I leave) and have been having a blast ever since. It saves me so much time and effort, as well as gives me a good workout. [If I am lacking anything here, I say it's legitimate korean food and exercise]. And if anything, it GIVES me the thrill of 'almost' running over pedestrians unawares (there are no ped-first laws here. it's crazy) <-- not that I would ever actually mean to run anyone over. no no no~

I've also been able to go running on occasion, played basketball, and have also played squash in the past week.Totally keeping myself busy with whatever I can. I'll also be learning soccer while playing in a tournament in approximately 18 hrs. I'm probably going to make my team lose, but ... eh~

AND I'm making native-Cambridge friends now. haha. Just made one right now as I am typing this blog (i'm at the library btw...). Name's Wilson. He's a cantonese Chinese, with a british accent. Quite awesome, and telling me about the best eateries around the place.

I have 5 weeks left in the program. Gotta make the best of it.

some pics for you:
library.studying. It's midterm time.

An african music group that was performing on the street. they were really good :D

I'll upload a video on the next post.

more library. (this one is King's College library.)

with Lupita and Mira at Curry Garden. their Curries are LEGIT. Authentic indian food, my friends. None of that nasty PC Tandoori stuff.

yeaaaa beezie!!!! :)

haha. alrighty. I have a paper to write and a test to study for~

because it's 2:30am

i dont know why, but i'm awake and eating ramen.

some things on my mind:
- tyedye leggings
- north korean refugees
- cute old people
- bleaching hair blonde
- perms
- german shepherds
- secrets
- high school friends
- fishing
- gummy

i'm totally addicted to Gummy's album, Loveless, right now.
incredible voice & lyrics.




ttyl. i finished my ramen. now i'll go to sleep...and wake up to a puffy face :)

Scotland 1 - Fountain's Abbey & Studley Royal

Scotland bound: we will be on the road for 8 hours...




bus buddies





Fountain's Abbey & Studley Royal:

I think it's amazing that these structures have been standing for almost a millenia. To think that it was founded in 1132, and that they had the means to build such a magnificent structure still amazes me. They did not have computers or cranes. It was pure calculations in math and physics, as well as precise labor that it was built. I wonder what kind of brilliant person had the vision and eye to design such an abbey. 0_o

and of course, pictures OF me:

keke. I thought it looked like a bathtub... but now that I think about it, it was probably a trough for horses to drink water out of or something of the sort...

and the super amazing fantastic bombtastic bbq chicken sandwich

water garden

all this, and it's only the second day

[FOR SOME REASON the FONTS are being ghetto ...]

On our way to formal hall

ananaya, guillame, me

woops
loving the double-chin action there~

guillame, andrew, ananaya

took place in King's Courtyard & Dining Hall

practice smiling for the camera!!!

shiya~

jasmin~

michelle~

I wish we were all wearing robes and holding wands

lemia~

oops! I really should mind the sign ;)

[I really should put in more effort NOT to get kicked out of the program...]

we're racially diverse! (there's white & mexican in there, i swear!)

helping out with her ARCADIA pride

dinner at Bankok City, legit Thai restaurant near King's

plenary lecture on "Why is Cambridge Uniue?" in C.Union Society.
'twas very informational and quite entertaining

btw. i always have to carry three different cards with me in order to gain access and entry to the different colleges and buildings...to get past the porters who watch the door like hawks.

first day of classes

went to classes
got the cellular
ate dinner at the dining hall
went out to a restaurant/pub by the river
stocked up on food


essentials.


Mr. "Phones4U" activating my 3 gbp cellphone

Anthony, from UCLA... Shiya, from Harvard... Glory, from UCSD (hope I can rep it well)

they've got quite a sense of humor over here :)

The Granta, on the River (where I will soon go punting)

tada~~~

King's College & the Neighborhood

This is King's College
(it's still Cambridge University: just as UCSD has ERC or Muir, King's is one of Cambridge's campuses)


King's Again


Exploring outside the campus


Someone paid 1 million gbp for this golden clock.
The creature on top symbolizes the eating away of time.
They say that whoever figures out how this clock works just by looking at it is a genius.
I'm not going to even try. I'm guessing that there's some heavy math involved. Nope, not gonna try.


a metal cast map of the city centre





I think any person can close his eyes and click the camera and come out with a magnificent shot. I'm not saying everyone's a pro, I'm simply stating that it is THAT amazing here.