Shanghai 2010

While I have not even arrived in the country for this summer yet, I know I will definitely need to be in Shanghai again next year!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/world/asia/31expo.html

Illustrations of the many many pavilions are giving me goosebumps. :)
http://en.expo2010.cn/participation/pop/moren.htm

Particularly adore the Israeli and Danish Pavilions:


Doesn't the Dutch one look like a wonderful carnival park?

The Small Void in my Life

Running along Great Highway by Ocean Beach, I realized what I am missing - a puppy! Running seems less painful for people accompanied by dogs ...

2 more years until I could have one?

The J-Word

Despite my strenuous efforts to avoid acknowledging it, I am being constantly reminded that I am half-way done with college. Words of congratulations from professors, emails from Housing, and even the presence of pre-frosh call attention to the fact that I am now a junior.

While I am very excited about post-grad life (finding a meaningful job that I adore, decorating my apartment, having a dog, etc.), life at college just seems a bit more pleasant. We all grumble about the academic workload, but the opportunity to simply study, and sometimes slave over, what you love is incredible. At the same time, you are surrounded by people who are so enthusiastically sharing this with you. There are still so many courses I would like to take and so many activities in which I would like to be involved. Perhaps, reminders that we are half-way to the finish line encourage us to happily and appreciatively spend the number of years we have left at college. Nostalgia and other dramatic emotions aside, junior year is going to be wonderful.



A final compact assortment of leftover sophomore year photos:

(Down Syndrome Conference - with my buddy for the day) (Fall Lawnparties)

(Della visits Princeton!) (The day I met Robert Venturi)

(The Class Council at our first study break of the year)

(She's plotting to take over the world... and then allow me to reign over the Bahamas and Antarctica.)


(The girls decided to do a mini-Thanksgiving dinner before break. I set the table.)

My next purchase

New LEGO set of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater!



Thanks to Bryan for sharing:
http://tinyurl.com/r6wnyf

Just Tower-ific

So much love for TRUE BLUE.

A semester of Tower-ness into one blog post. Here we go:

Pickups - When it all began...


Casino Night - Someone teach me how to play poker?
(Kevin, the big sib) (Class Council at Tower!)



Houseparties + Lawnparties - Every weekend should be Houseparties Weekend! Three days long, it was basically a marathon.

Day 1 - Formal Night
The wonderful sophomore tent, tunes from Diamond Alley, and a sea of well-groomed folks.

I couldn't resist and took a break from vegetarianism for the weekend. -____-




(The girls before heading out)

(Our table)
Day 2 - Semi- Formal Night
I absolutely adore breakfast, but what I love more is a champagne brunch. The afternoon/evening revolved around a carnival of fire-breathing and sword-swallowing agents and funnel cake! Of course, then more primping for the night.

The idea of being able to spend an hour or two in the library between events was purely wishful thinking.




Day 3 - Lawnparties
For the first time in 4 years (?), we pulled out the umbrellas and rainboots for Lawnparties Sunday. Gym Class Heroes @ Quad, Mates of State and Apples in Stereo @ Tower!

Please put this on repeat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gSSsCdFeA



and some randoms:

Opps, I forgot I have a blog...

Some things I forgot to blog during the year in no particular order:


Beach Day on Alexander Beach
2011 towels, beach balls, water bottles, and FOOD during Reading Period
(Believe it or not, those folks are pretty awesome.)



Galveston, Tx - SVC Breakout Trip
Intersession 2009

We spent the week with sledgehammers tearing down deteriorating buildings for locals. September 2008's Hurricane Ike damaged more than 70% of all residences on the island, and despite the efforts of FEMA and charity groups, many buildings have still not been repaired.

It had been 3 years since my last trip to Texas, and visiting Houston and pigging out on large Texan platters again was lovely!


Oh, Texas . . .



Sophomore Semi-Formal
2+ months of planning

Band - Famous by Monday
1200+ invitations made and delivered
Food from Ferry House and Chez Alice
400+ balloons, ivy, and flowers
Lights, light, lights

. . . and breathe out.










January 20th, 2009 - Obama's Inauguration
The body heat of 5 million people was not enough to make DC decently warm, but the inauguration was still amazing! After getting up at 4:30 am to help supervise the bus from Pton to D.C., I had felt like a zombie until we reached the center of the city when the general excitement woke me up. No one was short an American flag, an Obama pin, or, as corny as it may sound, patriotic hope. Much applause to D.C. for smooth organization.





Thanksgiving in D.C.


Pre-Rade - Welcoming the Class of 2012









A Yale Weekend - Visiting Della and Irina!