heat wave

talk about crazy new england weather...

gotta love how it suddenly becomes 80 degrees (and apparently almost 90 back in lex), totally caught me off guard and now i'm searching for all my summer clothes again haha. but of course, nice weather makes me want to be outside. and since i want to be outside i no longer want to be inside doing homework / studying for finals and the like. counterproductive.

in other unrelated news, intramural soccer has officially ended, and we managed an incredible record of 0-6. i'm tired of getting hit in the face with soccer balls. and at least a soccer goal didn't fall on me this year. so i guess it was success! (and we can only get better, ha)

seven more days of school! ahhhhhh

incorrect

way to go paul. you fail.

almost there

what, only two more weeks until school is over? i think that's pretty manageable. almost free! though i must admit, although i am really looking forward to being done with classes i'm also dreading going home, simply because... there really isn't much to do when i'm at home. can i just stay here on campus? and have everyone else also be here on campus while i'm here?

i know i haven't really been up to par on my blog updating, but i assure you i've been spending all that time i should be using to blog on other things that are also making my life super unproductive. so here's a little update on how things are going, in reverse chronological order:

i'm sick. i've got a fever and a headache that won't go away but it's slowly getting better. and i've suddenly become really good friends with tylenol.

motion city soundtrack came on sunday night! the show was only $5 since it was on campus, and it was totally worth it. a band named zolof and the rock and roll destroyers (?) opened for them, and although it's probably the strangest name i've ever heard for a band i really enjoyed their music. definitely not what i expected, so good job for surprising me (you know it's good when one of their songs is called "arrggghh, i'm a fucking pirate"). and can i just say right now how incredible mcs sounds live? i went to see them last year when they played with anberlin and metro station, and they are still one of THE best live bands i've ever seen. and to top it off, the lead singer totally played the wrong part in one of the songs and he couldn't figure it out for about 5 minutes. they had to start over. win!

oh, and i also got to meet the guy after the show - after talking to him for a bit i decided not to take a picture with him only to walk away and immediately regret not asking him for one. way to go.

autograph from lead singer justin pierre. badass.

wpi also just hosted relay for life this past weekend, and i must say i had a blast! (minus the rain and sickness, of course.) i ended up raising $140, which is pretty decent. KAP actually came in second overall in fundraising (losing to phi sig freshmen...), which is still pretty impressive considering we only started raising money about three weeks before the event actually happened. cooool. but yeah, the night was full of fun, i walked a total of 6 hours (phew), and they brought some pretty cool stuff this time. there were the inflatables, spelling bee, and talent show as always, but this year they added a giant monopoly game that covered the entire quad and featured some real-life action. i volunteered to play, but turns out i suck at monopoly because i landed on every single pre-owned property, tax, utility, and chance/community chest space. it took until about my second to last turn for me to buy my first actual property... a dark purple. haha oh well, it was fun regardless.

on friday, instead of having our usual water polo practice in our less-than-average pool we took an adventure to clark! it was supposed to be a friendly scrimmage between us and them but it turned out to be a friendly scrimmage between some of us with some of them and some more of us with the rest of them. because they only had 7 players... but it worked out and we were finally able to play in a pool that's a legit size.

earlier on friday i interviewed with nationalgrid for a summer internship position, and i think it went well. but while i was there i couldn't help but think about the time the power went out in our apartment and it was nattionalgrid's fault because they screwed up one of the underground connections and we didn't have power for a few days.

mmm, i think that's it for now. hopefully i'll be able to update more often so i don't have to keep writing super long posts like this one.

later y'all

good ideas

Alex Teng: dude
Alex Teng: ive been having so good ideas lately
Lee Chiang: you're on top of your game
Alex Teng: i was talking wiht chu earlier about this pictionary
Alex Teng: abs
Alex Teng: pick up line
Alex Teng: it would be like
Alex Teng: "lets play pictionary"
Alex Teng: and then before she could really respond
Alex Teng: you would flash your abs
Alex Teng: and be like 10 pack abs
Alex Teng: and say its her turn
Lee Chiang: hahahahahah
Alex Teng: why it would work
Alex Teng: 1. 10 pack abs = legit
Alex Teng: 2. sponatenous/funny - girls dig that
Alex Teng: Why it wouldn't work
Alex Teng: 1. kinda lol/ridiculous
Alex Teng: 2. if you wearing a thong she could see it
Alex Teng: but those things are non starters cause
Alex Teng: im always ridiculous
Alex Teng: and i don't have thongs
Alex Teng: i've thought htis through so much man
Alex Teng: and even if you don't have the abs you could
Alex Teng: 1. get better lighting
Alex Teng: 2. get a 300 tan
Lee Chiang: hahahah

same kid who goes on to say

Lee Chiang: i got 1 hour of sleep
Lee Chiang: so it was close to an all nighter
Lee Chiang: hahahah
Alex Teng: lee it could be a good excuse man
Alex Teng: with the ladies
Alex Teng: ooops did i just fall into your arms?
Alex Teng: sorry i'm just a little tired
Alex Teng: late nights in teh er

ridiculous.

ithaca

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.