Why Hello There

Over another month since my last post, and we're already looking at the last instructional week of the semester. First, for a quick update on things since then (the important stuff anyway)...

Classes all going fine, or so I like to think. All these problem sets finally coming to an end (until next semester anyway), as well as new material and lectures. The second round of midterms went okay--I don't care so much about my P/NP history, since it's just for interest; the EE curve was much lower than last time so my 86 was good enough. CS70... yes, the average was like a 58%, although how that justifies my 45/60 I'm not sure... even if it is good enough, it just feels kinda retarded. Well, that's what finals are for.

TBP--finally done with candidate semester! Finished all event and miscellaneous requirements and turned them right before Thanksgiving break. For the most part I'm glad I decided to initiate this semester. Busy as I sometimes was, it was cool to meet new people and go to fun events. Besides, I will probably just get busier as I go on, and there are so many HKN people initiating with me this semester that this semester was probably my best chance. And the free food is Always a plus.

On the other hand, HKN got to be a bit too much in the last couple weeks. The first weekend of the month I had to go to Costco and buy loads of food--that means > $250 worth of cookies, muffins, and juices, enough to feed > 1000 people. What for? All the lower-div EECS food runs that would take place the following two weeks. I had to take charge for most of them (except for 40 and 70, since I'm in the classes), and that sure sapped a lot of my time and energy, not to mention coming back with sore arms each time for carrying the shit back and forth across campus. Even with candidates' help, it was not a very fun job by the end of it all, and it's probably because of that reason that I don't want to do StudRel again.

The last thing on the agendum for HKN was Engineering Sports Night last Friday. Finishing the reservation wasn't too tricky; I just had to pry the money out of EJC to repay us for the field reservation. During the days leading up to it, we had fears of the event getting rained out, and it sure rained hard during the day. Luckily for us, it stopped by afternoon, and joint HKN-TBP event turned out moderately successful (the cold probably didn't help).

That Friday, 11/20, was also the day of the massive protests against the fee increases. For the tl;dr version, my opinion is thus: I obviously don't like the fee increases, but I feel that they are necessary at the time; the regents and administration could be run much better and more efficiently, but it's not something that we can control, and we are better off reforming the political process in Sacramento first. As for the protests, they were just appalling--it's wrong to prevent other students from attending classes and receiving education by blockading a building and pulling fire alarms. Those protesters got what was coming to them by doing what they did. If they wanted to show their opinion, there were so many more responsible and peaceful ways to do so. Instead, one of my classes got canceled (thanks to them) and another one was kicked out repeatedly into the rain (thanks to fire alarms).

That rain and cold, plus the stresses from HKN the past couple weeks that left me feeling exhausted each day, was probably too much for my immune system to take in the end. I got sick for the first time in a while on Saturday, which incidentally was also the day we (Chan, Lixia, Wilson) celebrated Fifi's birthday by going to Cheeseboard. I was not feeling my best (and dying), though Fifi was nice enough to make me chicken soup after getting back. I recovered almost fully by the next day though; that was the fastest cold I've ever had.

Work has been relatively boring this month--I haven't felt much incentive to start anything new, and my last project is finishing itself up slowly. I've been mostly going up there and just studying or whatever while doing work-related stuff on the side. The rains and cold, plus the fact that it's getting dark earlier, somehow seem to be sapping my willingness to do much. Hopefully I'll pick it back up this December.

Social situation is static, as usual. No big changes, though I sometimes wish I had more free time to spend with people (or that I had more people to spend it with). Still very much into K-Pop in my free time, though I've been catching up with the latest everything else as well. Animes again soon, probably after finals? I want to start watching Bleach...

Thanksgiving break's been uneventful so far, save for EE project meddling and family dinners. Today I managed to get a new pair of shoes after unsuccessfully searching for a new wallet. Hopefully these shoes are rain-proof, unlike my current pair.

There seems to be a question which I'm obligated to answer at this point--what am I thankful for? My response is why should I be telling you what I am thankful for today when I don't do that any other time? I'm thankful for the stereotypical stuff that everyone else is--friends, family, how lucky we are, etc. Anyone/anything special? If there is, you should know it already (if you are one to read this)--I won't need to name anyone in particular.

I should probably get started on my homework soon, as well as study for my early final coming up on Friday. I apologize for still not having any pictures, though in the future I will try to have shorter posts if that happens. Yup, peace (I need ideas for a closing word).