Dunzo.

Today was my last official day and now I can say that I have completed my last undergraduate fall quarter ever. I have lived at the library for the past five days and seems as if I cannot leave this place.

There is a beautiful image that is created when all the students are studying diligently for their last couple of finals. I never realized this until I took a step back, and there is a great deal of serenity, with students studying - all sorts of different winter clothes and laptops acting as a source of academia and music. I suppose I am glad that I am no longer studying for any finals, but it is indeed fun to watch others, not because they are suffering and I'm not, just the imagery is amusing. Good luck to all those with Friday finals.

<3

Berry Fulfilling

So this is my 4th day studying for finals, and it will probably be another 12+ hour study day with a short break to get some sort of food in my system. For the past couple of days, I have been eating/drinking an original Jamba Berry Fulfilling in order to get some healthy foods in my system. Like my residents said, I hate finals week because everyone has a worse habit of eating any possible food that will satisfy their hunger aka fast food. Everyone goes into this mode where grades matter the most in their life, and really could careless about the other things going on in their lives, including eating meals.

During finals, unless you are studying with me, I will basically disappear off the face of the earth. I go into my corner and seclude myself from the rest of the world. I'm sitting her in Langson, tired from not getting my usual 8 hours of sleep and instead only getting 5 hours of sleep. Funny as I sit here drowsy as heck, when I got up I was so cheerful and energetic (that did not take long to die down)..

I am definitely thankful that Langson and student center are open for 24 hours, but I hate the competition students face in order to find a seat or desk. Glynnie gets here early in the morning, bless her soul, and nabs a table as the rest of us trickle in and "hold down the fort" while others may go take finals or have to go to meetings in between. I should be writing my final analytical paper for my upper div. writing class, but my brain is not function to talk about political represetation.


UGH. Finish the dang paper now!

Ohhh la la

Sometimes life runs at such a fast pace that people really start to forget about the minor details. I have recently taken a step back again to look at the whole picture - to see life in a larger perspective, and realized the wonderful minute details that mother nature has created -- it's amazing. I especially love to examine the food I eat, really putting an emphasis on fruits. Next time you eat, try to do the mindful eating exercises, these exercises really encourage you to be grateful and appreciate the food that you eat.

As for the picture, I'm really am feeling this image. Look at all the details of the faces and expressions. I really enjoy Anne Hathaway's expression, and the different layering to this image. People definitely have different reactions to this piece, I asked one of my friends how they felt about this picture, they replied that they saw this image as being "freaky".

Oh the effects and ability to have double eyelids. Hah. I guarantee that a majority of the world does not understand how that is a privilege to be naturally born with such features. Plus, Anne Hathaway is beautiful.

Anne Hathaway & Fornasetti.

<3.

Focus

For the past few months, I kept searching for the answer of what I want to do after I graduate (as stated in my previous posts), and WHY I wanted to partake in particular programs.

I think I FINALLY figured it out! Hurrah!
I need to really focus back on to the vision I have for myself - wanting to really empower other people. Focusing on my personal leadership, I need to do this for myself as well - I need to really empower myself and have faith that I can do what others have done i.e. apply to a prestigious law school, get accepted into fellowship programs, go participate in AmeriCorps.

Through the different positions I have partaken in on campus during college, have for some reason had a common theme of helping others especially freshmen. Many of the positions I have had obtained deal with mentoring and seeing other people succeed. My focus is to continue helping others who may need to overcome situational difficulties. I am a first-generation college student who understands the challenges my parents have overcome in order to succeed within the U.S. I understand the different needs that students have and really want them to succeed. My goal is to help people who do not have the advantage of that others have and make an impact within the fields of international or immigration law.

Super Woman

Thanksgiving 2009.

Every year during Thanksgiving and the holidays I go through similar emotions. Thanksgiving is definitely the time to re-think about what and who I am grateful to have in my life. Like the other 234,203,948,209,480,934 million +1 people in the world, I am blessed to be in a loving, healthy family. I don't think I get enough opportunity to even say Thank you, I love to you to my parents or younger brother.

I had this feeling ever since I returned from D.C., my conscience is telling me that I should spend as much time with my family as possible. Then again... here I am in my final year at UCI - getting ready of entering the real world, away from home, focusing myself past a comfort zone and preparing for the worst to leave my cuckoo nest. I guess this just means, I can NEVER be away from home during the holidays unless under extraneous circumstances.

So after Thanksgiving comes what? Black Friday!
Went shopping with my family, but it was basically me and my mom in our element. I love my mama, so beautiful. Don't get the idea that I love my dad or younger brother any less, but something about that bond between a daughter and mother is something NO ONE can ever replace, not just because we went shopping, but just with my connection with my mom in general. Don't get me wrong, my mom and I have had our fair share of minor ups and downs as any relationship and I would still consider her old-fashioned and conservative, but that is my mama and no one can ever take her place. God Bless.



Thanks Mama. Love you Umma. <3

Passions Burning

Throughout my four years at UCI, never have I ever seen such passion and unity within the students. Currently, there is a rally going on with hundreds of UCI students marching around ring road, incredible solidarity. We need more students to support because this student fee increase affects ALL students from undergraduate to graduate students or first to four years. I got the same reactions for most of the other students - a sensation of having an extreme amount of UCI pride.

Of course here I am, wanting to support the rally with my fellow peers, but sitting in class with a firey passion to get out of here. I past by a lecture full of obedient students who are squeezing every penny for their education and time with their professor. One of my professors, Professor Chemerinsky always emphasizes that the student fees we pay are paid for our professors' time. Maybe not coming to class would have been a better idea, there is no TA here. Ugh.

ZOT. Whose unversity? Our University!
California is #1 in building prison and #48 in education. Perfect.

Update: My TA was at the protest. Go figure.

Story of my LIFE.

Once you are deemed a "senior" there is one inevitable question, "What are you going to do after you graduate?" For most seniors, they truly have no idea what they want to do. For others, they are trying to nab that one position open at a top firm/company or applying furiously to numerous graduate school programs to further their education and stay in school as long as possible. I always freak out when I hear the words commencement pop into conversation topics, there are so many emotions when I think of graduating this year.

This quarter I have definitely gone through my fair share of a flurry of options going from teaching English abroad, to graduate school, to now applying for fellowships and AmeriCorps. I will have to keep you updated with the results at a later time.

I was so good keeping up with my studies, but alas, senioritis is slowly hitting me. I'm fortunate that it hasn't hit me as bad as other students. I just need to prevail and finish strong! 7 more days until finals. JUST DO IT. Done deal.

However, I glad to say that I will be graduating in my expected four years and leaving the UC system. I am not sure how any of the UC Board of Regents expects students to pay for their student fees with the ridiculous 32% fee increase. I have noticed that students who are priviledged for the most part really are apathetic to this situation. (Of course, there are always those few exceptions, but I'm speaking in general terms.)


2 more weeks till winter break.

Oh Socal.

More than half of fall quarter is officially over. Yay? Nay?
Not sure yet if I am ready to face the "real world"... Graduation is fast approaching.

Oh on even sadder note. I am sick - ugh! This weather confirms why I do NOT want to live in Socal for the rest of my life. I want to move to a place where I enjoy the little details that the town provides, I want a place where my kids (o_o, if I have any..) will receive some of the best education - nothing subpar, and I want a place that really has seasons. I think the solution is the east coast! :) Can't wait to really see where my life is going to flow.

Happy Halloween! Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, but I will choose to acknowledge it. I went to Disneyland this year with my brother - ohhh soo much fun! However, I think it has been the first time in my life where I was, sorry to say, bored at Disneyland - is this even possible? My brother and I are definitely growing out of our childhood days. Disneyland is also one of the most unhealthiest and priciest places to eat, note to self: always either bring your own food or go outside of the park to eat.

P.S. Thank goodness for chocolate, it just makes life way better.