So...got back to my room from a "dorm social" at 1am. It was really...nice.
As with all gatherings, it was awkward trying to find people at first, especially since there was already a big group gathered in front of the steps by the time our Rules meeting got out. Then a girl I've seen before once (Rebecca) beckoned me over. She was with another girl, Ariel (like the mermaid), and standard attempts at introducing ourselves were made. Always the same pattern of "Hey, what's your name? What room are you in? Where are you from? [insert comment about weather] AND What are you thinking about studying?" Ironically, this was the first time anyone had brought up concentrations in an introduction, but I've talked about it so many times it was automatic: "Well...I like languages." Turns out she does too--in terms of syntax, diction, sound, and connotation, about how the arrangement or the choice of certain words changes the perception of the message being said. Really interesting stuff, and although it's not directly in the path I'm passionate about, it's definitely an interest I'd like to explore.
We started talking and then Rebecca left, and others joined. Our group grew and shed and swelled again to 4--consisting at last of the two of us plus Shehry (a Pakistani) and Sega[not sure how it's spelled] from Ethiopia, Germany, and (mostly) Wisconsin. A lot more intellectual stuff mixed into more casual chatting; Communism popped up toward the end, as did US Geography, World History, scarves, weather, debate, and Barbie dolls (brief mention when my name was given). For the first time, I guess, I finally experienced an interaction of brains here; it felt like a good, intelligent discussion at points and a nice, fun conversation at others. These last 48 hours (only that much? and probably not even!) have been really filled with speeches, and meetings, and rules, and general goofiness, but this was the first time I experienced a genuinely intellectually intriguing conversation. It was, to say the least, refreshing.
Which is why I'm still up at 2:30 am typing this up. :)
This, and the fact that I had to rebook my family's flight home since Irene has cancelled their Sunday flight. Yippee.
I probably need a windbreaker.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Harvard Day 1
Moved in today. Was both fun and tiring, especially with a minor headache. At least I wasn't sniffing as much as I was last night--didn't frighten my suitemates away, at least. That's always a good thing.
As with all plans, my plans for today didn't actually crystallize in the way I imagined. Hoped to arrive without too much difficulty and then settle the rooming question asap. Well, the subway ride there wasn't too bad--just really crowded. Also didn't see other people with suitcases on the Red line train to Hahvahd, so I was a little worried at first. But that worked out. What didn't was my plan to attend all the welcoming events--the Crimson Key Tour of the campus and the Student Computing informational session to teach us how to best utilize our computing resources here. Oh well; I'll probably find the same information elsewhere.
Also, it took a really long time to actually move in, so the common room [which is nice but smaller than I imagined] was filled with suitcases and boxes. Was really a mess. But once things got settled down it was good; got a single which is good for downtime/me-time. Great to have a quiet space to recharge and not have to force myself to talk with others. That said, moving in was still hectic; even though I only have 2 suitcases of clothes and one of miscellaneous items, it was still some work organizing things and adjusting to the new space. Moved some things around [trashcan, recycle bin, armoire] to my liking, but otherwise kept the room pretty much the same; it's nice and comfy. And tidy--so far.
Fast forward a few hours past the Dean's Welcoming and my first dinner at Annenberg (with my family) and we've arrived at our first "orientation"-esque activities. Our first Entryway Meeting consisted of being introduced to others on the 3rd and 4th floor of Weld [definitely the best frosh dorm here] as well as our proctor and PAFs (Peer-Advising-Fellows). Some icebreaker activities which weren't too awkward; met some really cool people like Catherine [Katherine? Catherin? Katherin?] from the west part of Texas--she seems like a really sweet girl--and Rachel from Toronto, Canada who did MUN and Debate. Also interesting to see people who I've "seen" online but haven't actually met in real life, and it was really nice to actually spend some time around my roommates. Our proctor, Leah, is also really nice and helpful. Her facial expressions when she speaks [and her appearance/personality] reminds me a lot of Sarah Coughlon. It's really comforting. [speaking of which I need to find Sarah soon.]
One unfortunate consequence to the fast-paced nature of these activities is that I often forget names of people really quickly. I'm also really bad with faces, so even with a name I might not be able to associate a face with it (and vice versa; just really bad memory in general). Oh well; once things settle down we can have some awkward re-introductions. :)
Calling it a night soon; have a placement test early tomorrow and meeting a friend [Curtis] from the Phoenix area tomorrow for breakfast. Hoping for a good day. Not feeling so sick anymore, at least! :)
Ah, Jeremy's singing in the dorm is really nice. He has the perfect musical theatre voice.
As with all plans, my plans for today didn't actually crystallize in the way I imagined. Hoped to arrive without too much difficulty and then settle the rooming question asap. Well, the subway ride there wasn't too bad--just really crowded. Also didn't see other people with suitcases on the Red line train to Hahvahd, so I was a little worried at first. But that worked out. What didn't was my plan to attend all the welcoming events--the Crimson Key Tour of the campus and the Student Computing informational session to teach us how to best utilize our computing resources here. Oh well; I'll probably find the same information elsewhere.
Also, it took a really long time to actually move in, so the common room [which is nice but smaller than I imagined] was filled with suitcases and boxes. Was really a mess. But once things got settled down it was good; got a single which is good for downtime/me-time. Great to have a quiet space to recharge and not have to force myself to talk with others. That said, moving in was still hectic; even though I only have 2 suitcases of clothes and one of miscellaneous items, it was still some work organizing things and adjusting to the new space. Moved some things around [trashcan, recycle bin, armoire] to my liking, but otherwise kept the room pretty much the same; it's nice and comfy. And tidy--so far.
Fast forward a few hours past the Dean's Welcoming and my first dinner at Annenberg (with my family) and we've arrived at our first "orientation"-esque activities. Our first Entryway Meeting consisted of being introduced to others on the 3rd and 4th floor of Weld [definitely the best frosh dorm here] as well as our proctor and PAFs (Peer-Advising-Fellows). Some icebreaker activities which weren't too awkward; met some really cool people like Catherine [Katherine? Catherin? Katherin?] from the west part of Texas--she seems like a really sweet girl--and Rachel from Toronto, Canada who did MUN and Debate. Also interesting to see people who I've "seen" online but haven't actually met in real life, and it was really nice to actually spend some time around my roommates. Our proctor, Leah, is also really nice and helpful. Her facial expressions when she speaks [and her appearance/personality] reminds me a lot of Sarah Coughlon. It's really comforting. [speaking of which I need to find Sarah soon.]
One unfortunate consequence to the fast-paced nature of these activities is that I often forget names of people really quickly. I'm also really bad with faces, so even with a name I might not be able to associate a face with it (and vice versa; just really bad memory in general). Oh well; once things settle down we can have some awkward re-introductions. :)
Calling it a night soon; have a placement test early tomorrow and meeting a friend [Curtis] from the Phoenix area tomorrow for breakfast. Hoping for a good day. Not feeling so sick anymore, at least! :)
Ah, Jeremy's singing in the dorm is really nice. He has the perfect musical theatre voice.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Shall we run toward the light, then?
This is Ken, who's going to Hahvahd, starting this blog in order to record all his uberfails while at correge. Let's make it a fun journey, now, shall we?
"But why are we running toward the light? I don't want to die so soon!"
I play too many videogames, especially Japanese RPGs. In Kingdom Hearts, as in many other media, light symbolizes all that is good, the brightness of our souls. As such, "running toward the light" can be interpreted as rushing forward to inspect our souls and to try to find the innate goodness--or perhaps merely the true nature--of ourselves.
In other words, this will probably be a blog of random musings whenever I'm bored. Let's hope I don't regret anything I write. That always seems to happen.
But until then,
光へ走ろう。
-健
"But why are we running toward the light? I don't want to die so soon!"
I play too many videogames, especially Japanese RPGs. In Kingdom Hearts, as in many other media, light symbolizes all that is good, the brightness of our souls. As such, "running toward the light" can be interpreted as rushing forward to inspect our souls and to try to find the innate goodness--or perhaps merely the true nature--of ourselves.
In other words, this will probably be a blog of random musings whenever I'm bored. Let's hope I don't regret anything I write. That always seems to happen.
But until then,
光へ走ろう。
-健
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