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| Goodbye XangaXanga has been a great outlet for me these past four years. Now that I am 100% certain what exactly I will be doing for the next few years, I feel comfortable in making a final, summmative post for my ever-dying readership.
Since college has ended, I have pretty much spent my time job searching and bumming around NYC. During this period I've gone through a bunch of shitty interviews, decided to never pursue anything finance-related again, almost became a consultant twice, but finally decided on doing the NYC Teaching Fellows. After an intensive four-week training period juggling both field training at a high school in the Bronx and fellows classes at night, my journey is finally over, as I've recently started my new position as a high school science teacher at the premiere public high school for arts in the nation, LaGuardia High.
This being the end of my search, over the past few days I've reflected on how exactly I ended up here. My initial goal--and the goal of the teaching fellows--was for placement in a high-needs school. However, since teaching fellows have to search for positions and interview with each school, we were given freedom to decide our own placements. My only concern with accepting the offer was that I would, for one, lose all street cred because LaGuardia is not exactly high-needs; and if down the line I perhaps wanted to work in educational policy reform, my experience would only allow me to see a school misrepresentative of schools that actually need reform. Not to mention--as students at LaGuardia tend to be better behaved, my skills as a teacher won't get to fully develop especially in terms of classroom management.
Though there definitely are perks to working at LaGuardia. I'm at a nice location near midtown and close to most of my friends for dinners and happy hours and whatnot; I'll perhaps become just a little bit more cultured by walking past Lincoln Center everyday; I'll be teaching the sons and daughters and relatives of fairly important people/celebrities (or so I'm told.) I'll also get winter/mid-winter/spring/summer vacations, which is obviously nice.
But being a teacher is kind of weird straight out of college. It's strange that I've come full circle especially because my own high school days seem like yesterday. I remember my first day of high school quite fondly, those precarious days of September 1999. Though some aspects seem like eons ago, others are still vivid in my mind.
What's also weird is I'm teaching juniors and seniors; students who are literally five years younger than me. I know they'll all have facebook and I know some will even Google-stalk me (and if you're one of my students reading this, 'sup?!) The internet has changed considerably since I was in high school, and as a recent college grad who still very much uses various social networking sites I'm a bit worried that my students will know a little too much about me. Maybe I'll be writing some college recommendations this year. Maybe I'll convince my students to apply to that small Ivy League university just 50 blocks uptown. It's all really hard for me to grasp at this point.
Speaking of college, I miss it like crazy. Just for the past twenty minutes I dug out the 2003 copy of the Columbia Facebook--the book version, before the online version even existed--and reminisced about simpler times, refusing to believe college orientation was already four years ago. It was a year ago that I remember being pumped for Election Day break, but at the same time scared shitless that my senior year was speeding by like no other. And as time goes by I'm sure I will yearn for college days even more.
So to reflect back on these four years again--from reading through my posts you can definitely see how much my blogging style has changed. I started xanga during what I still consider the best, and most carefree, summer I've ever had, the summer of 2003. I went into college feeling on top of the world and slowly became humbled--dare I say jaded?--by the Columbia experience. And now I've come full circle and am a high school teacher. I still can't wrap my mind around it.
In sum, it's been good to have you, xanga. But it's time to move on. I'll recontinue my blog on my personal webpage if I ever muster up enough energy to revamp it; otherwise I'll restart my LJ in the meantime. And I will leave xanga stagnant... farewall y'all! | | |
| THE END OF THE END.As of yesterday, I became an official college graduate.
It still hasn't hit me yet. I wonder when it will...
As I've said in past entries, I'm thinking of keeping this xanga page static and moving onto a different blog now that I'm done with college. Seeing as how most people have moved on from xanga, maybe it's best to follow suit. Though this blog really does chronicle my 4-year experience quite in-depth.
Onto pictures... I can't really conjure up anything too solemn or introspective, so perhaps I'll save that entry for later.
5.15.07 - after a failed attempt at "40's on the 1," in which all seniors were supposed to drink 40s out on low steps (it was seriously stymied by security), we decided to drink and smoke in front of havemeyer.
we spent about an hour looking at all my pictures from the past four years a reminiscing -- very poignant and fitting considering i documented everything quite well.
more chillin' outside
we moved the party inside, to 309 havemeyer -- surprisingly unlocked. 309 is the site of many film shoots and is generally a famous classroom. it's also where most of us took chemistry, in one form or another, freshman year. again, a fitting place to return to...
phyllis's and diane's reaction to...
this.
diane tries to reciprocate the good time she's gonna have.
time for some serious lecture. what the hell is this equation.
diane is dying to answer the question
i was doing tai chi. lol
playing porn on the big screen... was too hilarious while drunk
laughter for about two minutes straight
my turn to navigate the computer. everyone's reactions when they see i'm at pornotube.com...
...and when they see i type "pterodactyl" into the search field.
the girls are slightly amused
next we watched a video of diane playing the piano
she plays it so well -- and she doesn't even use her hands!
5.16.07 - UNIVERSITY-WIDE COMMENCEMENT. lining up at the engineering section: josh me and steve, a throwback to our gateway group!
van and dave
walking down the steps to low plaza
40,000 people or so at columbia. crazy. i've never seen it so packed
lisa
alice and mayu
dean zvi galil, the only reason i'm happy to be in seas. what an awesome guy
engineering w00t w00t. also, it was way too hot during the ceremony, and i'm sure half of the people (myself included) were somewhat dehydrated and hung over.
benny and chris
each of columbia's schools asked prezbo's permission to bestow upon us degrees. which took forever
van benny me
ed george devin
with a sad em
bff's!
matt and bryan
with kelly
sammy and kelly
with jake
group shot!
bryan diane and me
liga!
with donnel and risa
chung bryan matt me
with the fam, who gave us flowers. aww!
me yi dave bryan
bryan and kara
ed me lisa
with moses
with our degrees
with laura
Congratulations to all :) It's been a memorable four years. | | |
| It's practically over: ONE MORE DAYI've been enjoying myself way too much this past week, partaking in the various senior week events designed to distract us from the inevitable: graduation. Of course it's not actually too much different than what I did for the rest of the schoolyear--excessive drinking--so I guess it doesn't really feel too different. Regardless, the end is near. I finished up my last duties at my job last week, working way more hours than I wanted to, and finally finishing on Thursday. That evening we ate our last meal in the beloved John Jay dining hall, vastly improved since we ate there on a regular basis freshman year.
On Friday I went to my first official 'senior week' event at Six Flags; somewhat of a ripoff at a $30 price tag for a half day, which meant we only went on three rides. But I did ride two of the BEST roller coasters i've ever experienced, the Kingda Ka and Nitro which were... awesome. Friday night also saw a reunion of the Old Men with Fetishes, minus Vanessa, who apparently sucks.
Saturday was low key; in the evening I attended another senior week event, a reception at the Columbia Club, where I drank way too much wine on an empty stomach, blacked out, and then puked at a K-town restaurant. Hilarious!
Sunday was senior ball, and I braved feeling sick from the previous night of puking to get sufficiently drunk at the open bar, at the afterparty on the sky lounge atop Hotel Gansevoort, and at St. Mark's where we stopped by for a 2AM meal.
Yesterday was SEAS Class Day... and today was CC Class Day. Tomorrow is university-wide commencement, after which we will be officially done.
5.9.07 - being classy and drinking wine at vintage.
nhu-y and phyllis making a hair commercial
later that night. drinking on the steps
and smoking hookah
a good night indeed.
5.10.07 - last dinner at john jay
vic and daniella
kelly and lawrence
later that night. in bryan's room
everyone is nicely arranged
lol @ amanda
5.11.07 - six flags. the kingda ka. the car accelerates you straight up and accelerates you straight down. it was AWESOME.
the nitro rollercoaster. the first drop -- it's actually quite high.
trying on fake hair
old men with fetishes dinner at moustache
being classy and enjoying drinks at sushi samba
with diane, who came late. BUT NOT VANESSA LEE.
5.12.07 - columbia club reception near times square.
mike and alice
5.13.07 - senior ball. the dinner was just ehh, though it looked quite delicious.
benny chris and sam
matt me and benny
with our drinks.
me lisa daniella yi
jung phyllis may diane claire
with donnel!
hoarding desserts
benny kat rhea me
with jenn!
group shot outside.
em and ping
phyllis is feeding the world
scott matt and devin
devin mike me
with pei clarkson
sammy lawrence lisa rachel kelly
with jen hsia!
the only picture i took at the afterparty at hotel gansevoort's sky bar. what a nice place. though the drinks were $15 each.
post-afterparty dinner at st. mark's. i was drunk enough to use my japanese.
a toast of beer
after st. mark's. singing karaoke in ed's room
someone had the idea that we should all get our caps and gowns. it was the best idea of the night.
we fit in one!
high five
ec hallway shot.
5.14.07 - seas class day. sea of blue
ann and steph
me van kyle and benny
let's get the party started...
enduring the boring keynote speaker (he certainly was accomplished, but i could not a word he said...)
the two remaining members of the FU party at columbia
later that night. at yuka for one last hurrah!
even later that night. one last hurrah at lion's head for monday night's $0.25 wings!
with my calc iii buddy from freshman year.
carman 6 '03-'04!
car bombs. i'm not really part of this
kelly dropped a wing in her beer. hilarious
group shot
the suitemates of ec 1408
vic is gone. way to go senior class marshall!
with scott
5.15.07 - cc class day. with matt
pregnant alex and may
with bryan!
steve and rebecca
benny bryan and me
aaa
with yi.
It's almost over... | | |
| The Middle of the EndI'm officially finished with everything academic... kinda. I still have an engineering exam tomorrow morning, which is entirely optional, though by merely taking it I'll get extra credit for BME Design. For all intents and purposes, though, I'm done with college!
The Senior Engineering Dinner was last Thursday. It was a little nerdy, and the food was terrible, and I definitely felt inadeqaute when awards were being handed out to the top students in each department. But it was good company.
Yesterday, being done with finals and all, I ventured to Union Square for the 28th (29th?) annual Asian American Heritage Festival, where I met some cool people and networked a little and got convinced by my professor to join OCA. The weather held up, too. It immediately reminded me of the Chinatown Festival back in Seattle, back when I used to be so involved in the community and knew folks from all the community organizations. I'm getting old.
More pictures...
happy birthday mimi
seas dinner: table 33.
i'm a great photographer
me and my guests
chung was there in spirit
main course... nasty dried chicken probably leftover from the underclassmen seas dinner
and semi-nasty dessert.
during our senior toast. table 33!
van evan and nate
benny is shy
rachel and lisa
handing ed the gilbert papgayo award of excellence!
with sheesh. carman 6! and benny in the background
in front of alma mater
final liga dinner. | | |
| The Beginning of the EndTWO MORE WEEKS UNTIL GRADUATION!
My academic to-do list has two items left: Senior Design presentation (which got moved to tomorrow) and BME Lab Final. I'm not fretting either.
Way too much has happened since last update. Academically I've been coasting; there were only three or four nights I can count this past month where I've been a little stressed due to assignments or papers or tests.
Liga Filipina's Barrio 2007 also happened. I was going to advertise on my xanga, but I got way too lazy. As usual we were screwed by Columbia administration for space and ended up having our culture show in Lerner Party Space -- smaller than our usual venue -- and during lunch, which was really a disappointment. Regardless the show went on, and it was pretty good considering the circumstances, if I do say so myself.
Last night was my third and last TASA open bar semiformal -- "Round Three." Coincidentally it was also the night of BME senior dinner; I had four glasses of wine at dinner, and had very little to eat, which meant I definitely did not get my $30's worth during the semiformal. Regardless, it was quite a night of debauchery, and by the end of the night everyone had made out with everyone else...
I'm upset the weather has really sucked in New York this spring. The few times it's been sunny I've been sleeping or busy to chill on the steps, and now they're starting to set up commencement shit which effectively blocks all of Low Plaza. Sigh.
PICTURE UPDATE
3.28.07 - senior night at west end havana central. steve and i wait forever among the old people and mike hogs to sing bsb "i want it that way."
later that night, back in east campus.
3.31.07 - so i bought uni from citarella because i was making sushi. i'd never tried 'fresh' uni before. too bad it was hard to clean and tasted differently than normal uni...
4.05.07 - i finally found a good place for pho! pho grand in chinatown, on grand street. it's decent but still not as good as i'm used to...
later that night. celebrating matt's 21st at lion's head
irish car bomb! alas, i could not drink because i sick.
4.14.07 - nyc asian conference 'afterparty' at kenka. i started drinking during the conference and was blacked out by this point...
joann bryan nhu-y
4.20.07 - post-blue scholars concert, when they were chilling in my suite. i got so drunk this night... i didn't black out but apparently i became very belligerent and vulgar. awesome!
4.22.07 - dinner at sezz medi, on amsterdam. delicious octopus appetizer
me benny and mimi
4.27.07 - cjs matsuri. eating contest! and this was the only picture i could take before my camera batteries ran out.
4.28.07 - barrio fiesta! me giving the presidential speech. i was also slightly tipsy at this point.
fan dance
aray
sakuting. lol we screwed this dance up so badly
monica's solo
pat's solo
tiff's solo
bryan and me singing bsb's "i want it that way."
this is the second time this update i am singing that song.
hip hop!
seniors!
with laurie and leann
with ifa!
with liga '06ers
4.30.07 - tasa semiformal. with teriha
liz and george
husband and wife shot
hmm. husband and wife shot #2
crystal and albert
lol at diane. roflmao zedong!
alex me and monique!
5.1.07 - 2007 cc/seas graduate asian reception at the j-school. | | |
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