Week 13

Before all hell breaks loose...
Orgo test wasn't hard...I just didn't know the stuff. Messed up carbs and the mechanism for retro-aldol. Pissed me off because the stuff I studied didn't show up on the test... Oh well, 85/120...not too bad. A B won't kill me after those two other tests...
Field trip was fun. It would have been better if more of the residents were around. The traffic was bad too... We got back at 4:30 instead of 3:45. It was also our teacher's fault for being so unorganized. We didn't do too much discussion this week. She graded my essay and really liked it, even though I thought I had a lot of BS. Maybe she was applauding how daring I was to make original connections that weren't too solid. One class I'm sure to get an A in...
I'm also pissed that Daylight savings is this Sunday and that my band rehearsal is at 10:15 AM that Sunday. It's on the totally wrong weekend. Now I won't get to spend much time at Necto for Ish's B-day thingy.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that Ish, or my roommate, turned 18 on Monday. We did a whole surprise thing for her at midnight and wrote dirty comments on balloons. Tim, her boyfriend, took her out on a romantic walk an hour before so we could decorate the room. He got her flowers and they took pictures of important spots. I really think he likes her more than she likes him, but they both like each other a lot. They don't engage in much PDA, and if it is "PDA", it's more like she hits him (we call it "public domestic abuse"). If they do have a moment, I try not to look. Half the time I'm staring at my computer screen anyway.
This weekend will be busy. DP Day on Saturday from 9-5, band concert Sunday, physics studying all week long. I'm glad he took out the sound waves chapter. Still, 5 chapters on 1 midterm is a lot. I still don't understand oscillations at all...

Week 12

Posting because my essay isn't coming to me...and it sucks...
One good story this week...On Thursday, a kid from my class was supposed to pick up two Congolese refugees from the Freedom House. He left at 11 AM with the professor's car, and he misses the Freedom House and goes to Canada. He, obviously not intending to cross the border, gets hassled by the border patrol. Try telling them that you meant to bring 2 people from the Freedom House to your class using your professor's car. So he gets hassled twice, going from the U.S. to Canada and back from Canada to the U.S. He finally reaches our class at 2:30 PM when our class starts at 1 PM. Well at least he got the points for the writing assignment he didn't turn in for the week.
Otherwise, not much exciting news. I had a lot of reading to do for history this weekend and the coursepack. Physics homework didn't take me too long. Working with Wenbo actually really helps. I'm screwed for that test, which comes after my chem test. I think I'll be studying all day long.
Sportswise, I followed tennis mostly and a bit of the NCAA men's tournament, figure-skating, and NBA. Strangely enough I guessed that George Mason would beat Wichita State. And now they beat U-Conn. Now that was a surprise. Anyway, one of my friends, Amy, had a skating show at Yost on Friday. She was really good. The World Junior Dance bronze medalists (and the U.S. Junior Dance champions) performed too and they were really really good. Supposedly they are going to U of M next year! I'd pay more than $5 to see them...at least $10.
Finally that stupid band concert is next Sunday. One more rehearsal! We are screwed! Come see us anyway...3 PM at Hill Auditorium. Maybe I'll have some reed luck and I'll sound good on my solo. Or maybe I won't care anyway. Hmm...
Next week begins testing hell for Jackie. Good luck, Jackie! I'm so glad I didn't have to take the new SAT test...

Week 11

Week 11...getting closer to the end of school...
Lots of exciting things happened this week. Once again I'm going to make a big list.
1) Monday I had a double-whamming of advising. Koreeda says that Chemistry and Biochemistry are like the same thing, so most likely I'll be a biochem. major just because... I'm probably going to take Calc. 4 this summer since I don't need a language... And somehow I need to figure out how to get honors classes... Maybe I should drop out of honors, since it really doesn't do anything for me anyways...
2) Chem lab test was easy. I probably got the 75% or so that I needed to pass. Maybe I'll get an A this semester in lab? The lab period itself was actually pretty disasterous because cleaning up KMnO4 mixed with Aliquat 336 is the worst thing ever. I probably wasted at least 1 L of dichloromethane before washing out my glassware with water and soap. The waste lady is going to have a field day disposing of my crap.
3) Congolese refugees from the Freedom House came to my history seminar class on Thursday. They were all very nice. It was really funny how my professor suddenly started speaking with a different accent. As soon as she let us out on break, we left the classroom and started laughing. Does she think they understand her better if she speaks with a different accent? The best part is that she does it unconsciously, I think. Otherwise I think it would be actually really offensive. I'm excited for the field trip we're taking in 2 weeks to the Freedom House.
4) As you high schoolers already know, Jackie got runner-up at Chemistry Olympiad! Yay, a legacy! I'm so proud of her. She almost got the same score as I did on my first Chem-O test. Next year she can go earn another $100.
5) The Kirov Orchestra was awesome! $12 for pizza and seats in the mezzanine is the best deal I've ever had. They played Shostakovich's 1, 2, and 10 symphony. Too bad I had too much work, or I could have gone to hear more Shostakovich on Sunday. I have heard the 7th and 9th Symphonies, though. I saw Caroline Cheng at the pizza part, and then I saw Ester after the concert. Also, the orchestra dad from MYS was there and he asked me how I was doing at U of M and if I was still playing. He thought I could have majored in music! Oh well, look at me now, playing at around sophomore year level on old reeds. Well I did make a reed this week that actually works, and I practiced today and yesterday. I remember when I used to play 5 times a week...
6) Red Lobster! Ok, you're probably wondering why the heck this is on the list, but my friends Michelle and Andria are obsessed with Project Runway and wanted to go to this place. Yay, cheesy biscuits! We took pictures, of course. No one ordered lobster. I have a seaside trio and chocolate wave for dessert. I ate so much that day. At least I drove successfully to and from my brother's apartment. Then of course I hung around Eugene's apartment as they played Onimusha... Maybe I'll have to steal that game from them. Or play Suikoden V...
7) Suikoden V comes out tomorrow! Eugene pre-ordered it so we get an artbook! I can't wait to play this game. As soon as it comes in, I'll have to stop studying or something. Or maybe I can promise myself not to touch it until after my physics test? Very unlikely...
8) Oh I forgot to mention that I finally finished my "tubey" sweater. I wish I had a camara so I could put up a picture of the finished thing. It's awesome...my first big project. Now of course I've already started another 2 things. I wonder what I'd do without my needles...wow, that sounded like I'm on drugs. Well, I guess I am on drugs of a different sort. But they aren't detrimental, that's for sure. I don't think I would have been able to read any of my textbooks without them.
9) 4 weeks left of school! Enough said.

Those little things that make you happy...

Like the 14/20 on the physics test when the average was a 9.
The 13-min run yesterday before later that night eating purple cow.
The fact that it's 70 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
The fact that I've written in my blog more times this week than last month.

Life is good...until the midterm Tuesday.

Damn.

Week 10

Spring is here! It's so warm outside, and I even wore sandals outside yesterday. Unfortunately it rained...I was so excited about the warm temperatures. Yesterday, with a few highlights, was overall a horrible day. How about I start with what sucked... The physics test was insanely hard. All of us, after the test, thought we failed. Last time I thought I got an 18 out of 20 and got a 15. This time I think I got a 15 out of 20, so I probably got a 12. I had studied so much for this test too...it was nothing like the practice tests at all. I thought physics wouldn't be hard because I got an A+ in math. Now I really regret not taking Physics C AP in high school. If you don't want to suffer the same as me, take Physics C! High school is a joke compared to this.
What else sucked yesterday...I found out that I have to take Biology 162 and Physics 240/241 in the same semester if I want take both of them this summer. This totally ruins my tentative schedule for the rest of college...I can only take one of those classes or I'd die. Also today I found out that Chem 451 and 453 are only offered in fall semesters, and Chem 452 and 454 are only offered in winter semesters. That means that if I don't take Chem 451 next fall, I'll be stuck in college for another year. I guess that could be a blessing as well...let's see if I can manage taking Chem 260 and Biology 162 at the same time. I always want to take too many classes. Another unfortunate fact is that the German class that had looked interesting, German 111, isn't being taught in the summer this time. I really have no luck. So summer semester I will probably take some social science class and maybe do independent study in chemistry or something. I can't even sign up for classes yet, which is the funny part. I really shouldn't be stressing out about things. I did sign up for a double-whamming of advising on Monday so I will hopefully learn more about chemistry and biochemisty majors and then figure out what classes I need to sign up for.
The good news? My paper for history was pushed back 2 weeks. Our history class is going on a field trip to the Freedom House on March 30! Our hall served really good food last night (one of those special dinners for no reason whatsoever), and I saw Andy Kim for the first time this year ('06). Well, if not, it's been an incredibly long time since I've seen him. He's also staying spring term, so I'll have another person to hang out with for the first part of the summer where I'll probably be working myself to death...maybe I should really consider taking 4 years of college instead of 3. But by the way I've aggressively scheduled myself (I only need 4 more credits of SS to fulfill my distribution requirement), I think I'll have to minor in something to relieve the boredom...maybe Spanish? By the time I take my next Spanish class I'll probably have regressed to Spanish 2 levels.
This week has been so long...I'm so freaking tired...
Oh, another thing that sucked. We were going to tutor at Burt Elementary in Detroit today for the first time since 2/10, and when we got there, the school was being evacuated for some safety reasons. So basically we drove to Detroit for no reason. 2 hours gone...I napped a bit, but it was too bright outside.
Let's hope next week is better. Just 1 test on Tuesday and I'm good.

Just Some Random Info

Hey, I just found out that this girl in my physics discussion group is from Malaysia. Thought that was cool.
I also got a roommate for the summer! Tiffany Chen says she'll room with me. Now I just have to figure out how to sign up for summer classes... I really don't want to take more physics...

Week 7, 8, and 9

Well it's been weeks since I've last updated, but I really have no news. All I can do is rant about the Olympics, my tests, spring break, and tennis.
1) Olympics! They were fun, that's for sure. I really liked Shizuka Arakawa, and she definitely deserved the gold over Sasha and Irina. Irina's fall shocked me, as well as the low marks given to the other Japanese girl. For men's figure-skating, I really wish Evan Lysacek hadn't been sick or he definitely would have made the medal stand. Johnny Weir messed up his long program, but it wasn't really that great anyway. The silver medalist's outfit was terrible. Pleushenko's long program was actually kind of boring, at least compared to his short program, and I wish he had more competition so that he would actually do something challenging. Half-pipe was interesting. Shaun White is cute when he talks. His jaw is reallly big or something because he kind of looks like an ape. Speed-skating had all that "drama" between Hedrick and Davis. Well I personally like Davis better, and I don't know why. But Apollo Ohno is so much cooler than the rest. Enough about the games.
2) Week 8 was a bad week. 2 midterms and an essay. The essay sucked, but it was only a draft so I get to rewrite it this weekend. I didn't do too bad on the Chem. midterm...105 out of 120. Our class median was a 65, which is horrible. Koreeda isn't even that bad of a teacher...it was a hard test, but people should have still placed in the 90's. What makes me angry about Chem. this semester is that the HTML project is worth 200 points, or about 2 midterms. That's why I didn't care that much about this midterm. Classic Civ's midterm was really easy. I should have gotten an A- or A on it. I love how easy Classic Civ. is.
3) Spring break was awesome because I did nothing. Well actually I did some homework. But I also bought a bunch of yarn, got a haircut, got my teeth cleaned and went to the eye doctor. Only my left eye got worse, so I didn't get new glasses for once. I didn't even play that much Dragonquest. I did go see the Troy HIgh Symphonic Band at District Festival yesterday. My sister played flute, piccolo, and piano. The songs were cool, though they have a lot to work on. My sister was mad at herself because she messed up the piccolo duet (she was off by a measure or something). We didn't stay to see the scores, but I'm sure they got a Division 1 rating.
4) Tennis...I just wanted to rant about Nadal. Yay, he beat Federer! Now Federer can be mad at someone and want revenge. I can't wait for the French Open, where everyone will be going after Nadal. Hopefully the Americans do better at the Open than they did last year.