Boat Dance report

I just got back from the Boat Dance. As the name suggests, this was a party cruise for Berkeley students. It certainly didn't disappoint!

Because the RHA didn't have a booth or anything, buying a ticket was difficult. I only managed to get one at the last minute. On the other hand, the $25 price was a great deal, especially considering that similar cruises are usually very expensive.

The buses departed for the Port of San Francisco around 6 p.m. Boarding the San Francisco Belle took a while due to the security checks and the sheer number of people, but the folks in charge wasted no time in getting the party started. A violin quartet played Pachelbel's Canon as we got on the boat. I could tell this was a classy event.

The San Francisco Belle was huge. There were two floors for dancing and one for movies. The view of the San Francisco Bay was absolutely amazing. Though I mostly walked around and didn't dance with anyone, I still had a great time. It was past 1 a.m. when we got back to campus!

The only downside is that there wasn't any food besides light refreshments. Those who have evening classes didn't have much time for dinner. Case in point, my suitemate Cyrus and I came back hungry as a result. It didn't help that all the cafeterias and grocery stores were closed.

On the whole, the Boat Dance was an incredible experience. While I skipped my high school prom, I'm sure this event was far better. You can read a full review of the dance here.

Currently listening to: "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin

went to an awesome '80s dance

I just came back from the Blast from the Past dance at Bowles. Unlike the Dance & Casino Night in August and the ASUC Fall Dance in October, this one was quite awesome.

For starters, the DJ played a lot of great music. It made me feel nostalgic even though most of the songs were before my time. I heard only one slow song, but people didn't seem to mind too much. The organizers also hosted a costume contest and a raffle drawing. That was really fun even though I didn't win anything in the raffle. Last but not least, there were ample refreshments.

The only downside is that the place was pretty crowded. However, that's probably a good sign - a large attendance means the event was successful. On the whole, the dance totally rocked. You can find a full review of it here.

Currently listening to: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle

back at Berkeley for the spring

I've moved back to the dorms as the spring semester has started. One nice thing about Berkeley is that we get a whole month off for Christmas. The reason is that our Christmas vacation also includes winter break and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day long weekend. This means we won't get another week off in February, but I guess we can't have it both ways.

At any rate, I'm taking Math 1B, CS 61A, Physics 7A and Music 27 this semester. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying as Math 1B looks pretty tough. :P

I survived my first semester at Berkeley

I've finished the finals and am back home for the holidays. It feels like I just started college, and now the semester is over. One down, seven to go!

The exams weren't easy by any means. However, the hardest part of the semester was probably the Engineering 77 assignments; debugging my implementation of depth-first search at 3 a.m. isn't exactly my idea of a good time. The final for that class ironically turned out to be the easiest. I guess I lucked out.

In any case, it's time to enjoy a well-earned vacation. The nice thing is that we get five weeks off for Christmas. :-)

worst school dance ever

So my roommate Scott invited me to a party at his fraternity house. But because frat parties aren't my cup of tea - mainly because I've heard so many horror stories about them - I went to a dance hosted by the ASUC instead. As much as I hate to say this, the dance totally sucked.

For one, there was barely any information available. The only thing I could find was a flyer near my dorm. To their credit, the ASUC dropped the $3 surcharge for people who bought tickets after the early bird deadline. However, that was where the good things ended.

Only a handful of people showed up at the dance. Although I saw my friend Albert there, he didn't stay more than an hour. The music was repetitive and would randomly stop. There was little else to do as we weren't allowed to play the piano in the ballroom or use the Internet kiosks downstairs. It's no surprise that the dance ended early when people lost interest. I'd say it was a blessing in disguise.

This was a total waste of time and money. Had I known better, I wouldn't have attended the event even if it was free. You can read my full review here. Shame on you, ASUC.

my first class at Cal

The fall semester has officially started. I just came back from the Chemistry 1A lecture. It was my first college class ever!

Just as I expected, the class was very large. There were around 300 to 400 people in Pimentel Hall. This was also a new experience for me. I should mention that Prof. Nitsche is hilarious. He certainly knows how to make freshmen feel welcome.

Of note is that courses are normally split into lectures and discussions. Unlike the lectures, the discussion sections are usually smaller. Speaking of classes, the Math 1A lecture is starting soon. I should probably head out in a few minutes. Peace. :-)

Currently reading: Calculus: Early Transcendentals by James Stewart

report of my first college dance

I just got back from the Dance & Casino Night at Pauley Ballroom. This was my first college dance and certainly a new experience. As its name suggests, the event featured casino games like blackjack and roulette. This was a nice touch even though they're not my cup of tea.

Of note is that the DJ didn't play any slow songs at all. I had never been to a dance with no slow songs. That was a little weird and didn't make much sense.

The dance ended 45 minutes early when everyone started leaving and the DJ stopped the music. It wasn't her fault that people decided to leave, but she should have kept the music going until the end. Just my two cents. Shortcomings aside, the Dance & Casino Night was pretty enjoyable. Feel free to read my review for more details.

In other news...

There was also a game night at the residential computing center. I got to play Doom 3 for the first time. It was kind of scary but also pretty fun!

Currently playing: Doom 3

first day of college!

The big day has arrived. I moved into the dorms at Berkeley this afternoon, and so begins a new chapter in my life.

One thing for sure is that college is very different from high school. I was nervous at first but am adjusting pretty well. I've met my roommate Scott - he's a cool guy from Southern California. The other six people in our suite are really nice too. Oh yeah, and hot chicks are everywhere. ^_^

Classes don't actually start until the 30th, but new students are encouraged to attend Welcome Week to get a feel of the school. The schedule is filled with activities, including a dance on the 27th. I'm pretty excited.

In other news...

Summer ended on a good note as the Lu family invited us to dinner at HomeTown Buffet on the 20th. Everything was delicious. I had a great time hanging out with Thomas, Connie and Jenny at their house afterwards. Of note is that the Lus agreed to meet on Friday instead of Saturday because I wanted more time to prepare for the move. I truly appreciate their consideration.

Currently playing: The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions

Historical note: Pictures from Move-In Day are available here.

the anxiety is killing me...

I'm moving to Berkeley in six days. The transition to college is no doubt one of the biggest changes in my life. This is really exciting but also scary at the same time. I'm definitely a little nervous. I'll have to admit - the past few days were so stressful that I had an anxiety attack just after returning from Alaska on the 10th. :\

All that having been said, I'm sure everything will be fine. After all, almost everyone goes to college!

In other news...

1. I finally got to try the chocolates I bought in Alaska. They were delicious and worth the price.

2. Because I'll be away from home, my parents recently got me my own cell phone. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Currently playing: Hoyle Puzzle Games (2003 edition)

back from CalSO

I just got back from the Cal Student Orientation with my parents. This was my first real taste of college life as I had to spend a night in the dorms. I was somewhat nervous but soon felt at home after finding out my roommate spoke Mandarin too.

The two-day event began with us meeting our counselors. They then divided us into small groups for the campus tour. The counselors also talked about life at Berkeley and went over things like majors, course selection, campus safety and student services. College is very different from high school, that's for sure. On the whole, CalSO was a worthwhile experience.

There was also an orientation for parents and supporters. Just as going to college is a major milestone in my life, it's also a big deal for Mom and Dad!

Currently watching: The Matrix Reloaded

so I got into Berkeley...

I found out last week that I was accepted into UC Berkeley for the fall. That was quite a surprise!

At first I thought it was an early April Fools joke when Dad told me the news. I had never even considered applying to such a prestigious school. However, Dad felt it was worth a try and sent them a copy of my application. I guess it wasn't a bad idea!

I'm confident in my abilities and decided to enroll at Berkeley right away. Though I wanted to keep a low profile at first and not tell anyone, somebody must have let the cat out of the bag because several people at LAHS have congratulated me. I figured I might as well share it with the world. :-)