I'm on a bus

motherfuckers, take a look at me.

YES! The title is indeed true, because I am blogging to you live from the Vietnamese Bus*. Slash Highway Five. It's a great day out here on the highway for a number of reasons:
1. the sun is shining! (even though I can't feel it and all the shades are drawn..)
2. I just found out this bus has wifi. LEGIT
3. the Jacki Chan movie about the Tuxedo is playing...which is a huge upgrade from Miss Vietnam Global. (Although I do love a good pageant show)
and of course,
4. "I'm On A Boat" has been stuck in my head for the past 3-4 hours, except the remixed version that my head created, "I'm On A Bus"...it's pretty great.
All in all a successful trip thus far. My estimated arrival time in Irvine is probably around 4 or 5, and from there I have a nice lonely evening and perhaps a kickback to attend if plans legitimize. (Is that even a word?)

*For those of you who are interested, I skipped out on the sandwich after finding out that it really is actually ground liver. And no, there is no nail salon. Unfortunate, my nails could use some work.

I just looked out my window....SHIET, MIDDLE CAL! D: Shoot me now. This giant bus is gonna kill so many butterflies and bugs. And there are no nice trees and hills for me to entertain my eyes with. Which leads me to the second list of my blogpost:

Why NorCal is Far Superior (from both SoCal and MidCal, if that even counts as a segment of Cal.)
1. THE AIR. So much more fresh, crisp, clean, more adjectives that remind you of a salad. Honestly, I can see LA from some parts in Irvine and it looks kind of like Mordor. Smog is no fun, kids.
2. Trees. There are a LOT more trees. And it's just a lot more dense and green and lush. Plus we have the REAL trees (ie Redwoods) not the wimpy little trees that I don't know the names of. They're nice too, but Redwoods will always be my favorite.

3. Hills. I never really noticed, but Cupertino is constantly receiving a giant hug from the hills on pretty much all sides. And they are GREEN and fabulous. I just want to run up all of them and sing about how the hills are alive with the sound of music. But then I remind myself that I am not in that great shape and I am also not Julie Andrews, so I will content myself with driving up the hills with my friends (HOLLA highway 9!). NorCal has soo many great lookout spots; perhaps I'm just not well acquainted with Irvine enough to know where the good spots are, but so far the only place I know of is the top floor of the parking structure. WIN.


4. Character. I feel like NorCal is not as manufactured and planned as SoCal. Especially Irvine, which was plotted out specifically and planned meticulously by the Irvine Company. Hooray for having a Utopian style town (bleh) but um...I like towns and cities that grow. I can't really explain it, but just looking around the streets of NorCal you KNOW that there's character and stories and growing. SoCal just feels too materialistic and image-conscious.
5. They say we have nothing, but honestly we have everything. We have the Bay. The beaches, the hills, and everything in between. We have great cities like SF and we have Santa Cruz and scenery and real trees...and we have Tahoe! Although that is kind of a drive.
6. NorCal has tons of Priuses! I saw one that was painted really nicely; it was an ocean scene I think? Then it blended into a rainbow. THE POINT IS we are environment-friendly! Unlike Mordor and those smog producing Orcs. I hardly ever see Priuses in SoCal and when I do it makes me a little happy inside. Haha.
7. The people. This one is kind of a given.


Which leads me to the discussion of a most fabulously-spent holiday. It's hard to believe that a little less than a week ago, Nate, Crystal and I were careening down this same highway, killing bugs without a thought, heading for HOME and friends and happiness. I can honestly say, although this break seems to be ending prematurely, it was very well spent in great company. It just fits, like puzzle pieces nawmean? I guess I didn't truly realize the significance of HOME before this break, I don't know why. I have a lot more to say on this subject but as it is, this blogpost is already quite long and I know that if I got into the details it would be more self-reflective boring-for-you-to-read material. So I will hold off on that and write about random things instead.

The guy sitting catty corner from me was writing in his moleskine earlier. I wanted to pat him on the head, but I held myself back. I'm giving Nate a holla by using his fave phrase, "catty corner." And when I was asking how to spell it, this greatness happened:
N: catty and kitty are also exceptable
C: okay
C: ACCEPTABLE*
C: SHIET SON, YOU JUST GOT CORRECTED
N: shiit
C: I AM GOING TO BLOG ABOUT THIS.

So I did. Also he gave a really weak excuse:
N: I woke up like an hour ago so gimme a break

Hahaha, oh meepkins. Not getting off that easy. This is a victory that I am going to relish forever. CHyeah I just immortalized it into my blogspot. What now.

Last night I had a dream that I was on my way to class and I got a phone call from a mystery number. I picked it up, and it was none other than JASON MRAZ. He was calling to tell me that he wanted me to dance in his music video or something. And do you know what I said???? "Can I call you back later? I'm in class."
I take that as a really good sign for my grades next quarter. You don't just turn down Jason Mraz! I was surprised at my dream-self when I woke up.

Anyway, spring break was The Shit minus some sourness with my parents that I can forget about. I am re-energized for the hardest quarter this year, and I'm ready to work hard and slack off less. Being home reminded me that there are good people in the world and that there are reasons to prove yourself and have ambitions. It was just the breath of fresh air that I needed.

edit// 4pm
In my dorm room! Just added some pics...and this is me at the end of the Vietnamese bus trip:


YAY

and in the end

"...the love you take
is equal to
the love you make."
-the end, the beatles

Reading people's blogs about coming home made me really happy. I can't wait to be back in the Bay myself next Friday night. (:

I feel like I wasted this quarter (on academic terms), and it's now when I'm re-reading material that I realize how interesting the subject matter was. It all ties together, which I'm finding really cool, because studying for one class is actually helping me understand the other classes better at the same time. I learned a lot about myself this quarter, too; specifically I found out my interest in culture and urban studies. I feel like a great example of an undeclared student; I'm like an octopus projecting out my tentacles and searching for a topic to suction myself to for four years. Ain't that a pretty picture.

The Beatles & the 60s was an amazing class and I am a fountain of Beatles trivia now! Tis quite fun. Psych was what I expected, I probably should have stayed awake during lecture more. And attended a discussion or two. Haha, out of the 10 discussions that were held I went to zero. Pat on the back for me. And Humcore was hot and cold for me. Cold being Weimar Republic, pre-war German culture, Porgy & Bess, and hot being Alberti's On Painting, Death & Life of American Cities, and coolhunting with Malcolm Gladwell. Although I did get some rather interesting material from the cold segment.

Anyway, I am excited for a break, obviously, but also to jump in to the subjects I am taking next quarter. I hope I'll realize early on how interesting it is, instead of realizing at the last moment as I am now.

Spring Quarter:
HumCore - the theme next quarter is "doing" and involves the study of music/revolutions and the such, as well as the production of a giant research paper that I am not looking forward to. Also reading some of Gandhi's work which I am looking forward to!
The Atmosphere - the course description mentioned something about weather patterns...so I'm hoping to gain insight about the weather so I can more appropriately plan what to wear every day. hah, that is what I call applying studies to every day life. Yeah honestly I don't really know what this class is about...
Stats & Probability - not looking forward to this, because as we all probably know, I am very mathematically challenged. People say stats is the easiest math to take and it is a BREEZE but for me I am still a little worried. This class takes care of a GE plus a requirement for the Bus. Man. minor so I hope I have the strength to be smart and stick with it.
Intro to Urban Studies - I'm not sure if I'm going to forsure take this class, both because it would put me at 20 units and cause it's on Thursday nights from 7-9:50. Yes. Three hours, on COLLEGE NIGHT. ): I signed up for this class last minute because the little detour that HumCore took into urban planning really interested me, and I heard the teacher is really cool. BUT STILL! Urban Studies > College night? Stay tuned.

Also next quarter I am hoping to
-study more
-exercise more
-be healthier in general
-sleep earlier

COOL! Catchya laterrr

retreat

I've wrapped myself in text. My days are spent with my nose in a book, or with my eyes glued to a computer screen. Not facebooking, maybe on twitter once in a while, but generally, reading.

I'm finding this personal space and immersion in studying someone else's words very relaxing, somehow. Like I am finally doing something to counter my stupid anti-productivity of the recent past. And it's easy to just adopt someone's perspective and regurgitate; what's hard is figuring out if what is being said is right for you and if it applies to your life. Luckily for me (?), that is not what my final demands of me.

The Science Library is my new favorite place.


It's a different view by day


transformed at night.

Good luck to everyone,
on the tests that really don't matter
in subjects that may or may not interest us.

the coolhunt

HumCore lecture got decidedly interesting as my professor assigned some reading about the coolhunt and then proceeded to discuss the fashion/photography/culture of the streets. Praise thee for relating this to Jane Jacobs in some distant way.

Basically I read some essays by Malcolm Gladwell and gathered the following about "cool":
1. It takes someone cool to recognize someone else who is cool.
2. You can't manufacture cool.
3. Once you call it cool, it is no longer cool.

Cool is a paradox.

It's interesting -- check out the flow of cool:
1. It starts with street culture. On the streets it's individual, original, unique.
2. Cool hunters find it, communicate the trend to the brands.
3. The brands mass produce the "cool" item/trend.
4. Trickles down to the mall-friendly masses.
At step 4, it ceases to be cool. Once step 1 reaches step 4, step 1 is already embracing something totally different.

Oh, and there are actual careers centered around cool hunting. Coolhunters run around on the streets finding out what kids think are in, then collaborate and create lists like the Hot Sheet and the L Report for companies that are trying to revive their cool...


...like Reebok.

Celebrity endorsements help too, I guess. I thought it was funny that I read this 1997 essay last night about how Reebok was trying to regain their cool, then I woke up and here is Leighton Meester endorsing Reebok in 2009, and I still don't see Reebok as cool, sorry. I guess there's only so much you can do.

So what is cool, really?
Personally, I find individuality cool. Dressing uniquely, living differently, thinking independently, and letting that all manifest itself upon your being as you strut out into the world for judgement and scrutiny without fear. Being cool is separating yourself from the masses. Living with inspiration and self-awareness and confidence. But that is just my opinion. Everyone wants to be cool, and everyone is different which is cool. Somehow still, most everyone is riding on the coattails of cool instead of being at the forefront of it. (So how do we get there?)

Something lacking in Irvine is culture. I thought about this as I walked around campus today; everyone pretty much dresses cookie cutter, and even if they dress differently than most people, it is still the same as other people. It kind of pains me, but it is okay because I have street fashion blogs to look at for my source of urban diversity. Still though, I would like to walk around and find someone's outfit utterly inspiring... but again, I am not contributing in any way to the culture of Irvine, because I have literally been living in my Hanes T's and AA jackets and Rainbows and all those other typical SoCal items.

This whole post was kind of a DUH. But I was extremely glad to be studying something of the now as opposed to those late great philosophers and opera composers. And how cool would it be to be a coolhunter? Legitimate.

bungry

You know when you're really not hungry at all, but you still want to eat? Seriously, you had a sandwich and a smoothie not two hours ago and yet you are looking forward to that chicken carbonara and nachos for dinner. You're not hungry, your stomach is completely full! You are just bored and do not want to study. You are just bored and want to think about the delicious kinds of food that you could be eating.

So today, April and I coined the term 'bungry'. It's when you eat when you're not really hungry, more just bored/neglectful of studies. Most of the time, I realize, I eat because I am bungry. This is a terrible thing to realize. It made me quite sad, because thinking about good food really actually does make me happy. But then it disrupts my previous train of thought about how I really really should probably start getting work done. It's just so much more fun thinking about things like chicken/broccoli/mushroom sandwiches.

An hour ago, April and I satisfied our bunger with some butter toffee peanuts from the vending machine. As of 10 minutes ago, I was bhirsty. So I got myself a strawberry melon juice drink from the vending machine. Being bhirsty and bungry all the time really takes a toll on your wallet.

My bhirstiness quenched, I am now back to feeling bungry. I could really go for some ramen right now. Dammit.

tunnels

Today in my pointless HumCore discussion we somehow reached an interesting topic. Apparently, there are tunnels running underneath the UCI campus, connecting from Mesa Court (one end of campus) to Campus Village (other far end of campus). I've heard this before but today in class several people justified the existence of these tunnels and said that they saw people using them/have friends who have been inside.

This is definitely on my to-do list.

I've also heard that while UCI was being built in the 60's, the idea of these tunnels arose as a mechanism for preventing protests/rallies. The tunnels are supposed to let policemen get from point A to point B without detection so they can catch bad guys and such. What I also found interesting is that the intent of making UCI an anti-protest campus was a knee-jerk reaction to all the activity at Berkeley in the 60's. Haha, lucky us with our underground police tunnels and dormant political life.

---

I also really have to get my ass in gear. Also, everyone should get a twitter.
Yeah, I'm not the happiest right now. Oh well.

there is

so much that I could say right now, about this weekend of fails, about this learning experience that was thrust upon me, about this desire I have to write about some things that elude my understanding. But I have to save these words for another time, because I'm swamped and sleepy and to be honest, quite intimidated by the sheer amount of things that are on my mind. Once I start, I will never stop, so I will save it for a journal entry accompanied by hand cramps.

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The Fray and Melee have been bouncing around in my mind all day. And all day I have avoided doing homework as per usual. I didn't even do my laundry or vacuum, I'm disgusting I know! Honestly if you asked me what I did today I would be at a loss for words. But I did have some very good fries at In-N-Out so it is not really a day wasted, right?

I cannot believe that it is week 9 already! I have to pick my classes this week (humcore, management, french? logic&linguistics? chemistry of cooking?) and possibly arrange a date for my community service...hah. I'm also planning on watching the free showing of Milk, and volunteering for Jumpstart tomorrow with a hallmate. Add in some hardcore catching up in classes and excercise and you have my week. I need some strength...

This quote stood out to me today:
"You need not find a cure for everything that makes you weak."
It's hard for me to accept weakness, though; in both myself and others.