Ubiquitous

Christmas in Vancouver

// December 25th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Personal

So glad to be back home! My plane had a 6 hour delay in JFK due to the blizzard that swept all of New England. Since I got back, it’s been basically non-stop schmoozng and chilling with friends I haven’t seen for four months. I’ve been eating out every day and probably need to watch my weight.

Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Halloween and Other Shenanigans

// November 1st, 2009 // 5 Comments » // Academic, Personal

I swear, college is one of the greatest impediments to blogging. With so much going on and us students getting so little sleep, blogging is one of those first pasttimes to go.

The motto for this semester is “Work Hard, Play Harder”. I’m happy to report I’ve been getting consistent A’s on prelims (Cornell’s name for “midterms”, weird, I know). The weekends, which start on Thursdays really, consist of endless partying, with the frat scene and house parties dominating. Sunday is a day of recovery, and the cycle repeats again. The frat brothers range from your standard total Ivy League douchebag to the WASPy Polo-shirt-boat-shoe-wearing gentleman to the huge engineer geek. Everything and anything. Any person, any study I suppose. I’m not meeting as many people as I’d like, but I’m sure that will come with time (I want to know everyone in my small faculty, for example).

I had two costumes scraped together at the last minute for Halloween. Night 1: gold dress + shovel = … GOLD DIGGER! Night 2: pink dress with bow + pink headband with bow + pink clutch + flats with bow = … I have no idea what I was but the boys said I was Barbie so I went with that. The notable costumes included your standard supermen, slutty bunny/maid/I’m-just-going-to-well-lingerie, rappers, nerd, bumble bee, police officer, Keystone light (rofl) etc. I might post photos at Snark if I have time.

I’m looking forward to my next 3 or 4 weekends.

• Nov 6 - 8: going to Harvard for HUWIB’s Inter-Collegiate Business Convention
• Nov 13 - 15: going to Syracuse University for an all-expense paid charrette
• Nov 20 - 22: going to Kingston, Canada for Royal Military College’s annual Christmas Ball
• Nov 27-29: Thanksgiving, everyone in my suite will be gone. If I stay in Ithaca, my friend from UPenn might be coming to visit.

For Fall Break I went to visit friends in Toronto, had a blast, shopped a lot, it’s nice to be near civilization again!

P.S. - Anyone doing Nanoblomo? I don’t think I will be, but I will subscribe!

Popularity: 4% [?]

A Canadian in America

// September 11th, 2009 // 18 Comments » // Academic, Work/Volunteer

I’ve been at Cornell for about three weeks now - it’s exhilarating! Okay yes, the honeymoon period is slowly draining out of my system but I still find something new to love in Ithaca every day.

Now as a Canadian I expected very few differences north and and south of the border. But I’ve been noticing a lot of small amusing things!

• Y’all say “bathroom” instead of “washroom”! I’ve gotten so many weird looks when I say I have to go to the washroom. I mean, you wash your hands in the washroom, but you don’t bath there!!
• People are highly amused when I say “eh”. I’ve been saying it a lot more now that I’m here just to emphasize my Canadiana
• Labor! Color! Neighbor! Favor! Note to self: take out u’s
• Fahrenheit still makes no sense, but I think I’m slowly getting it
• I still have no idea where Long Island is, even though 50% of my faculty seems to be from there (okay now I do because I just Googled it)
• People laugh at me for my US geographical-challenged-ness
• No one knows what IB is

Some classes are fascinating, some are good but not too relevant. I found a job already - as an administrative assistant in a VP office. Joined a bizallion student organizations as well, need to whittle that down. My suite in my dorm is really chill. Life is good.

Popularity: 6% [?]

It’s Official!

// June 18th, 2009 // 16 Comments » // Academic

I will be going to Cornell next year! We got a nice financial aid package (appealing for more due to recent changes in my parents’ employment) but it’s decided! I’m super excited Thanks for all of your well-wishing.

Right now I’m trying to find cost-effective ways to get to Ithaca, New York from Vancouver, Canada. After a lot of searching, the best we came up with was to drive down to Seattle, fly to Philadelphia, fly to Newark, then fly to the Ithaca airport. Oh my goodness! I guess small towns and their tiny airports do have drawbacks. But what the heck, I’ll be able to say I’ve been to half a dozen US cities now.

I will keep you guys updated on this little ol’ journey of mine.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Ivy League-bound? Maybe

// June 1st, 2009 // 11 Comments » // Academic

Last summer, I was devastated to find out I couldn’t attend UC Berkeley for financial reasons. This entire year, I stayed in Canada studying commerce and wondering what was so fundamentally wrong with me that 1) the Ivy League universities rejected me and 2) I’m unable to go to the wonderful schools like UCLA and UC Berkeley that DID accept me. Suffice to say, my desire to get a better education beyond UBC was never fully snuffed out.

I spent months dwelling on the issue and due to a series of wonderfully-timed events and opportunities, I decided to apply for transfer application to just a single US school. What’s with me and one-shot deals? I spent weeks perfecting my essay and days chasing after professors to get them to write me recommendation letters and give midterm grades. I did all of this in secret. Not a single one of my friends know. My PARENTS did not know. About a month ago, the only people who knew I applied for transfer was probably a handful of profs, a counsellor, the admissions committee, and the mailman.

This time it wasn’t randomly applying for the prestige, but rather, the result of intensive research into a program that matched my interests and aspirations perfectly. I remember that morning vividly, calling the Admissions Office trying to find my decision. When the lady on the other end replied, all I could say was “OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD”.

I have been accepted into Cornell University for Fall 2009 transfer!!

*Runs around the house in ecstasy* I will be studying a mixture of management, economics, government, and history at Industrial and Labor Relations!!! At this point I haven’t gotten a paper copy of my acceptance and financial aid yet, so I don’t know if I’ll be going. BUT OH, MY, GOD, five years of high school, two years of IB, a year of university, it wasn’t all in vain! The application process taught me so much about myself too I will really have to weigh all the commitments and leadership potential I have at my current school against a totally different path in the States. I hope to bring further good news.

P.S. - shhh, no one at my current school knows! They’ll kill me if they find out XD

Popularity: 9% [?]