Spring Break 10

My last spring break ever as an undergrad has come and gone.  I think we girls have come a long way and accomplished a lot, and this break was just the icing on the cake. 

Here are some of the key highlights. WOOT!

Petaluma car accidents

Booze cruise

Wells&Jessica

Napalm vagina

Bryce

Thanks girls for ending our LAST winter quarter and beginning our LAST QUARTER EVER on a sweet sweet note.  <3

 

Simple Pleasures of Life

The daunting and inevitable era of commencement is rapidly creepin'.
Thursday. Week 10.  How the heck did winter quarter sprint ahead so quickly?!

Sometimes as a student I wish I had the opportunity to step back and just take a breather from my busy life.  Recently, I've been walking around campus, soaking in my final memories of UCI and enjoying the trees and life that makes this university wonderful.  Thank you UCI, for providing me the wonderful opportunities and great friends throughout these past 11 quarters.  I am wrapping up my second to last quarter and now I have 1 more to go... SHIT! :)

Today, I finished my last spanish class that I will ever take at UCI.  Ever since my Spanish 1B class, a class during winter 2007 everyday at 8am, I have despised going to spanish!  It set a domino effect of nightmares whenever I had to think or devote time to studying for a spanish exam, quiz, doing homework, and even registering for the next class.  BUT, I am now one step away from being liberated.  YES!  In addition, luckily for me, I thoroughly enjoyed my Spanish 2B class.  My TA Victoria, who's sarcasm and teaching style I enjoy ended this spanish saga on a sweet note.  I left my class thinking, oh my gosh I'm never going to be with the same people for four days a week ever again.  Victoria somehow made our class to resemble a miniature family, especially within every table.  Thanks Victoria.

On a final note, I leave you with this...

 HAHAHAHA! LaughOutLOUD!

btw, I love Jo's reaction to this picture...

"WHY DO THESE DOGS NEED TO HAPPEN?!" 

<3.

LaughOutLoud Funny

I had the opportunity to hang out with some of the best people I know, Mesa Court RAs 2008-2009! I was so happy to be reunited some of my former team members and friends, such a refreshing feeling - being able to reconnect with many of the RAs who had already graduated and seeing where they are now.

We all finally got the chance to ask Walter how he ended up proposing to his now fiance.  Personally, I found the story to be inspirational, but then again it was hilarious because Boggy was his "stand-in".  Great times everyone!

Nothing seemed to have changed too drastically.  Oh man I love these people.  They are "aMESAing"!  I can't believe it has been 7 months since we have departed from being a RA team.  Crazy how time flies.

 

march fo(u)r...

This quarter, I have been a huge hermit and haven't been really physically participating in any of the student protests.  I definitely stand in solidarity with my fellow peers, but lately more in spirit.  I think these protests are something I would have never envisioned during my time at UCI.

 Courtesy of the facebooks' of Bao Lor and Cthrn Fillintheblanks Lm

Then here is my daily input/tangent of JGL. Fortunately for me, he does impact me in minor ways, whether he knows it or not. LaughOutLoud. I don't think I would like him as much if it weren't for the messages and impacts he makes on others. Thank you public servants.

Marzo

It's March.. What the eff?!

Where did January and February go?..
Can't I please have the super power to stop time?
Pretty please with a cherry on top.

Oh my effin' gosh.
I need to figure out what I am going to do with my life.
Huhzahhh!

The countdown begins...
T-4 months 1 week 5 days or 15 weeks to go. Shit.

Ain't this a lovely poem?
I sound crazy. Past my bed time folks.

Need to study for spanish tomorrow morning. Capitulo ocho.
Adios chicos.  Buenas noches mi amores.

Cloud Port

'Tis been an adventurous and interesting week, to say the least.  Heads up to a long eventful entry.

I am SO glad that week 8 is overraahhhhhh suckkas.  I feel accomplished.  I am finally done with my leadership class for winter quarter.  I have been waiting for this moment forever (or more like since day 1 of winter quarter).  Nonetheless, this moment and feeling of being free and being able to start sketching on a blank canvas is so amazingly refreshing, I'm soaking it all in ... YES!

In celebration, I had the opportunity to go on "perfect date #4" with Miss Jo.  There is really nothing perfect per say about these dates other than the fact that we get to enjoy each others company while eating and seeing some of life's most beautiful and simplest pleasures; while of course chatting up a storm about our lives and unveiling who we really are.  No matter how close someone is to you, you will most definitely always be learning more about their basic mannerisms everyday.  If I were to define our perfect dates, I would describe them more as planned adventures that Jo, Ash, and I make sure to take time out of our schedules in order to create.  These trips are necessary because not only do we have time with each other and for ourselves, but we really get the chance to enjoy a simple day trip to different venues throughout Southern California.  We really missed Ash when we went on our most recent date, but lucky for her, Jo and I both have blogs!  This time, our trip was to none other than the great city of LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.  The true L.A. that I hold close to my heart, where there is an abundance of culture that has never been exposed to me when looking through the lenses with my parents.  As you may know... I had this recent crazy obsession with 500 Days of Summer, which lucky for me, was filmed in L.A.!  The objective of this trip - Angel's Knoll.

Our trip begins with me and my hour long phone interview in the car driving to L.A.  LaughOutLoudFunny!  There is a first for everything in life and that interview was definitely a first for me.  Who does that, have a phone interview while driving?!  Of course, only me.

Speaking of interviews, Jo and I finally get to the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) for Jo's JET interview.  I decide that I'm going to wait in the lobby of the building, but what happened during this waiting period emphasized how the American California education is full of shit.  Now why would I call something that I am the product of pure shit?  Well... I will tell you why.  My dad always asks me some random questions like, "Delia, do you know where Pakistan is located?" or "What is the capital of insert state name here?", and not surprisingly I know the answers to all these silly questions.  Whenever I ask my dad, why are you asking me this, he always has the same answer for me. While these questions may seem easy for you and me, a majority of American students do not know the answers to these questions.  These questions are more often than not related to current events, so how could students not know the answers?!  While waiting for Jo to finish her interview, I decide to catch up on some of my readings for my French 50 class.  However, in the middle of my reading, I get an interesting text from one of my friends, Irais; the text is about the UCSD events and how a noose was found hanging on the 7th floor of the Geisel Library.  What the eff is going on?!  A noose ... really?!

According to dictionary.com, a noose is defined as the following:
noose [noos] Show IPA noun, verb,noosed, noos·ing. –noun

1. a loop with a running knot, as in a snare, lasso, or hangman's halter, that tightens as the rope is pulled.  2. a tie or bond; snare.

If you could not understand from the definition, nooses are used to hang people.  So, let us connect the current happening within the University of California system, the noose is related to when black people were hung in the U.S. throughout the period of slavery.

Being an active student leader, I need people to learn and let the voice of the students' be heard, so my first instinct is to forward and mass text people who are still involved with UC.  I felt that it was my duty to spread the message of what is happening even within our domain in Southern California.  To my surprise, I received a number of texts like, "What is a noose?" or "What is going on in UCSD?"  Again, what the eff?!  UGH.  For students who I would consider the student leaders involved on the UC Irvine campus to NOT know or understand what is happening, this is what annoys and infuriates the shit out of me.  Educate yourselves damn it!

Fortunately for me and Jo, this event didn't stop us from smiling when we got to explore some of downtown L.A. in the car, enjoy a delicious fruit tart treat from Sweet Lady Jane's, and finally reaching our premiere destination - Angel's Knoll *cue the hallelujah music now.  When we reached Angel's Knoll my first initial reaction was wondering how the filmmakers of 500 Days of Summer even found a place such as Angel's Knoll in L.A.  I'm definitely glad to have had the opportunity of sharing this momentous occasion with Jo, she actually gave me the courage to approach the bench that Joe and Zooey shared their moments within the film.  Throughout the we spent at Angel's Knoll I was greeted with two different surprises: the amount of homeless people hanging around the knoll and two a little delightful gift Jo presented me - the soundtrack to 500 Days of Summer!  Umm... so I think I have one of the BEST roommates in the entire world!  Thanks Jo!  I don't think I can ever emphasize how I've been blessed with your presence, support, and just plain you being you.

  In the end, I'm not gonna lie, we are pretty gosh darn cute!  PWHAHAHA. 

 

 When we asked this couple if they could take a picture of us, they gave us the most strange look and even asked if we were going to stand on the bench in order to take the picture. 

Thanks for the fantastic day Jo! 

The cherry on top to this amazing day was attending Newsong's Talent event in support of Haiti.  Let me tell you now... Priscilla, Jo, and Felicia are amazing!!!  I'm not being biased here, but out of all the acts I saw, they were definitely the best performance of the night.  After hearing their amazing talent, I felt that if I did not know both of them already, their sultry voices alone will tell you that you need to get to know them more because there is something deep, mysterious, and passionate behind both the voices of these amazing women.  Done deal, great job ladies! <3.

Condi was thrown into the mix as well.  Here I am freaking her out by carrying her around 2117.  I'm her favorite because I scare the shit out of her, but I feed her the most delicious carrots.  PWHAHAHA!

God bless.

 My condolences definitely go out to those affected by the 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile this past weekend.
Kudos to you if you made it to the end of this entry.  Thanks.

Done&done.

Today I was a rockstar ...

Well today was one for the history books because I, Delia Hong, had the opportunity to drive a 12 passenger van. LaughOutLoud!!!  At first, I was filled with nerves and some doubt, considering that I am at the worst stage of being sick right now, lovely yes?  Well before the day started, I got the chance to ask my awesome roommate, Jo, who is also a UCI Shuttle driver if she had any tips for a person who has been driving sedans the entire time she has had her license.  Words of wisdom were "use your mirrors", something I definitely did!  The streets of Irvine/Orange County and L.A. were dangerous for a total of 2 hours, BUT all my interns and my co-coord arrived back home safe and sound. 

The Administrative Internship Class had the opportunity to take a trip to L.A. to a company called Innovation Protocol started and owned by UCI's own Sasha Strauss.  We learned more about the company, its procedures, strategies, and basic behind the scenes operations.  The office is located in a hip art district in Los Angeles near Little Tokyo.  It was an aspect of Los Angeles that I had never been able to experience before, which is a little unfortunate considering that I have been an Angeleno my entire life.  Interesting no? 

 ByTheWay... the concept and description behind this brand is awesome!

Ciao bellas. 

P.S. I am sneezing every 10 minutes due to being sick.
It's such an awkward sneeze too. -_-.

Updates

What is going on in my life/world today...?

Signed up for my last set of classes at UCI.

Bittersweet near good-bye.  I am still dreading the idea that in about 4 months I will officially be considered an alumni of an institution that has provided me some of the best opportunities in my life.  College is definitely the period when people are able to build their own foundations and understand who they are; it is a time to empower and believe in oneself.  I was talking to my supervisor yesterday about how my position in Mesa is really like a final prolonged good-bye to my college experience.  I have been part of the Mesa Court student staff family for the past three years and lived there as a freshman.  Many of the memories I developed throughout my time in college has been related back to the people who I have developed relationships with while in Mesa Court.

Racists activities in UCSD.

"I stand in solidarity with Black students at UCSD and condemn the administration for not making pre-emptive institutional changes."

What is going on in our world...? The University of California is one of the top public institutions within the United States.   Today, within our federal government - the executive office position is held by a black man for the first time in U.S. history, yet we are still fighting issues of racism.  We can never run away from issues of diversity.  For minorities, people of color, colorblindness is not an option.  People need to understand how to accept the fact the the world is in the 21st century and moving in a forward direction.  Please read this article.  For me, this had one of the most powerful and impactful messages as a person who is a womyn of color and  considered a minority to the rest of the United States population.

Irvine 11.

I am actually not too sure how to respond to this incident.  I know many students advocate that UCI's administration is violating the protestors' 1st amendment rights, but what about the other side of the story?  What about the 1st amendment rights of those who were presenting the information i.e. the Israeli Ambassador, Michael Oren?  I'm really torn.  As with many students or people in general, when people don't have enough information (which is me right) they can't decide what they want to stand for, and end up being ambivalent and to some extent not caring about what is happening in their surrounding communities.  Time to care and do some research. 

Music to my ears.

For my entire life, I have had the fear of listening to my ipod while I walk around anywhere.  My ipod was only really used when I went to the gym, on airplanes, or long car rides.  But why?!  When I was younger I used to walk home a lot from the bus stop, and if I was listening to something with headphones in my ears I would not be able to hear if someone was coming from behind me to kidnap me.  I know that some people may think I am too paranoid, but this is reality, especially as a woman in socitey.   However, for the past few days I have had the biggest grins on my face as I listen to the music I love and adore.  What would my life become of without music?!

Totally sick with the cold -_-.

Damn it.

Fin. 

Cheerio darling.