On The Move…

So I now have a Summer gig.  I’ve committed about 50 days (7-8 weeks) of my vacation to an undisclosed through China as a research-writer for Let’s Go!  That’s Harvard’s home-grown Lonely Planet-style travel guide which only hires Harvard students.  They pay for all travel expenses and a small stipend to boot.  Should be fun, I think.

So right now the plan is to go home for a couple days after my finals, then fly off to China sometime during the first week of June, and then return back in August for a final month relaxing in sunny Singapore.  Following that, I’ll be a sophomore, and in the Dins 🙂

The day the Freshman class recieved their House assignments, Annenberg the area outside Memorial Hall and the Science Center exploded into an energetic riot of upperclassmen cheering for their Houses’ new members.  They gave out t-shirts and candy, screamed House slogans and taunted each other, for hours on end without a rest.  Music blared from huge speakers and there was a real sense that Carnival Harvard had descended upon us.  It was great, something I wish would happen more often.  It helped that the weather that day was glorious too 🙂

It’s official!  I’ve been placed in Quincy House, second closest to the Yard (after Adams), and whose (I think awful) dining hall is being redone over the summer 🙂 

*Did*Not*Get*Quadded*!!! 😀

Freshman roommates!  Taken just as we were about to leave the Boston Park Plaza Hotel at 1.30 in the morning (I couldn’t find Ryan earlier to take a picture because he was too busy dancing with the lovely L 🙂

Alright ladies and gentlemen…  have I got news news news.  Friday, March 19 is officially the longest, most momentous, and possibly most fun day I’ve had so far at Harvard.  Forget the French quiz, back-to-back classes and desperately-needed naps that filled most of my day – the best parts of the day were before the sun was up and after it went down.

I’m Din #170!!!  It’s unbelievable, but it’s true (I’m not sure when I’ll get over my shock).  After four years of hoping and working and watching and trying (and failing), I was raucously roused at 6.30am in the morning by the Dins and handed a tall G&T.  I’m not sure if I’d ever tasted anything so sweet.  So starting this Fall, I’m going to sing with the Harvard Din & Tonics 🙂

It’s becoming a tradition of mine – the ever-lovely Thai restaurant where the golden bags are excellent and everything else on the menu is a must-try 🙂 

From left: Doug, Xin Wei, Imran, Vivek, Louisa, Ryan, Emily, myself, Sarah

Freshman Formal Chilli Duck dinner 19 Mar 2004

Hours later, I went to my first formal at Harvard.  The Freshman Formal, held at the Boston Park Plaze Hotel.  There, after a lovely dinner at Chilli Duck (the Thai restaurant I like to feel I ‘discovered’) with hundreds of my friends and classmates we danced the night away.  It was better than any celebration party I could have planned myself.  For more pictures, go see Xin Wei’s online albums (where more of my pictures have been posted): http://community.webshots.com/album/126913158JYKCyK 

From left: Doug, Sarah, me, Xin Wei, Ryan, Emily

Thayer 101 et al at the Freshman Formal (19 Mar 2004)

I’m back from a great weekend at a debate tournament held at Bates College up in Maine.  My partner (Jeremy Raper – thanks mate!) and I were 2nd novice team and 10th overall in a tounament of 22 teams, which is decent, though we ought to have picked up the EPA case and perhaps broken to octos.  But it was still a good experience.  Oh, and Jeremy got a novice speaker award too 🙂

Back to the grind.

As I wrap up yet another weekend (by putting off going to bed and writing a blog entry), I thought I’d dash off a quick entry for the benefit of whoever reads this blog.

New stuff:  I now have a job, with HUCEP, the safety walk program, which involves three and a half hours of striding about campus in a neon yellow vest chatting with people as my partner and I walk them to whereever they want to go.  It’s good exercise, pretty fun, meaningful, and pays well (better than dorm crew!).  I’m not sure if I’m going to stick with it, but it looks likely.

Also, I’ve started spending Monday nights volunteering overnight at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.  It’s been a good experience so far.  I’ve actually managed to constantly get more sleep and more work done there than an average night in the dorm.

I’ve been cleared by the NCAA (at last!!), so I’m back to spending about 2 hours at the boathouse daily.  We should be on the river from this week.  yay.  sort of.

Next week I also have to start teaching International Relations…  I don’t know how that’s going to turn out though, just because everything is so up in the air.

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Some weekend highlights:

1) Went to Park Street, after missing a week during what was a uber-hectic last weekend.  I’m pleased.

2) Saw American Splendor, which is very, very good.  A must see for the discerning film-buff.

3) Went to the gym, and together with walking to Inman Square and HUCEP, I think I covered about 6 miles this weekend.  First real exercise in two weeks.

The partial corollary list of things I had planned but didn’t do:

1) Shabu shabu!

2) Biology lecture video and lab report

3) ESPP assignment

Let’s just focus on the positives 🙂

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I’m praying for you, mother.