As I was getting my nails done today (yes the girlying up process is still in progress), a guy there made a paper crane for me. That was so cool!

Random ponderences revisited:

Life has the ability to be so bitter that it stings the tip of your tongue every time you taste it. Cause you to turn away every time you smell it. Makes you shield your eyes every time you view it. It appears that the only seasoning that can perk up this acidic flavor is to liven it up with any bit of joy and/or happiness that has ever traveled through your system. Remember what the sweetness of that joy tasted like, remember the pleasant aroma that moment gave you, and keep replaying those wonderful thoughts throughout your mind over and over again until it gets to the point where the line between actuality and the past is non-existent.

I miss you Granny!

It's funny how you really don't conceptualize things until you actually go through it. Right now, relying on pleasant memories really helps to get me through the rough spots every now and then. After talking to some friends that are still undergrads and while watching students shuttling back and forth across Sproul to either get to that study group that they hope will have all the magical answers, racing to their room to get out of the rain and just unwind from unloading a semesters worth of material into a painstaking three hour exam, or trying to make it on time to get a seat comfortable enough to sit in for three hours straight (preferably close enough to the end of the row so that you can get up and stretch every now and then, go to the restroom, and/or get some fresh air. Yet far enough away from those who could potentially pose a distraction to you, as you are already on pins and needles, and any slight bump into you, and every suttle creak of their chair mysteriously causes your brain to return to the clean slate that you had when the semester started). As I was watching a few students walking around campus the other day, I couldn't help but be a little envious. On the inside, I was totally yelling, "I MISS BEING AN UNDERGRADUATE!!!" You might think that I'm a little off my rocker for saying this, but I really do, and here's why:
(1.) Deadlines are much more clearer -- when an instructor tells you they want an assignment tomorrow, they want it tomorrow. At work, when something is needed by tomorrow, it's actually needed the same day. (2.) I miss taking notes of intense and interesting lectures. (3.) I miss the support that I got from others going through the same struggles and then some. That understanding mentality sustains you so much. (4.) I miss the Telebears/Inforbears people! Thank you for letting me get into the classes I wanted! (I was truly fortunate in that, as others were not always so lucky.). And, last but certainly not least...(5.) Getting grades back (when they were good). Don't get me wrong, as I know that having that "I'm shooting for A+s, so get the hell outta my way" mind set is not cool, but when you have pushed yourself all semester, and your classmates have been behind you, and your family and friends are so supportive in your efforts, and that instructor or TA does all they can to encourage you to succeed, you can't help but gloat a bit in the end. So shooting for that B+ to A+ range isn't so bad after all :)

Random ponderences continued:
Ever have a dream that is just so horrifying that you can't bring yourself to hardly tell anyone about it? I gotta be careful with what I watch before going to sleep :(

Random ponderences (Hey, I know it ain’t a word, but you get the picture!):

Eli as Richard "Ho Kim/Jimmy Ho" Simmons was off da hook! Homebody came out on the floor with a red Raggedy Ann wig, pant legs hiked above his knees, and high water socks. Skippin' all around the floor, and high fivin' everybody. If that wasn't enough, you shoulda seen homie's warm up: deep knee bends, and supper back arching. Eli went out on that one. I couldn't breathe cuz I was laughing so hard! Tash and I will work on gettin' your $50 and a bottle, cuz you deserve it! Also, I don't think that people were blinded when your leg busted out of your pants. With all that movement, it was bound to happen, right?
Melanie is off da hook! I'll never look at the "Cha-Cha Slide" the same ever again! How did you get that low?
Played "Coalition Gumbo" today, which was cool. It was essentially human Bingo. One of the boxes was: "Knows Missy Elliot?" Mind you that the majority of the people there have no clue as to who she was, let alone what she did. I guess it was only fitting that everyone came to my homegirl and me to fill in that blank. I wonder if when I get older if I'll get the same line of questioning?
I was talking to a woman that works with another local tobacco prevention program. It's called the Ride Project, and they focus on educating Asian-American youth on tobacco prevention. A group of young men travel around to local elementary, middle, and high schools with their tricked out cars, educating youth on the importance of staying tobacco free. In particular, how having a particular hobby can be deterrents from getting involved in harmful activities, such as smoking. The woman that helps coordinate the program is so cool! I was totally networking with her today. Aside from talking about our projects, we were talking about how we have to learn all we can in order to become successful in the Public Health world. Pardon me for gettin' all Ethnic Studies for a minute, but it's so cool to see how woman of color from different walks of life can recognize similar struggles. This is all pretty new to me. I've had more than my share of situations in which my race came into question, but not so much with gender. I do have so much to learn. Is the amount of wisdom you can attain really infinite?
As I was gettin' coffee at this meeting, I noticed the writing on a packet of mint tea. It's called Plantation Mint: A refreshing Southern favorite. How funny! I could help but imagine what the box must look like. A row of Black people in tattered sun hats, in ripped and patched sweater clothing, with the sun beaming down on their Black, sweaty skin. Not to far in the distance, the field master on his horse with his whip. Maybe some companies should think more carefully before settling on the title of a product that is soothing and calming. I wonder how many other consumers have had the same thoughts in their heads?

This is one of those days where I'd rather be at home chillaxin' (thanx Irenie for increasing my vocab!) and watchin' the Fonz! Heyyyyyyyy! -- in the cool Fonzie fashion :)