So, let me explain the last post . . .

Okay, the last post is not about my life or my thoughts.

It is the beginning of a story that I will hopefully finish writing. *knock on wood* This break, I told myself I was going to write regardless of the fact that I suck at writing. So, that post is what I came up with. The story itself isn't plotted, but I do have a few major events I want to hit and a few characters developed.

Why my fascination with writing? I think it's just one of those things I've always wanted to do but failed at doing. I've never finished any of the stories I've started outside of school. *knock on wood* But I guess, writing is also creating. It's not creating a physical object, but creating an idea, a story. And, that's what I want to do with my life. I want to create.

I've always wanted to be a creator – okay, not always. But starting in fifth grade, I wanted to be a creator. Actually, the term I used in fifth grade was inventor. But that year was when I started to become really interested in engineering, which is the creating aspect of science. I attended engineering camp/workshops, bought do it yourself engineering kits, and amassed random tools and parts. I have a solar panel somewhere in my drawer. Even the toys I played with were related to creating. I played with K'nex and legos. I remember fondly the ferris wheel I built out of K'nex. So basically, engineering was what I determined I wanted to do with my life. Well, that was until I took AP Physics my junior year of high school. I hated the class and thought if I hate physics, I can't be an engineer cause that's what engineers do, they apply physics. And, what better time to lose focus of what I wanted to do with my life than the year of college applications. I was deeply lost. I was so unsure of what I wanted. I was bouncing around all different majors, from music to english to film, while at the same time rejecting anything medical or law related. On all my applications to college, I was undecided until, the very last month before applications were due, December. I took a shower – that's where I think best – and realized I wasn't going to let one class, AP Physics, ruined years of devotion to engineering. And engineering was a combination of what I liked, creativity, and what I'm good at, mathematics. So I applied Undecided Engineering. And that was the state of mind I was in, when I entered college.

In a way, I feel I'm still lost. Although, I do know I want to be an engineer, I do not know what field of engineering. But, I am starting to find my way . . .

Wow, I didn't expect to write so much about engineering. Yeah . . . So anyways, my blog will now play host to random stories as well as random whatever else I've been and will be posting.

Riding The T

Elmira was a traveler. Well, that was what she told me when she introduced herself to me. It wasn't until much later, though, did I find out she was – well, I'll tell you later. But right now, all that's important is that you know she loved to travel and she, very much, was, indeed, a traveler.

Anyway, November 28th, 2010.

Elmira stepped onto the T – that's what they call the subway in Boston – and found an empty spot to stand. There were no empty seats, but it didn't mattered, she was not one who liked to sit. It was rush hour and Elmira wondered why she picked such a busy time to visit her friends at BU. Oh that's right, she remembers, her friends at Harvard had insisted they go to  L.A. Burdick for hot chocolate. There was always a line at that place, especially on a frigid November day. She was supposed to meet her friends at BU, at 2pm. It was now 4pm. To get to BU,  she had to take the red line inbound to Park St. and then transfer onto the B line of the four green lines and head outbound until one of the multiple BU stops. Her friends were at the GSU (George Sherman Union) so she would get off at the Boston University Central stop.

Happy Holidays!!

 HAPPY CHRISMAHANUKWANZADAN!!!

(This is a much belated Happy Ramadan.)

I really do hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. Be Happy!

My family spent our Christmas eve making pretzels. Mmmmm! Enjoy them, virtually. =]

Mickey's Ten Commandments

As I started to, finally, read my ginormous Imagineering Book, as appose to looking at the pictures, I came across Mickey's Ten Commandments. Marty Sklar, a retired Disney Imagineering Legend, coined these sometime during his years at Disney. I think these are pretty good – of course, being an unworldly college freshmen, I know nothing of what really is good.

So, without further ado, Mickey's Ten Commandments:

1. Know your audience

Identify the prime audience for your attraction or show before you begin the design.

2. Wear your Guests' shoes

Insist that your team members experience your creation just the way Guests do it.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas

Make sure there is a logic and sequence in your stories, and in the way Guests experience them.

4. Create a wienie (visual magnet)

Create visual "targets" that lead visitors clearly and logically through your facility.

5. Communicate with visual literacy

Make good use of all the non-verbal ways of communication – color, shape, form, texture.

6. Avoid overload – create turn ons

Resist the temptation to overload your audience with too much information and too many objects.

7. Tell one story at a time

Stick to the story line; good stories are clear, logical, and consistent.

8. Avoid contradictions – maintain identity

Details in design or content that contradict one another confuse an audience about your story or the time period it takes place in.

9. For ever ounce of treatment, provide a ton of treat

In our business, Walt Disney said, you can educate people – but don't' tell them you're doing it! Make it fun!

10. Keep it up! (maintain it)

In a Disney park or resort, everything must work! Poor maintenance is poor show.

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas . . .

The christmas tree is up in the living room. There are presents under the tree and the house is decorated in festive lights. There's even a barely there layer of snow covering some of the yard.

But, it definitely doesn't feel like christmas.

Also, Lowell's great christmas tree isn't up this year. =[ I wonder why? Google is your friend emily. Here's the Lowell Sun article. Sigh, when will our economy get out of this slump. Here's a pic I found online of the missing christmas tree.

Credit kittell

At least the rest of the lights are still present.

Credit Harkins Photo Blog

On a Side Note

I always like to get myself a gift for Christmas – wrapped and addressed to myself from myself. However, this year it will be a belated gift. So instead of a Christmas gift, it will be a welcome to Semester 2 of college gift. Haha. =] But yeah, I think I'm going to get myself a grape soda pin from Pixar's Up.

You know, so I will always be reminded to explore and go on adventures and keep in mind what really matters in my life. =]

This Winter Break

In these four weeks, I want to be productive, not academic wise though. My definition of productive just means not lazing around and doing nothing.

So maybe, I will practice some piano. You know, at least try to accomplish my goal of mastering piano. I'll probably toss in some guitar playing too, for good measure – I only know a handful of chords so my guitar playing is very limited to easy and chords only songs.

Or maybe, I'll write. I haven't written a story since high school. I'm not in the least bit good at writing though. Hmm . . . if I do decide to write, I think I'll post it on this blog.

One thing for sure is that I will be reading books, watching movies, and pondering about my life.

All these things that I want to do is really just for me. They remind me of the five goals I made for myself during high school – I believe sophomore year, during myspace's prime. I wonder if they are still hidden on my myspace page.

Yes, they are. I just checked. =]

It's nice to find my myspace page exactly the way I left it. (It's the same feeling as coming home from college for the holiday break, and finding everything, like family and friendship dynamics, pretty much the same.) The plain original myspace layout is still intact along with my customization of the font colors. The blurbs, I wrote, are still there and unchanged. It's especially strange to read the blurbs. The blurbs are kind of like my high school self preserved in writing. It's sort of like Tom Riddle's diary in Harry Potter, except it's not a horcrux – can a blog be a horcrux? – and won't influence somebody else negatively, I hope. I guess that is what this blog eventually will be: a representation of college me. KooL! =]

I Should Just Sleep

I haven't blogged in awhile, and its not because I haven't done anything interesting. In fact, I've done many interesting things since I've last blogged, including going to the Boston Commons tree lighting, watching Tangled again, going to the Boston Ballet, which was AMAZING, going to a BU vs. BC hockey game, pulling my first all nighter while averaging  4 hours of sleep for the three days prior to that, followed by 16 hours of SLEEP, writing letters to ambassadors for women rights, exploding bottles with dry ice, trekking out in the rain as a superadventurer with Devon to watch the wonderful Angelina Jolie and equally wonderful Johnny Depp in The Tourist, and just having a grand time with my floormates.

The reason I haven't blogged probably is because I'm just really tired, lazy, and busy, mainly lazy. Right now, by blogging, I am procrastinating. AHHHH! I'm so unproductive. I really need to start on my MECH-E project too. And this exam week is daunting. I've like already planned my entire week, when and what subject I'll be studying. I highly dislike planning stuff. It's so unlike me.

I also want some real food, dining hall food no longer counts as real food. Actually, I just want some simple home cooked food . . . Even plain white rice sounds good right now.

Also, I still pretty much don't know what type of engineering I want to major in. I haven't given much thought to it either . . .

I am having an awesome time in college, but right now, I really need to just focus and stop being a lazy bum!

So Excited!

I am eating POMEGRANATE!!!!! So excited!

Look at them! Don't they look so good. I totally spent an hour peeling (is that the word?) them into a bowl! =]

Blank Blog

I feel the need to blog. But, I haven't anything to say.