It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Summer is going by faster than ever (halfway through!) I actually have a legit explanation for my absence, though…

I was in a car accident two weeks ago.

Long story short: I was biking back from Central Square (I ride the T from Alewife to Central and then bike back to the dorm). I stopped at an intersection and began to turn left. Unfortunately, the car that was stopped parallel to me thought I was not going to turn left. So I was effectively t-boned by the car.

Thankfully, I was riding on a fairly high bike; my leg was efficiently squished between the front of the car and the main bar frame of my bike. At the time, however, I was thrown onto the hood of the car, where I bumped my head, and then rolled off onto the pavement, right in the middle of the intersection.

I’m really grateful to the people who stopped their cars and got out to make sure I was okay. I curled up in fetal position while someone dialed 911. Since Jason was closest, I also instructed one of the kindhearted women to call him. By the time the ambulance came, I realized that I didn’t hurt that much. They asked me a ton of questions, which I kept on responding with, “Yes, sir” and “Thank you” in a really perky voice, haha.

At the hospital, they poked my leg and took it in for x-rays. Thankfully nothing was broken; I was only scraped up pretty badly (my left leg was gushing blood) and I was bruised all over. When I arrived home, I noticed that the bar of the bicycle (where my leg was smashed up against it) was bent. Yes, my leg bones > a metal bar. And despite being bedridden for nearly a week, I am now mostly healed and can speed-walk again :D

The moment of the accident was actually really inspirational. When I first landed on the ground (thankfully I caught my head in my arms), my heart was beating SO fast. I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack. So immediately, as if a little voice had manifested itself in my mind, I heard myself saying, “CALM DOWN” … and then I started singing to myself. Namely, I sang the chorus of 女に幸あれ (“All the Best to Women”):

Ah, someday happiness will come;
It would be too unjust if it didn’t.
Ah, I’ll go all the way there.
All the best to women;
Rise, morning sun!

Needless to say, it was at that moment that I realized how inspirational music could be. In addition to this, I’ve experienced a bit of a social revival! Next semester, I will be focusing on striking a wonderful balance between the three facets of my life:

1. Academics
2. Career
3. Social life

… including being more involved with AXO, devoting a lot of my time and passion to AKPsi, going to more frat parties, and treasuring my friends more. In addition, of course, to aiming for straight A’s and a finance internship! And now, a bit about my….

New hairstyle!!

Last Saturday (in addition to two hours of fun karaoke with Chris Luna, Lindsey Shi, Michael Chen, and Jason Chiu), I took a trip to Chinatown to get a haircut at Ecco Hair and Beauty Salon. As I browsed through the hairstyles, though, I noticed that a lot of the styles I liked involved curly/wavy hair.

And so, on a whim, I decided to get a perm. And it looks surprisingly, absolutely gorgeous! I look very summery and younger; the volume in my hair makes my face look shorter =)

Also, guess what came in the mail today? That’s right; the first Alpha Kappa Psi shirt to be worn by a member of the newest colony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology!

Anyways, after biking for so much, I collapsed in bed around 3am and didn’t wake up until 2pm, effectively missing the Ashdown BBQ that I had hoped to attend. Instead, I made myself Easy Mac and decided that even though I hadn’t been invited along to any of my friends’ excursions, I could go have fun by myself. I packed my new Decora bag full of essentials, threw on a summery dress, grabbed some lemonade and munchies at CVS, and at 5:00pm, I was off… to walk the Freedom Trail!

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile long path (though after biking yesterday, it definitely felt a LOT longer on foot than 2.5 miles!) that leads you through most of downtown Boston, North End, and Charlestown. On the way, you hit a lot of buildings and monuments that were important to colonial Boston and the American War for Independence. Since it was Independence Day, I found it rather fitting to walk the Freedom Trail, especially since I had been hoping to do it for some time. I guess I just needed that little festive push to get me going =)

I started out by taking the Red Line from Central to Park Street, which is right next to the Boston Commons, where the Freedom Trail begins (and ends, if you’re starting from Charlestown). Before going off, I sat in the shade of the trees and watched families and groups of friends gather on the Commons to picnic and play. It was very quintessential Boston, I think =)

I started walking the Trail and soon arrived upon the Massachusetts State House, which is essentially our capitol building. Unlike Austin’s capitol (which is heavily modelled after the D.C. building), the Massachusetts capitol is made out of redbrick, and the dome is plated with copper!

After backtracking a bit, I then came upon the Park Street Church. Although I couldn’t go inside, it was amazing to be standing on the same steps where many important social reforms (abolition, women’s suffrage) were heavily supported. It also amuses me to no end when I look at early 1800′s buildings and see how small the doors are!

A short distance away from the Church is the Granary Burying Ground. The second I walked in, I felt a shiver travel down my spine. For some reason, I feel there is something terribly wrong about so many people going in to “sightsee”, children running around, teenagers posing for pictures while standing on top of Benjamin Franklin’s rotting body… either way, I don’t like burial sites (mainly because death is one of my biggest fears). Since these people were buried so long ago, a lot of the headstones have shifted or sunk into the land. The result is rows upon rows of crooked, weathered, chipped, and tiny black slabs stuck in the grass. There were even some headstones that were so small or had sunk into the earth so much, that only the tops peeked out. It was rather sobering.

A little down the road is the King’s Chapel, so named because it was originally built to house the British men who oversaw the colony. You can read more about the fascinating history of the Chapel in that above link, so I won’t mention much. I also wasn’t able to go in the church, but nevertheless it was a nice sight to see.

Next to the Chapel is the King’s Chapel Burying Ground. Compared to Granary, the headstones were more elaborate. I wonder if that’s because the people buried here are more important, or if the location has allowed the headstones to withstand the test of weather and time? Either way, some of the signs near the entrance described some of the headstone designs, mentioning the common motifs of Death (depicted as a skeleton) and Father Time (man with an hourglass). According to the signs, the carvings on the headstones indicated the age and situation at which a person died. I couldn’t look at many of the headstones, though: depictions of skeletons and skulls are too creepy.

The Boston Latin School is America’s oldest public school. There’s an impressive statue of Ben Franklin right outside. Boston Latin is actually still around (at another location). A while away is the Old Corner Bookstore, but I unfortunately didn’t get a decent photo of it.

Next up on the Trial is the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House. It was at the former that talk of the Boston Tea Party began. The Old State House is exactly that – where the Massachusetts capitol used to be before they moved it to the Boston Commons. Nowadays, the Old State House is a museum (which I didn’t enter since I didn’t want to fork over $6.00). There’s a very elegant spiral staircase inside, though! And interestingly, the lower back level is part of the State subway station (orange and blue lines)!

Finally, after a bit more walking, I came upon Faneuil Hall! It looks every bit as pretty as it does on postcards; in fact, even better! I walked inside, but all of the shops on the first level were closed for the night. There were a lot of people sitting on the benches outside, and I joined then to munch on some snacks and sip my lemonade. Right behind Faneuil Hall is Quincy Market (which confuses me to no end, since the actual town of Quincy is nowhere nearby).

After Faneuil, I started the longest stretch of the journey. The Trail took me all around North End to finally stumble upon Paul Revere’s House (no photo) and the Old North Church (where the famed “one if by land, two if by sea” lanterns were hung). The shady area right behind the Church was a nice place to relax. I helped some tourists take photos, finished my food, and relaxed for a bit before I continued onwards. The front of the Church is breaktakingly beautiful, especially since it was situated at the top of a hill.

Next up, Copp’s Hill, which is another burial site. I knew about this place because it was in a children’s book I read many years ago, titled Under Copp’s Hill. It was closed for the day, but true to its name, it’s actually on a hill; in order to get onto the burying ground, you have to walk up a short set of stairs.

The longest stretch took me from North End, across the bridge, and all across Charlestown before I finally reached the Bunker Hill Memorial. Once I stepped into Charlestown, I was amazed at how different it felt from Downtown and Back Bay.

All of the houses were quaint and small; the street lamps were wrought-iron; the roads were bumpy and narrow; everything was super quiet. I don’t know if it was quiet because it’s usually like that, or if everyone had just already left for Boston (to view the fireworks).

Either way, it was deliciously chilling, and I couldn’t help feeling awed that I was stepping into such an important location of American history. After a good 20 minutes of walking, I ended up at Bunker Hill Memorial. On the grassy lawn, a lot of people had set up locations to picnic or rest. I joined them on the grass to record an audio diary entry and Tweet a photo of my location ;)

It’s kind of interesting; as an MIT student, to me the “heart” of Boston seems to be the Downtown Crossing/Boston Commons area. And yes, it technically is. However, the main reason why Boston is so historically important actually lies further north, in North End and Charlestown, etc. However, when I was walking through Charlestown, I felt as if I was very far displaced from “Boston” (even though I was only 2.5 miles from Boston Common, apparently). I can’t quite place a finger on that feeling, but it was a little bittersweet/nostalgic.

After resting at Bunker Hill Memorial (by this time it was 7:00pm), I power-walked back to North Station and took the Green Line to Prudential, which is right at the center of “New” Boston (Back Bay). I grabbed a smoothie at Coldstone Creamery and dropped by Barnes & Noble to kill some time. I then walked to Hatch Shell, where the Boston Pops were playing!

I soon discovered, however, that my location was definitely not prime for watching the actual fireworks. I walked nearly all the way back to Mass Ave, forced my way over a footbridge (I will admit that I am ruthless when it comes to pushing through crowds of people), and eventually situated myself right in front of the barges from which the fireworks would be launched. Even though I arrived at 9:30pm, I managed to get just as good a view as others who had been there since 10:00am!

And now for the best part of the night… the fireworks!

More photos of my journey on the Freedom Trail will be uploaded soon; more fireworks videos can be found on my YouTube account =)

Date: June 7th, 2010
Time: midnight
Situation: chat with Jason

“This is the first time where I haven’t gone through break wanting desperately to go back to MIT. I think I’m starting to get really good at filtering out what’s important in life and appreciating what’s already there, instead of what I want but can’t get. I mean, if I want something really badly – be it repairing a broken friendship or a Microsoft internship – and it ends up not happening… I can live. In fact, I can live better without it, because I have a better love for what I do have.”

(Jason: “Wow, you’re now optimistic. What has MIT done to you?”)

“It’s not so much what MIT has done to me, but the fact that, in contrast to what I’ve seen at home… it’s that mixture of being in two very distinctly different worlds, and being able to see things from two different points of view. In a way, I think I have a better understanding than people who attended middle/high school in such competitive environments and then continued that in college.”

(Jason: “I’m glad for you. You’re realizing more of the world.”)

“It’s not even that I finally realized it; it’s just that I can embrace it now. I’ve always known, but it’s not until it hits you hard that you accept it. Does that make sense? I’ve always known; I just never accepted.”

After taking 18.440 this semester, though, I was able to easily look back at my entire 6.02 exam and understand the minute details of each question. It’s amazing how much 18.440 has taught me. I then realized that – even though it never felt like I had learned much these past two years, I actually have grown a lot, both intellectually and as a person. At the end of each semester, I always look back at my 8.012 problem sets with tears in my eyes. Every semester, they seem to get easier and easier… and those good old times of group p-setting and struggles seem farther and farther away.

So what have we learned this semester?

• 欲擒故縱 (To catch something, first let it go)
• The ones who care most about you will accept you for who you are.
• So long as you are happy, everything else will fall into place.
• Sometimes you find friends in places you least expect. Sometimes the ones you considered enemies, losers, and jerks… end up being your closest friends.
• Even if it’s last-minute, even if it’s the day before a large event and you have no participants, even if it seems impossible… with enough resourcefulness and willpower, you can make anything happen.
• It’s just as much (if not more) who you know as what you know.
• Stick up for those you care about; they will do the same for you when the time comes.
• There is such a thing as being over-ambitious. The difference between an ambitious person’s success and failure is their ability to understand their priorities.
• If a student group or activity makes you dread attending events, hate their guts, and stress yourself out, it’s probably not for you. Leave now while you still can.
• Don’t fight the emotions – embrace them, set them free into the open sky, and face tomorrow with a clean slate.
• Finally… there is no such thing as impossible.

Introducing my newest [revived] hobby: translating songs!

While I have a difficult time expressing my deep emotions in concrete words, there is fortunately a medium of expression that can explain fairly well my general views in every day life: music. The combination of lyrical beats, intricately-written lyrics, and ornamental piano riffs are somehow always able to characterize my thoughts to a T.

On Portrait of a Lady in Melodic Sequence (yes, it’s named after the novel by Henry James), I will share various lyrics with you all that describe my innermost thoughts, principles, and values. If you have the time, definitely check out the songs themselves, since the music is every bit as much a part of the experience as the gorgeous lyrics (provided in both the original and usually very mangled translations). Please enjoy =)

Click to visit Portrait of a Lady in Melodic Sequence!

Someday – when this domain expires, or if/when my external hard drive crashes with my blog backups, or if I lose interest in blogging – all my thoughts written here will disappear. All it takes is a single click of the mouse to delete all of these thoughts and memories. But a journal is something else: it’s concrete. It’s physical. Unless I lose or damage it, it will never disappear on accident or as a result of a technological disaster. In addition, someday when I’m older, I would love to give it to my daughter or grand-daughter, so that she may also experience my hopes and dreams.

It’s been a while since I’ve journaled, though, and I want to make my writings somewhat more profound than, “Today I went to class. I think I’m doing well in 14.05, but not so much in 15.401. I need to study harder.” That seems so petty; it’s the kind of “journaling” you do in elementary school, when you took your mother’s advice to “document your life” a little too literally. I want to use my journal as a method of reflection and inner discovery.

Thus, to start out, I’m going to use the quotes from Quote-a-Day to prompt my reflections. It is my goal to journal at least once a week =) Wish me luck!

#10: Kevin Mitnick

Super-persuasive computer hacker who used the skills of social engineering to help him extract private information from people. He has since reformed and gives lectures on the exploitability of our everyday lives, but in my mind he’s still one of the the most cunning people ever.

#09: Catherine the Great

Catherine II of Russia had an agenda more packed than mine, but she still managed to bring Russia out of the ashes and into a position as a superpower of West Europe. She struck down rebellion when it started, was amazing at foreign policy, and rearranged her country into something that was manageable and organized (instigating splitting of districts, etc.)

#08: Jeanne d’Arc

Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) was one badass warrior, and one of my daily inspirations to prove that women are as every bit as good as men (and sometimes better!) Her faith and her courage until the very last moment are truly something to admire.

#07: Ludwig van Beethoven

Just take a listen at any of his famous pieces (might I recommend his Mass in C Major?) and there is no doubting it. He composed all of these amazing works… and was deaf for many of them! If that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is. He’s my favourite composer of all time =)

#06: Empress Cixi

Cixi started out as a lowly concubine, “selected” off the streets. The emperor barely even saw her, but of course, just like the cunning Anne Boleyn, she managed to find a way to win his favour and become a high-ranking consort in his eyes. When he died and left a son too young to rule, Cixi took over. Although there are many things she did that I don’t agree with (lavish spending a la Marie Antoinette), her power, resourcefulness, assertiveness, and pride are all items I hope to obtain.

#05: Albert Einstein

How could anyone not admire Albert Einstein? The guy was a genius! Although there are admittedly flaws in his work, he also had many ideas that revolutionary and completely changed the way we look at physics. He was quirky yet brilliant, and his drive and ambition are amazing. Oh, and he dropped out of electrical engineering to pursue his dream studies ;)

#04: Kusumi Koharu

Kusumi Koharu is a Japanese idol (singer/dancer/performer/talent) who joined the well-known girl group Morning Musume as the 7th Generation member at the age of 13. When she first joined, she was a horrible singer – strained notes, off-key and flat tones, a feebly nervous expression (just watch the music video for Iroppoi Jirettai). But over the years, she has grown up and blossomed into an amazing soloist and singer. Her charisma on stage is amazing (outshining most of the other girls in the group by far, save for Takahashi Ai), and her energy is boundless. No, really; I saw her live at AnimeExpo 2009, and damn. After an hour of straight singing, while the other girls were losing the electric energy they possessed at the start, Koharu is still jumping up and down, pumping her fists into the air and grinning at the audience. Talk about someone with a big heart and a glowing smile =)

#03: Teresa Teng

Teresa Teng is the Queen of Chinese ballads. She sang a lot of enka as well, along with the Chinese equivalent. She started singing in nightclubs at a young age to make money, and later became one of the best-loved female singers in China and beyond. She performed regularly in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Everyone in East Asia loved her. Not to mention she could speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. Her songs are some of the most well-known and characteristic of the 70′s, and her legacy continues even today, after her death. I have not yet met a Chinese person who cannot sing 月亮代表我的心.

#02: Anne Boleyn

As stated above, Anne Boleyn is awesome. Not only was she one of the leading ladies in fashion at the Tudor court, she basically stepped in and  - with manipulative glances and some nicely-worded praises – singlehandedly convinced a king to divorce his longtime wife and break off from the Catholic church. In such a time when the Catholic faith was strong, this was by no means a small feat. I’m sure Anne Boleyn was like the shining star of the court – everyone flocked around her and nearly worshipped her beauty and cunning. She wore a gold B on her throat to proclaim to the world that she was a Boleyn, and the Boleyns would not be rivaled. I also particularly admire her ability to take any situation and turn it around to her advantage.

#01: Katherine of Aragon

As awesome as Anne Boleyn is, though, I must say that I give greater props to the queen that she dethroned and replaced, the Spanish princess Catalina, later Katherine of Aragon. She was first married to Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s older brother, but when he died, she married Henry and helped him rule for many years. Unlike the flighty Anne Boleyn, Katherine was steadfast and calm. She was politically savvy, and most of England loved her as the Queen. Anne eventually broke down and panicked when she realized things weren’t working out the way she wanted, but Katherine of Aragon? Nope. She stood tall and proud until the very end, even when Henry and the other officials pronounced their marriage annulled. And even after that, she was banished from court, she lived each day as if she were still the Queen, head up and always proud, never mentally giving in to the world that was shattering around her.