School has once again set itself into a frenetic pace of facts, concepts, and seemingly irrelevant tidbits that I know will come back to haunt me. My classmates are as wonderful as always, evidenced by a fun-filled ski trip up to Mammoth and numerous little gatherings. The time spent watching the Olympics or TV shows that I wish resembled real life accumulates as usual. And plenty of time staring at my food, the TV screen, the computer, or just at the ceiling, mulling over half-baked ideas, like how the more time I spend here, the less I feel I can function in the real world.
So perhaps I shall catch you up with my life, because if you're reading this because you know me, we probably haven't chatted on the phone in a while. Like months or something.
A group of 30+ classmates and I went to Mammoth the last weekend of January for a glorious weekend of snow and skiing. It was my first time to Mammoth, and I was absolutely overwhelmed/amazed with the resort that is Mammoth. I love Tahoe and have skiied there forever, but never have I seen a resort with as many lifts and runs and cafes and what not like there is in Mammoth. Plus, it had been snowing the week before, and even when we were on the mountain, so there was fresh powder galore. I must admit, though, that I prefer more ice with just a thin layer of powder. This powder was so tiring, and so inconsistent to ski in. I like zooming. For me, the appeal of skiing is not so much the danger or whatever, but just the thrill of zooming down a mountain, and feeling like I am going faster than I ever can anywhere else. Either way, a deliciously loud and raucous weekend for some in the class, while I enjoyed my snow and sleep. :)
Aside from Mammoth, there have also been numerous little social gatherings, such as a birthday party at InCahoots, which I suppose I can best describe as a "country line-dancing club." If you've talked to me lately or sat in my car, you will know that I am in something of a country music "epoch" (I really can't think of the right word for this right now, my head is swimming with 'impermeability' or 'parathyroid' or 'reabsorption' or what not). Don't laugh, I actually think it's quite good, this country music. I don't know why I didn't realise it earlier. Bluegrass, still no, but country is quite palatable now. Anyway, the line-dancing club was kind of awesome. Like really, awesome. Haha, had a lot of fun learning the "Honky tonk twist" I believe it was called, and some two-step. Other than that, some random gatherings at friend's places to watch TV, gossip, talk irrelevant nonsense about goodness-knows-what, and enjoy some tastly ethanol preparations.
And, like many others, I am kind of addicted to the Olympics at the moment. It doesn't matter if I know nothing about the sport, I will still watch it. I will stare at the TV and wonder what on earth the commentators are going on about, and I will pick favourites out of the athletes I know nothing about, and I will watch. It's quite horrible, really. It's no wonder renal is killing me, seeing as I usually study to the Olympics.
I don't know how big this news is outside of UCSD, but there's been what's been termed "racially-charged" incidents on campus lately, which started with a very stupid "Comptom Cookout" party that turned into inappropriate comments on campus TV, demonstrations, teach-ins, walk-outs, and the very latest is a noose hung in the Geisel library. Personally, I felt that the Comptom Cookout was probably planned by a couple of dumb kids who really didn't intend to cause as much a ruckus as they did, but with the comments on campus TV, and now the noose, I am beginning to think there is something very wrong at UCSD. Or perhaps in the La Jolla area in general. The Comptom Cookout was ignorance, but this lynching is malicious. If it was intended to be a joke, I don't see the humour in it. It's no longer a question of being politically incorrect, but it's now a hateful thing, almost a hate crime.
I don't have any big thoughts about it, I have no theories, no ideas on how to fix things, but I just needed to say something, because I feel like I have been trying to believe in the best of people, that they are just people making stupid mistakes, but they have proved me very wrong. And for that, I feel horrible.
My other half-baked ideas? Mostly irrelevant and just some flightful fancies. They can be shared another time. Perhaps before the GI exam, which is just a brief two weeks away.
Time to get back to the kidney...I leave you with this, from my oddly funny renal professor.
