First kiss

Making people laugh.

8.27.08 - First Day At Berkeley

So I've had several people ask me about my day and I figured a note would just be easier.

My day has been AWESOME.

I got here very early since my first class is at 8. It was Bio lecture, and there are 600 people in that class. I've never seen a classroom so large; it was auditorium style. The professors have to wear microphones and there's a huge projection screen above the chalkboards so the people in the back can see. There were 8 full-sized chalkboards as well, and a big Periodic Table with a spotlight on it.

Anyway, the professors seemed pretty friendly. I don't know if I'll even bother trying to get to know them just because of the sheer number of students. Probably teach myself most of the stuff, maybe find a study partner. I'm not worried about it yet.

After Bio I wondered through campus to get my student ID (which gets me free transportation around the city of Berkeley! Woot!) and I got to go through one of the main open plazas where there are all these booths for college groups set up. Alas, I did not see a booth for the College Republicans but I already joined them online anyway. Haha! Maybe I'll make some friends through that--at least, that's my hope. There were some psychotic religious you-are-all-going-to-hell screamer guys at one end, but everyone was just ignoring them, which is nice. The whole place was bustling, it's pretty exciting.

Then I had a Nuclear Chemistry class and that was much smaller, maybe 20-25 people. I started chatting with the girl waiting to go in next to me, and she just transferred here from a community college too. We exchanged emails in case one of us misses a class, so that was cool. That professor was also very friendly, although slightly monotonous. We already have homework. Ah well.

After that I walked over by the giant clock/bell tower to have lunch. There's a pretty garden surrounding the base of it with more trees and stone benches, and I ate lunch there. At noon the bells chimed but it wasn't just random noise; they were actual melodies, it was very pretty. A girl came up to me and said she recognized me from City, although I didn't know her. It was still nice.

This is where I had lunch:

I went to my chem lab but they aren't having it yet because we haven't had a lecture in that class. As I was walking out I ran into Andrew. :) We started talking a lot about the whole day, and as we were doing that, we ran into Zach. Haha. So we chatted about our summers and what-not, it was good to see them. Zach left and Andrew and I kept talking, and then we ran into Josh! The point is I was very pleasantly surprised to see how many of my City friends I'm already seeing here. So that put me in a great mood.

Andrew had a class, I went to the bookstore to pick up the rest of my stuff, and by now it's getting pretty warm. They were giving away free popsicles, which was perfect. While I was waiting in line to buy my books (which, btw, went very quickly 'cause they have an incredibly efficient system), I ran into a buddy of mine that transferred here a year before me: Nic! Turns out he's majoring in Chemical Biology as well. So we'll probably hang out.

I'm just very pleased with how this is already shaping up socially. Bwahaha.

Now I'm sitting in a library that looks more like an art museum and using the free wireless on my beloved laptop to kill time while I wait for Andrew to finish class. Then we'll probably hang and get sushi (*drools*) before I go back to the city. I definitely have to find an apartment out here. The commute sucks and besides, I want to get more absorbed in the atmosphere.

Anyway, I'm sure my enthusiasm will be a little curbed once the homework starts rolling in, but for now I am psyched. So glad I got in here! :D

"Ode to a Grecian God" by David

His Ducati can outgun Apollo and Zeus

He can rope in an ox with a lasso and noose

He sings as he captures more slaves for his ranks

He's defeated the best of investment—type banks

No man, woman, child, and/or animal smiles

When they see all his treasure and currency piles

He's a murdering pirate and ninja combined

With a Viking's brute strength and a lightning—fast mind

Just to make sure his fear and respect builds a wall

He wipes out whole species, endangered and all

And even the eagles must carry him food

Or he'll eat them alive just to lighten his mood

He hammers in nails using just his bare hands

He eats broken glass and then spits out white sands

He hates Izzy's restaurant and shunned Melonhead

Now just let him build up his new deck or you're DEAD!

He's eaten whole countries, devoured the moon

His heart pumps out iron, his yell a monsoon

He can drink gasoline without stopping to think

And wash it all down with a whole—ocean drink

There is no one alive who can challenge his claim

And the last man who tried lost his legs (now he's lame)

He's a one—man machine gun, a weapon of war

And he's beat every video game's highest score

His liberal city was quite unprepared

His conservative manliness left them all scared

So he chopped off the heads of the Persian elites

"No Whining!" he said as he barbecued meats

He stands on a fighter jet made out of guns

Guns guns guns guns guns guns guns guns guns guns

Guns are so awesome and he has fifty—two

One for each state plus one in each shoe

He stands on a pile of the skulls of his foes

In the light of the glory that, yes, always flows

From the radiant muscles and tenacious yell

As he cries, "Now in Sparta——Tomorrow in Hell!"

Trees growing.