First days of real college:

Coming from a high school with a graduating class of nine people, a musical theatre conservatory, and then a small college, some of my classes here at QC can be  quite overwhelming. My LCD 101 class in the Science Building (which, if you have no been there yet, apparently has a pretty descent cafe that I have yet to try…) has more than 75 students registered. Not that every one of those 75+ students actually attend every class, but for someone coming from a tiny little pond on the other side of the planet, it’s quite overwhelming. I’m sure a lot of people understand exactly how I feel, no?!

If you couldn’t tell from the title of the blog, I’m a pretty much random and spastic person – so bear with my spasticity please.

I’m on the QC women’s volleyball team, and I don’t know if you know or not, but all first year athletes are required to go to a study hall twice a week for 2 hours every session. I am here at 8:12 AM (KEY WORD: AM) to prove school officials that I actually study. All 6 people in the front row are studying quite diligently (or so it seems), and everyone in the back – mostly pretty bored-looking guys – are on their phone texting. Here I am, secretly observing everyone from the corner, enjoying my nice big bowl of raisin/nut oatmeal in my favorite pink breast cancer awareness tupperware (so glad I decided to bring it), and eager to start the day off.

I don’t know if anyone was on campus last weekend (hooray for long weekends, yes? but never enough time), but there was a folk festival going on in the quad on Sunday. The reason I would know, is because I have my English Comp. 110 class for 4 hours right in the middle of the day. At least it was raining, so I didn’t have to feel too bad being inside. I wish my class started at 8 am and ended at noon so I could go enjoy the rest of the day, but things never seem to go our way do they? So they have to make the only class option available for me (due to music/athletics commitments) from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sundays, my only days off. I guess this is what college is all about?

Life is about the choices we make and what we make of what happens to us. Sometimes I complain about too much work. But then I think, “JX, you brought this onto yourself. This is what you chose to do, whether you want to do it or not. Do it, or quit.” My mom used to use reverse psychology on me by telling me to quit every time I refused to practice. She told me it was ok to quit, and then the 5-year-old JX refused to quit, headed to the piano and started practicing. Now I very much thank her efforts – otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been pursuing a career in the music industry. And if I were without music, I don’t know how I’d survive in this life.

So… another thing. Why is water free in NY?! That only seemed bizarre when I went home to Japan for the summer and my mom yelled at me for leaving the water running while I brushed my teeth or washed the dishes. If someone has an answer to this, let me know. Oh, here – found an article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/nyregion/03water.html

They need to get on it!

There is a bar joint / club called John John’s somewhere out there in Flushing (off the Q17 Flushing bound from QC). I don’t know if a lot of people are familiar with it or not, but I was too tired to go inside it  after getting myself there with a bunch of friends the other day. If I ever feel perky enough to actually go in and have a drink, I will update you on how it looks from the inside. If others know what it’s like, let me know!

Have I written enough already? Well, here’s my quote of the day:

The aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly – that is what each of us is here for. -Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

Motivational picture:

And here’s some awesome music that the choir will be performing on October 5th with Bright Sheng, the composer, conducting at LeFrak Hall: Morningstar Lily – Bright Sheng

Enjoy your day, week, whatever. But enjoy it.

X-ster